Medium Chain Triglyceride in coconut

Medium Chain Triglyceride (MCT) in coconut –

You can find various properties of coconut fruit in the previous blog Local food #3 coconut and its benefits. In that blog, two important properties of coconut have been written. One is about the presence of Medium Chain Triglyceride (MCT) and another is about the formation of the myelin sheath. All the information on the MCT will be discussed here.

MCT is a type of fat. The structure consists of glycerol and three fatty acids having six to twelve carbons in length. This fat easily absorbed in our gastrointestinal tract. Other types of fat require a complex biological process. Other different types of triglycerides or fats are – Very Long Chain Triglyceride (VLCT), Long Chain Triglyceride (LCT), and Short Chain Triglyceride (SCT). VLCT has more than twenty-two carbons, LCT has thirteen to twenty-one carbons, and SCT has less than six carbons. SCT is produced by our gastrointestinal microorganisms. Plant-based components such as starch, cellulose can’t be digested by our cellular processes. So, our gastrointestinal microorganisms help in digestion and convert those components to SCTs. Then those SCTs get absorbed to our intestine. In the case of VLCT and LCT, these triglycerides need complex and longer biological mechanisms to get absorbed, unlike MCT. In recent research, MCT is opening solutions for many gastrointestinal disorders.

It includes a lot of science. Fats can also be divided into saturated fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids. Between these two forms, unsaturated fats are considered as healthy by many research groups. These are in liquid form at room temperature while saturated fats are in solid form.

Here more importance will be given to MCTs. It does not mean LCTs and SCTs are bad fats. They are also needed for our body to function. MCTs are better than those fats and produce more energy for our body.

MCT rich foods –

MCT is rich foods are coconut oil and palm kernel oil. It is also present in dairy products but in a lesser amount. Mother’s milk is a great source of MCT for newborn babies.

List of foods with percentage MCT are - Coconut oil – 15%, Palm kernel oil – 7.9%, Cheese – 7.3%, Butter – 6.8%, Milk – 6.9%, Yogurt – 6.6% (source-www.eatiqbar.com)

In the above list, every food has some amount MCT (Medium Chain Triglyceride) not 100%. So, eating in a large the amount won’t give you benefits rather it can cause serious gastrointestinal problems.

Let’s discuss MCT in the form of question and answer!

1. Why MCT is good for health?

-It helps in producing ketones inside our body.

2. What are ketones?

-Ketones are kind of a chemical functional group.

3. What is the need of ketones inside our body?

 -Ketones produce when our body fat burns. When there is not enough glucose that time our fats start producing energy. It leads to the production of ketone bodies. These ketone bodies provide energy to our body in conditions of lack of glucose.

4. Other processes to get MCTs?

-Prolong starvation and intake of MCT supplements (These two options is not considered good for everyone)

5. The science behind MCT absorption?

-I got the point that it gets transported to the liver easily where in case of other fats they travel through lymph node and then get into the liver to generate ketones.

6. What is the best MCT oil?

-Coconut oil is considered as best MCT oil.  

7. What are some health benefits of using MCT oil?

-It helps in weight loss and management. It provides energy to our body.

If you have any question on MCT then feel free to ask in the comment section.