BLOOD KETONES

THE TRUTH ABOUT MCT OIL

I realized as I was walking through the grocery store just how popular MCT oil is these days. I think just about every grocery store carries not one, but multiple different brands on their shelves.

I think we can attribute the growing popularity to people like Dave Asprey of bulletproof coffee for making MCT oil mainstream. I remember first incorporating MCT Oil into my diet nearly 15 years ago, so it’s great to have a variety (and cheaper) choices because of this boom.

But what exactly is MCT oil and what are its benefits and drawbacks?

What is MCT Oil?

MCT is short for medium-chain triglyceride. It is an oil that contains medium-length chains of fats which we refer to as triglycerides. MCT oil, for the most part, is derived from coconut oil, but can also be made from palm oil.

MCT oil is characterized as being odorless, colorless, and stays liquid at room temperature. Although, you may find certain brands which carry it in powder form by binding it to a carrier fiber.

Different types of MCT oil (fats)

Fats are made up of chains of carbon atoms. Most of the fats we consume in our diet are long-chain fatty acids which have between 13 to 21 of these atoms.

In contrast, medium-chain triglycerides are partially man-made fats which have 6 to 12 carbon atoms.

What do I mean by man-made fats?

MCTs are made by processing coconut or palm kernel oils.

Coconut oil itself has several fatty acids, but only four of which are considered MCTs:

(C6) Caproic Acid
(C8) Caprylic Acid
(C10) Capric Acid
(C12) Lauric Acid

(C6) Caproic Acid

Caproic acid is the smallest chain MCT with 6 carbon chains, hence why it is called C6. There is not much C6 in coconut oil, but this is a good thing.

C6 oil has an unpleasant taste, an might cause digestive problems like diarrhea AKA disaster pants.

Caproic acid also can make your throat burn. So… if your MCT makes your throat burn, the distillation process likely didn’t remove enough of the C6.

(C8) Caprylic Acid

This 8 carbon MCT has potent anti-microbial properties to help maintain a healthy gut and considered the creme de la creme of the MCTs.

C8 oil is the fastest to metabolize in the brain and only takes 3 steps to turn into ATP (cellular energy). To paint a better picture, it takes sugar 26 steps to produce cellular energy.

This MCT makes up about ~6% of coconut oil. You would need 4 tablespoons of coconut oil just to get in one tablespoon of caprylic acid.

C8 brain octane oil specifically is my go to in my morning coffee or pre-workout when I need a quick cognitive and physical boost.

(C10) Capric Acid

Similar to C8 caprylic acid, C10 capric acid easily converts to energy, just a tad slower. Both C8 and C10 turn into ATP quickly with no work required from the liver.

This 10 carbon MCT makes up about ~9% of coconut oil and is more cost effective relative to pure C8.

I rarely see C10 oil bottled up by itself, but most MCT oil products on the shelf will be a blend of both C8 and C10 oil.

(C12) Lauric Acid

Lauric acid makes up around 50% of the fatty acids within coconut oil.

While they consider lauric acid an MCT, it shares more similarities with long-chain fatty acids since it requires a pit stop in the liver to be effectively metabolized.

If you’re looking to add in lauric acid for its antimicrobial properties and other health benefits, stick to coconut oil and save your money from buying specific MCT or lauric acid supplements.

How is MCT oil made?

MCT oil is man-made fats mostly from coconut oil, but may also be made from palm kernel oil. They strip coconut oil down to the two most efficient MCTs converted to energy, caprylic acid, and capric acid.

If an MCT product doesn’t say it is specifically only C8 oil (caprylic acid), it’s likely a blend of both caprylic acid and capric acid.

While C8 is the most efficient MCT, it is also more expensive in its purest form. So most MCT oils are C8 and C10 blends and cheaper than pure C8 oil.

On average MCT oils are:

50-80% (C8) caprylic acid
20-50% (C10) capric acid

MCT oil vs. Coconut oil

Another common question I receive is what’s the difference between MCT oil and coconut oil?

Coconut oil is great and all, but it really comes down to what your primary use is.

Are you looking for a cooking oil? use coconut oil
Looking for that brain and energy boost? use MCTs

Coconut oil itself is high in saturated fat ~92%. Of that 92 percent, 55 to 65% of it comes from MCT oil. However, as we discussed above, most of that will be composed of the inefficient C12 lauric acid.

Specifically, MCT oils will comprise only (C8) caprylic acid and (C10) capric acid without (C6) caproic acid or (C12) lauric acid.

MCTs in other food sources

While coconut and palm oil are the richest food sources of MCTs, dairy products also carry a small amount. Below is a ballpark percentage of MCTs (C6, C8, C10, C12) found in different foods:

Coconut oil (55-65%)
Palm oil (55%)
Coconut meat (35%)
Coconut cream (20%)
Coconut milk (15%)
Grass-fed butter (8%)
Goat cheese (6%)
Grass-fed heavy cream (3%)
Most cheeses (2-3%)

If we were to only count the MCTs, we are most concerned with (C8 + C10) these numbers would be significantly lower.

You would need to consume nearly 5 to 10 times the amount of these foods to get in enough caprylic and capric acid that can be found in one tablespoon of MCT oil.

7 Benefits of MCT oil

MCT oil offers numerous benefits from gut health to quick energy.

LOWERS BLOOD SUGAR

MCTs have been shown to preserve insulin sensitivity in patients with types 2 diabetes. 1Nagao et al. 2010

It makes sense that MCTs lower blood sugar, because as ketones rise, (which MCTs are converted to) blood sugar naturally lowers.

For those who are keeping track of your blood glucose and ketone reading, you may notice a correlation between the two. In general, the higher your blood ketones the lower your blood sugar registers. 2Not all the time, but most of the time.

IMPROVED PERFORMANCE

I like to include a tablespoon of C8 oil in my pre-workout cocktail. Personally, I notice an improvement in my energy levels almost immediately.

MCTs are rapidly absorbed through the digestive system and quickly converted to ATP as an immediate source of energy.

Studies are still limited at the present moment as to just how effective they may be at improving exercise performance, but another benefit is that MCT oil may help reduce lactate buildup, at least compared to LCTs. 3

APPETITE CONTROL

People don’t have a problem losing fat, they have trouble keeping the fat off. The biggest reason people fall off their diets is simple, HUNGER.

Managing appetite is crucial in any sustainable weight loss method. This is the biggest reason ketogenic diets are so great in helping many people lose weight and keep it off.

MCTs have been shown to suppress appetite when compared to a low MCT or even medium MCT containing diet. Substituting MCTs for other fat sources may help limit caloric intake.

* Notice I said substituting, not in addition to your current fat intake.

INSTANT SOURCE OF ENERGY FOR THE BRAIN

Aside from glucose, the only other usable fuel source your brain may use are ketones.

MCTs travel straight from the gut to the liver without having to be broken down, making them an immediate source of energy. 4

HELP MANAGE NEURODEGENERITIVE DISORDERS

Studies have shown that a ketogenic diet and MCT oil may help neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimers, epilepsy, and Parkinsons. 5

Notice I said may help . A ketogenic diet and MCT oil should not be used to treat cure, or prevent any disease, and you should still be consulting with your primary care physician should you be suffering from one.

Although, I don’t see the harm in bringing up the potential benefits of including both a ketogenic diet and MCTs to your physician and getting his or her opinion.

For example, in people who suffer with Alzheimer’s disease, their brains ability to take-up glucose compared to a healthy individual is impaired. On the other hand, these same individuals brains could take-up ketones similarly to that of the healthy individual. 6

MCT oil may improve brain function, which could benefit individuals with these neurodegenerative disorders.

ANTI MICROBIAL AND ANTI FUNGAL

Mentioned briefly, MCTs have been shown to have antimicrobial and antifungal effects. 7

What does this mean exactly?

MCT oil has been shown to reduce the growth of bacteria and yeast such as candida albicans.

MCT OIL AND WEIGHT LOSS?

Why the question mark you ask? Well, I know everyone is looking for the holy grail of supplements they can take to lose weight…

Truth be told, there never has nor will ever be any supplement that will cause you to lose body fat if you’re not eating a proper diet.

There may be a reason to believe that the addition of MCTs may slightly aid in weight loss.

A meta analysis 8 concluded that replacement of fats in the diet with MCTs could “potentially” induce modest weight reductions in body weight and composition.

Which makes sense because MCTs are less likely stored by the body as energy (fat) and also have a lower caloric content per gram (8.3 versus 9.2)

Meaning, don't assume just adding MCT to your diet will help you lose more weight, but if you replace other types of fat, mainly long-chain triglycerides, with MCTs, you may see minimal, if any, additional fat loss.

MCT oil side effects and considerations

MCT oil isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. As with anything, please exercise caution and start with the minimum effective dose.

Disaster pants aka diarrhea

Some individuals report having diarrhea or needing to use the restroom shortly after consuming MCT oil. It’s best that you start off with a small dose ~1 teaspoon before moving to more moderate doses ~1 tablespoon.

MCTs still contain calories

If fat loss is your goal, you still need to create a caloric deficit. 9

MCTs contain fewer calories than LCT fat sources at 8.3 calories per gram versus 9 calories per gram. However, MCT oil is still calorically dense like other any other fat source (olive oil, butter, peanut butter, etc.)

Carbohydrates and proteins only contain 4 calories per gram, and when you consider the thermic effect of food 10 , protein probably contains even less than that.

May stimulate the release of hunger hormones

I know that I mentioned MCT oil can help reduce appetite, so what the heck?

Yes, while MCTs can reduce appetite, they may also stimulate the release of certain hunger hormones. They did the study on people with anorexia, so take it how you will, but MCTs increased the hormones ghrelin and neuropeptide Y in these individuals. 11

While they did the study on people who suffered from anorexia, we are also unsure whether the increase in these hormones actually causes you to eat more.

Not suitable for cooking

Not sure why other sites recommend it’s ok to cook with, but it’s probably because they are trying to sell you MCT oil.

Unlike coconut oil, MCT oil has a low smoke point. While they may derive your MCT oil from coconut oil, it is not a suitable replacement to cook with unless cooking at low heat.

It's also way more expensive than other oils.

AKA… Stick with coconut oil or another fat source for cooking.

How to use MCT oil

I supplement with MCT oil via two methods.

Morning coffee

Adding in MCT oil to my morning coffee gets my brain firing and ready to tackle work for the day. You can also try adding it into tea if coffee isn’t your thing.

If you have calories to spare and enjoy keto coffee, you would put it in there.

Pre-workout

Whether I drink coffee pre-workout or take an actual pre-workout product, I like to throw in a tablespoon of MCT oil for an added boost.

What is MCT powder?

MCT powder is the same as MCT oil, just in a powdered form made through a process called spray drying. 12

However, MCT powders make up anywhere between 50-80% MCT oil. The remaining 20-50% is the carrier fibers and fillers used in the supplement.

Meaning, they use additives and fillers in the manufacturing process with many of the MCT oil powders… so be cautious when choosing a brand.

MCT oil requires a carrier fiber to be turned into a powder, and some companies may use less than stellar ingredients to save money.

They have done most research on MCT oil, so there is limited studies as to the effectiveness of MCT in powder form.

MCT oil vs MCT powder

The only real difference between MCT oil and MCT powder is the form they come in. Obviously, MCT oil is a liquid and MCT powder is a solid 🙂

MCT powder also requires a carrier fiber to make it into a powder, and you may also find other ingredients depending on which brand you choose.

That said, MCT powder is more convenient to travel with and seems to be easier on the digestive system.

Whether one form is more effective than another has yet to be studied. Personally, I notice more benefit from MCT in oil form in terms of “feeling it.”

Best MCT oil for ketosis

If the above was enough to convince you to give MCT oil or MCT powder a try, I’ve listed a few of my favorite brands and products.

Not every MCT oil is created equal.

There are definitely certain brands I migrate towards based on the quality of their products, especially ones that are 3rd party lab tested which I’ve listed below.

This means, mostly, the dose and ingredients which they say are in the supplement are actually in the supplement.

Best MCT oil

Best C8 MCT oil

MCT oil takeaways

MCT oil has been a staple for me when on a ketogenic diet. There are plenty of benefits without many risks with supplementation.

MCTs are a great source of energy for a morning pick me up or pre-workout kick, which is my primary use.

Other than that, MCTs show promise in fighting bacterial growth, managing appetite, and a great brain food for those who might suffer from neurodegenerative diseases.

Do you currently use MCT oil and notice a benefit? Let me know down below.

MCT oil FAQ

How To Accurately Measure If You Are In Ketosis

Have you been on a ketogenic diet for some time and are wondering how to tell if you are in ketosis?

Or maybe you're like us and want to have something tangible or measurable.

One of the most commonly asked questions we get is, “How do I check my ketone levels?”

In this post, we're going to go over the what and how of measuring your level of ketosis.

How to measure ketosis?

The three primary methods of measuring ketones in your body, all of which have their advantages and disadvantages are:

Blood Ketone Meter
Breath Ketone Meter
Ketone Urine Strips

First, we'd like to lay out the foundation, this way you understand exactly WHAT you are measuring.

There are three primary forms of ketones in your body, beta-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate, and acetone. Hence, the three primary methods of measuring your level of ketosis.

Each of the three ketone bodies is measurable because they spill over into different areas of your body: your urine, breath, and blood.

No one measurement or form is greater or worse than the other, but when it comes to a “gold standard,” or what is commonly referenced in medical literature, levels of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) is most typical.

Furthermore, the three different ketone bodies are easily measurable within the comfort of your home. Thus, there is no need for you to pay for any fancy lab tests or buy super high-end equipment.

So, let's dive in with a closer look at each method along with their advantages, disadvantages, best practices, and our recommendations.

Measuring Ketones in Urine via urine test strips. (acetoacetate)

Urine test strips are the most common AND most cost effective (cheapest) way to measure whether you are in ketosis. Ketosis urine strips accomplish this by measuring any unused acetoacetate excreted in your urine.

Often, we recommend keto test trips for beginners wanting an easy way to measure ketosis or those just getting into some form of tracking.

How to use urine test strips

You use the ketosis strips by holding it in your urine stream for a couple of seconds, and within about 30 seconds the color will change indicating acetoacetate concentration in your urine.

Most urine strips colors typically range from a beige or pink (low concentration) up to a dark purple (higher concentration).

Most, if not all, urine strip packages come with a reference color chart letting you know the concentration of ketone bodies (acetoacetate) in your urine.

The one warning is, once your body is “keto-adapted,” people have reported lower readings, and some even report no reading at all.

The theory being that the body becomes more efficient at using acetoacetate or converting it over to beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) from your fat, thus resulting in a lower level or absence of acetoacetate that is reading on the strip.

Another factor that can affect your urine test strip reading is your present electrolyte balance and hydration levels. The more concentrated (dehydrated) or diluted (hydrated) your urine, the more it will affect your readings.

Urine strips can be an excellent method to test if you are in ketosis when just starting or transitioning to a ketogenic lifestyle, but once you've been on a ketogenic diet and wish to continue testing, we'd recommend one of the next two forms of measuring ketones we will go over.

Are urine ketone strips accurate?

Not necessarily the most accurate method, but the easiest and the cheapest.

PROS:

Cheap
Easy to find

CONS:

Not the most accurate
May be messy
May show a false reading depending on your electrolyte balance, hydration level, or how long you've been on a ketogenic diet.

With that said, you can usually find ketosis urine strips at your local Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, and even Amazon

Recommended: Perfect Keto Urine Test Strips

Measuring ketones in your breath. (acetone)

Measuring your level of ketosis using your breath does not use ketosis strips like the other two methods. Instead, measuring ketones in your breath is accomplished via a breath meter aka Ketonix meter.

Breath ketone meters are increasing in popularity among the ketogenic crowd but may come with a hefty upfront investment of around $200.

The advantage that breath meters have is the reusability factor; this means you can test as many times as your heart desires without the need to purchase additional ketosis sticks of any kind.

Additionally, research tends to show that there may be a direct correlation between the acetate found in the breath and levels of BHB in the blood.

How to use a ketonix breath meter

To use a ketonix breath meter, you would take the meter and plug it into the USB port on your computer. Once the unit has warmed up properly, blow into the meter until the light indicates that your breath acetone levels are being registered.

Software is included with the breath meter for easy measurement and tracking. Typically, the meter will range in colors much like the urine test strips with green indicating the least amount of acetone and red indicating the most acetone.

While a breath meter is much more accurate than the urine test strips, they may vary widely compared to that of a blood ketone meter. This places the ketonix meter as a middle ground between the urine ketosis strips and blood meter in our recommendation.

PROS:

Reusable
Doesn’t require bodily fluids

CONS:

Larger upfront investment
More time consuming
Possible innacuracies

If you are on a budget but want something a bit more accurate than urine strips, we would recommend a Breath Meter.

However, if you want something a bit more accurate, don't mind pricking your finger, and it’s ok to buy blood ketone strips. Go with a blood meter.

Recommended: Ketonix Breath Meter

Measuring ketones in your blood. (beta-hydroxybutyrate)

Blood ketone meters are highly considered the “gold standard” when it comes to measuring your level of ketosis. Blood ketone meters work by measuring real-time levels of BHB in your blood, the primary ketone body you produce once in ketosis.

There's a reason supplement companies are now coming out with exogenous BHB supplements, but that is a whole other story.

Testing levels of ketones via the blood is the same way a diabetic would check their blood sugar; prick your finger, squeeze out some blood, and place it on a blood ketone strip.

Furthermore, since your blood is a very tightly regulated system, blood meters tend to be the most consistent and accurate since factors like hydration won't skew the results.

How to use a ketone blood meter

As said, using a blood meter to test for ketones is the same way someone with diabetes would check their blood sugar.

First, alcohol swab the area you are testing, pull back on the included lancet and press it gently against your skin (generally your fingertip), press the button to release the lancet (needle) and a walaa.

You'll either have a drop of blood already exposed because of the prick or you may have to squeeze your finger to produce a drop of blood.

You may have to prick your finger again.

Afterward, place the blood onto the blood ketone strip and insert the strip into the meter. Results take about 3-5 seconds to pop up on the screen.

Again, blood ketone meters are the most accurate, but they do come at the cost of having to purchase strips that range anywhere from $1-$2 per strip.

And if you tend to be a little squeamish or the site of blood, this may not be the best option for you.

It's not that bad once you get used to it or have someone else do it for you.

PROS:

Most accurate
Most reliable

CONS:

Buying strips over time can add up $$$
If you hate the site of blood, this may deter you altogether.

If you were to go with any of the three above methods, we would recommend a blood ketone meter hands down.

Recommended: Keto Mojo Blood Ketone Meter

Checking ketosis without the use of equipment.

Perhaps you don't care to track using the above methods or want a general idea of whether or not you are in ketosis.

Which begs the question, can you feel when you are in ketosis?

While not the most accurate, or even 100% indicative of being in ketosis, you can kind of tell if you are in ketosis if experiencing one, many, or all of the symptoms below.

Metallic or fruity smell to your breath

That's right, what's also commonly referred to as “keto breath,” is a fruity almost nail polish type of scent to your breath. As described above, the breath ketone meter measures acetone that you expel while breathing.

It would only make sense that there would be a nail polish smell (acetone) to your breath which is commonly used as nail polish remover.

Mental clarity

The brain uses up a significant amount of energy and prefers ketones over glucose to fuel that requirement. Without having to rely on carbohydrates/sugar for energy the brain has a more stable and constant supply of fuel from either dietary fat or your body fat.

Many people report feelings of not only mental clarity but a euphoric feeling.

More stable and increased energy

Aside from the initial adaptation period, in which you may feel sluggish or experience symptoms of the dreaded “keto flu,” your body will have a constant supply of energy.

Much like your brain, your body will derive its energy primarily from fat from your diet or tap into that pesky body fat.

Decreased hunger

One of the most significant benefits that make a ketogenic diet so great is its ability not only to decrease sugar cravings but hunger in general.

Because your body has a constant supply of energy even without food, it won't have the same cravings as it would have on a carbohydrate-based diet.

Increased thirst and urination

As the body burns through stored glycogen (glucose) you'll be excreting tons of excess fluid from your body.

Since insulin is lower on a ketogenic diet, the kidneys excrete sodium at an increased rate. It is essential that you raise sodium on a ketogenic diet.

Optimal ketosis and ketone readings

There is a constant debate on what the “optimal” ketone range should be. Some would even have you believe that higher levels of ketones equate to higher levels of weight loss.

As far as we can tell and from personal experience, this is false. There is no “optimal ketone reading for fat loss.”

… but don't let that stop you from testing and coming to your own conclusion.

As explained earlier, many see a decrease in ketone readings the longer they are in ketosis. What's happening exactly may be debatable, but the consensus is the body becomes more efficient at using ketones leaving few if any to be spilled over and measured.

With that said, since the most accurate form of measuring ketones is via a blood meter, we'll use that as our primary reference.

What is a healthy ketone level?

In general, according to Phinny and Volek's publication of Art and Science of Low Carb Living, nutritional ketosis begins at a reading of .5 mmol/L and anything below you are not considered to be in ketosis.

Below is a visual ketone chart as laid out by Phinney and Volek.

As you can see, nutritional ketosis begins at a reading of .5 mmol/L with the optimal zone between about 1.0 mmol/L and 3.0 mmol/L

Being above or below .5 mmol/L and 3.0 mmol/L respectively doesn't necessarily mean you're doing anything wrong or won't see results. Instead, think of it as a nutritional ketosis sweet spot where the benefits of ketosis seem to be experienced.

In general:

Light ketosis: ~ < 1.0 mmol/L
Optimal Ketone Zone – 1.0 mmol/L – 3.0 mmol/L

Some things I've personally observed is that the bigger my caloric deficit, the higher my ketone readings in general.

Also, your readings can vary depending on a myriad of factors such as:

If you just worked out
If you just ate
Ingesting something like an MCT oil or ketone supplement.

This is why we recommend either taking a reading first thing in the morning or at the end of the day waiting at least an hour after your last meal. Whichever time you pick, just make sure you're consistent.

We're after results. Whether you're using a ketogenic diet to lose fat or gain muscle, it won't matter what your ketone readings are if you're not achieving your desired goals.

As the saying goes, chase results, not ketones. Unless you're using a ketogenic diet to manage, prevent, or treat specific diseases and ailments, there is no need to register the amount of ketones in your blood.

Would love to hear your thoughts or maybe if a lightbulb went off. Simply let me know in the comments down below.