If your 2022 resolutions include losing weight and/or enhancing mental sharpness, lowering carbohydrate intake is a good place to start; then, you can easily expedite your efforts by adding MCT oil. This natural, coconut additive can effectively curb your appetite, enhance energy and fuel brain cells when coupled with a healthy low-carb diet.^1,3

Medium chain triglycerides are smaller than those in most fats we consume, making them easier to digest and more quickly absorbed into the bloodstream.² The result is more energy, greater satiation and elevated ketones which fuel the brain. It’s important to note that MCTs are only converted to ketones when carbohydrate intake is low.

Lose Weight. Mornings are a good time to incorporate MCT as it puts your body in fat-burning mode and increases energy. Plus, you should start your day with healthy fats and proteins instead of carbs like toast, cereal or yogurt and granola. If you enjoy a hard-boiled egg and avocado, mash the oil into the avocado, add spices and place it on grain-free toast. If you enjoy coffee, try butter coffee for the ultimate dose of healthy fats, or simply place MCT, milk and coffee in a blender to create a frothy latte. Wait until you’re hungry to eat your next meal. I standardly put my MCT oil in my morning shake, but if I have a day in need of focus, I start with butter coffee.

Think Straight. While commonly known by those who enjoy a ketogenic diet, what is less known is that the ketogenic diet and MCT were originally studied for their positive effects in managing neurological conditions such as epilepsy, Alzheimer’s and autism.^1,4 Ketones are the brain’s alternative fuel to glucose.⁶ Studies have found that brain ketone consumption in subjects with Alzheimer’s doubled with MCT supplementation, increasing total brain energy metabolism without affecting brain glucose utilization.⁷

Adding MCT oil to your routine also makes you feel great. However, it’s not for everyone. According to Eisenhower Health’s integrative doctor Hessam Mahdavi, MD, DC, CNS, those who eat breads, sugars and other high glycemic carbs or have a sedentary lifestyle should avoid MCT oil, as well as people with gallbladder or heart conditions and those who do better on a low-fat diet.⁵

“But for the majority of the population,” he adds, “this type of diet, and starting your morning with MCT or butter coffee, can be very helpful in lowering inflammation, improving brain function and losing weight.”

Editorial by Founder/Publisher Lauren Del Sarto who can be reached at [email protected]. For more information, search MCT.

References: 1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6115836/; 2) https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/mct-oil-benefits; 3) https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/132/3/329/4687297; 4) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1474442217304088; 5) https://deserthealthnews.com/story/like-butter-coffee/ 6) https://nyaspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nyas.12999; 7) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29914035/