In the last Bites of Knowledge, we touched on the properties of MCT oil. Since coconut oil also contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), today we will compare coconut oil and MCT oil in an overview.
Coconut oil vs. MCT oil – The daily bite of knowledge
Written by
Marina Lommel
2 minutes reading time
17. July 2023
zuletzt aktualisiert am 6. October 2025 von Kimberly Werner
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| Property | Coconut oil | MCT oil |
|---|---|---|
| Fatty acid composition | 45-53% lauric acid (C12)
8-10% palmitic acid 17-21% myristic acid 5-10% oleic acid 5-10% caprylic acid (C8) 5-8 % Capric acid (C10) 2-4 % stearic acid 1-3% linoleic acid |
Depending on the product changing ratio of
Lauric acid (C12) “XCT oil” contains only capric and caprylic acid, |
| Source | Coconut meat | Coconut oil and/or palm oil, depending on the manufacturer. |
| Application | Roasting, baking, refining hot dishes & drinks. | For dressings, to refine cold or hot dishes or drinks. Not suitable for frying, for baking only at not too hot temperature. |
| Starts smoking at | 190 ° C | 120 ° C |
| Melts at | 23-26 ° C (liquid in summer) | -5 °C (liquid at room temperature) |
| Effect on the body | Has antibacterial effect, contains traces of vitamins and minerals. | Lauric acid: deters ticks and has antimicrobial effects, but most often causes digestive problems of all medium-chain fatty acids.
Capric acid: Has a particularly positive effect on thermogenesis and thus energy consumption and ketone body formation – “metabolic effect”. Caprylic Acid: Acts primarily on ketone body formation and may eventually cross the blood-brain barrier to serve as an energy source – “brain boosting effect”. Caproic acid: No known special effect. |
There is no “better” or “worse” here. Both have different properties. The proportion of fatty acids, which have a stimulating effect on the metabolism and promote the formation of ketone bodies, is higher in MCT oil (it is best to contain only C10 and C8 here). For this you can bake with coconut oil, fry and still have a few vitamins and minerals at the start.
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