Ask the Scientist
Dr. Jeff Golini
Ph.D
Jeff Golini is the owner of All American Pharmaceuticals and EFX Sports. He is a former competitive bodybuilder based in Venice Beach, but he’s also been in the supplement industry as a formulator, patent creator and manufacturer since the 80s. He has a PhD, and lives in Montana where he owns and runs a supplement factory. Jeff’s most famous for coming up with the idea of adding acid buffering ingredients to creatine monohydrate to help ease the damage the stomach acids have on the creatine you consume. This novel idea has created a massive following of buffered creatine users all over the world! Facebook. Instagram, YouTube
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Dont Make This Mistake With MCT Oil
MCT oil doesn’t work its magic in a vacuum. You still need to follow these recommendations.
MCT oil, often marketed as a good fat that can help you lose weight, is a relative newcomer in that regard. Medium-chain triglycerides are, in fact, two or three fatty acids with an aliphatic tail of six to 12 carbon atoms, usually derived from coconut oil. The main benefit of MCT oil is that it passively diffuses from the GI tract to the portal system without requiring any type of modification, unlike long-chain fatty acids. MCT oil also doesn’t require bile salts for digestion.
Refined coconut oil was invented by Alexander P. Ashbourne of Oakland, California, back in 1875. He received a patent for this process. Hence, it’s been around for quite a long time, and today is used primarily in cooking and as a carrier oil for diluting essential oils or other type of oils.
Back in the late ’70s and early ‘80s, bodybuilders kept a very low-fat diet since protein and carbohydrate intake were very high. We typically incorporated cardio exercise to compensate for the high-carb diet. No bodybuilders who I knew, including myself, used MCT oils. As a matter of fact, we didn’t use any type of oils, good or bad.
It wasn’t until the 1990s that Parillo Performance released a product they called CapTri MCT Oil. They marketed it as a good fat that could be used in cooking or to add more fat to your diet. When the Atkins diet surfaced, so did MCT oil. It died down a bit until the keto diet (similar to Atkins) surfaced.
MCT oil is now being used as a “healthy fat” to help keto dieters increase their fat intake. It can be taken straight from the bottle or used on salads, when popping corn, or when stir frying. You just have to be careful, as this oil burns very quickly and easily because of its fatty-acid structure.
Today, it seems like many coffee shops and online stores are selling Super Keto Coffee, which is nothing more than coffee with MCT oil or butter. Be aware that adding oil also adds calories because it’s still a fat. If you’re not careful with your macros, you can put on body fat when using too much of it.
MCT oil has been shown in some studies to promote satiety (a feeling of fullness), as with other oils. Some companies claim you’ll lose weight using MCT oil, but this can happen only when you’re following a calorie-restricted or keto-type diet.
Some companies also claim it’s converted to ketones. Keep in mind that all fats are converted to ketones in the liver during periods of food restriction, whether it be a carbohydrate-restrictive diet, starvation, prolonged intense exercise, alcoholism, or untreated type 1 diabetes.
In closing, MCT oil is a healthy fat alternative to olive oil or coconut oil. But use it with caution: If you’re not hitting the cardio hard or lowering your other fats and carbohydrate intake, it will cause you to store more fat, just like any other high-calorie food.
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