MCT fat: the direct route to more energy

Have you ever wondered why Bulletproof Coffee is so popular in the keto scene? Why do so many people drink their coffee with fat in it? Is that healthy? Does it make you more alert? Are there no greasy beads floating on top? And might it not even make you fat? After all, you are then taking in more calories from fat.¹

The secret lies in the choice of fat, or to be more precise, in the special features of MCT fat.

MCT stands for medium-chain triglyceride, in other words medium-chain fatty acids. Important features that tell fats apart are the chain length and the degree of saturation. The degree of saturation refers to the number of double bonds between the carbon atoms, which allows fatty acids to be classed as mono-unsaturated or poly-unsaturated. (see the illustration under point 2 “How are fats built up?”) MCT fat is therefore a fat made up of medium-chain fatty acids, all of which belong to the saturated fatty acids.³

A brief look at how fats are built up makes it clear why MCT fat deserves special attention.

A fat molecule consists of one glycerol molecule with three fatty acids. Depending on the length of these fatty acids, the following distinctions are made:

• Short-chain fatty acids (6-8 carbon atoms)
• Medium-chain fatty acids (6-8 carbon atoms)
• Long-chain fatty acids (13-21 carbon atoms)

The group of medium-chain fatty acids includes, among others, lauric acid (12 C atoms), capric acid (10 C atoms), caprylic acid (8 C atoms) and caproic acid (6 C atoms). Depending on the MCT fat, these fatty acids are mixed in different proportions.⁴

The illustration shows the glycerol to which three fatty acids are bound, together forming a fat molecule. Depending on the number of carbon atoms (abbreviated to C and shown here as a peak or a trough), you can see whether it is a short-chain, medium-chain or long-chain fatty acid. Whether a fatty acid is saturated or unsaturated can be seen from the type of bond between the C atoms. A double bond (=) means it is a mono-unsaturated fatty acid. If several double bonds occur, it is a poly-unsaturated fatty acid.⁴

In natural form, MCTs occur mainly in coconut oil (about 60% MCTs) and palm kernel oil (about 55% MCTs). Pure MCT oil is obtained from these two fats.

What makes the Foodpunk MCT oil special is that it is obtained 100% from coconut oil and manages entirely without palm oil and rapeseed oil. It consists of 60% caprylic acid (C8) and 40% capric acid (C10). C is the abbreviation for carbon atom. The abbreviation in brackets after the fatty acid is the usual way of stating how long the respective fatty acid is. C10 therefore means that capric acid has 10 carbon atoms.¹²

Since the chain length of the fat largely determines the physical properties, the digestion and the absorption of the fatty acids, it becomes clear why MCT fat is so significant. The usual dietary fats, such as olive oil, rapeseed oil and also animal fats, consist for the most part of long-chain fatty acids (abbreviated to LCTs). Because the fatty acids in MCT fat are short, different physical and physiological properties result. The fat is liquid at room temperature and hardens in the fridge. The MCTs are water-soluble, colourless and neutral in taste, so the oil can be used wonderfully in coffee or in a salad dressing.¹²

Since the smoke point of MCT is around 120° C, the fat should not be heated too strongly and is therefore not suitable for frying and cooking. Finished dishes can, however, be refined with MCT fat after they have been prepared.

(You will find a selection of recipes under point 11 “How do I get started with MCTs properly?”)

The structure of the MCTs is also the reason for the rapid energy boost. Because the fatty acids are shorter, the splitting process is not needed, so the energy is made available much faster. While normal fats, such as olive oil or animal fats, first have to be laboriously split by bile acid and lipase, the MCTs take the fast lane through the bloodstream into the liver.³

Doctors also make use of this advantage and recommend MCTs particularly in cases of fat malabsorption, for example steatorrhoea or short bowel syndrome.^{11 12}

Another weighty advantage is that it is metabolised preferentially in the liver. Because of the short chain length of MCT fat and the direct route along the fast lane to the liver, the MCTs also have priority when energy is generated and are therefore not stored in the fat cells.

MCT fat also supplies around 10% fewer calories than fats made of long-chain fatty acids:

• Long-chain triglycerides: 9.2 kcal/g
• Medium-chain triglycerides: 8.3 kcal/g

If you look at the so-called thermogenic effect, that is the energy needed to digest the fat, it turns out that this is higher for MCTs than for LCTs.

Some studies showed that in people with overweight the test group taking MCT fat lost more weight than the comparison group taking LCT fat. Viewed soberly, the thermogenic effect and the difference in the calorie balance are rather marginal: with 50 g of MCTs instead of LCTs you save about 50 kcal. If we add the thermogenic effect, it is perhaps 80 kcal. Even so, the fear of gaining weight is essentially unfounded, although the reason for that lies more in the feeling of satiety and in the formation of ketone bodies.^{9 12}

Advocates of Bulletproof Coffee in the morning speak of a long-lasting feeling of satiety, which is emphasised particularly alongside the energy boost. So far no single satiety hormone has been found that is influenced by MCTs. It has been shown, however, that with this fat intake ketone bodies are formed in greater quantity and more quickly. These lead to a longer feeling of satiety. The body therefore moves into ketosis faster, even with a slightly higher carbohydrate intake. Some studies showed that through this process the use of MCTs has a positive effect on weight reduction.^{8 9}

If you want to reduce your weight, it makes sense to look at the feeling of hunger and satiety. In the body the hormones ghrelin and leptin, among others, are responsible for these. Studies were able to show that when ketone bodies are formed the ghrelin concentration in the body drops and the study participants therefore feel less appetite.^{7 10} You will find more information about the effect of leptin and the influence of ketosis in our article “Leptin, the satiety maker from fat tissue?”

Another important point is the effect of the ketone bodies on the brain, since the brain is an important regulator of appetite. With a carbohydrate-heavy diet the brain uses glucose to cover its energy needs. If glucose is absent or reduced, for example through a deliberately ketogenic diet or through a period of fasting, the body uses a detour to supply the brain with energy, which also influences the brain’s hunger signal.⁶

What does detour mean?

From the fat that has been eaten, the liver first makes the energy shippable by turning the fat first into acetyl-CoA and then into water-soluble ketone bodies. Only in this way can the energy, in the form of ketones, pass the blood-brain barrier and thus supply the brain with the energy it needs. To do this the brain has to “unpack” the ketone bodies again in order to use the actual energy in the form of acetyl-CoA. This is where MCT fat comes into play again: because MCT fat can be converted into ketones by the liver more quickly, the brain is also supplied with the energy more quickly.⁴

If you would like to know exactly how ketone bodies are formed, you can read about it in our article “How are ketone bodies formed?”

The health benefits of MCT at a glance:

• Faster energy supply¹²
• Longer feeling of satiety^{7 8}
• Support for losing weight⁹

Do you need help with losing weight or a kickstart for a change of diet? Then have our nutrition scientists work out an individual nutrition plan for you and set off into a life full of power. In the app many wonderful recipes await you, such as these here:

• Bulletproof Coffee
• Chocolate yoghurt with chopped almonds
• Poppy seed and citrus granola with Greek yoghurt
• Frozen yoghurt pralines
• Carrot cake porridge
• Winter golden milk
• Coconut chia pudding with almonds and blueberries
• Chocolate yoghurt with cinnamon almonds
• Fennel vegetables with scallops
• Oak leaf lettuce with radishes and trout fillet
• Kohlrabi soup with Vienna sausages
• MCT yoghurt with fresh berries
• Linseed and chia pudding with strawberries
• Foodpunk granola
• Carrot cake with cream cheese
• Chocolate porridge
• Cheesecake cream
• Vanilla egg milk
• Pumpkin spice latte
• Carob coco egg latte
• Warm cinnamon cream with blueberry sauce
• Saltimbocca with cauliflower
• Butternut pasta with Parma ham and sage
• Almond panna cotta with raspberries

When we read about a fast energy supply and a longer feeling of satiety, the question of the effect on endurance athletes arises immediately. Studies showed that although MCT intake combined with low carbohydrate availability increases fat oxidation, it does not significantly influence endurance.⁵

But: regular consumption of MCTs supports a ketogenic diet, and through improved metabolic flexibility this can be useful to the endurance athlete. You should, however, check the personal effects and how well you tolerate it for yourself.²

In recent years athletes in particular have also experimented with exogenous ketones. In our article “Exogenous ketones” you can read more on this subject.

Are you still wondering whether you should build MCTs into your diet?

Quite simply: yes, because

• MCT fat takes the shortcut through the metabolism and gives you fast energy¹²
• You stay full for longer because ketone bodies are produced⁸
• You lose weight faster, since the calorific value is lower than that of other fats and the ketone bodies keep you full for longer.⁹
• MCT fat does not break a fasting period and is therefore well suited to intermittent fasting. We have summarised more on this subject for you in the article “Everything about intermittent fasting“.

In general, MCT fat has to be used very individually and dosed according to your goal.

To feel the positive effect of the longer feeling of satiety and the fast energy boost, it is enough to take 1-2 tablespoons of MCT fat in the morning, for example in the form of Bulletproof Coffee.¹ A total intake of at most 100-130 g should not be exceeded, however.³

It is best to start with about 5-10 g. That can be in the form of half a tablespoon to one tablespoon of MCT oil in Bulletproof Coffee or in a salad dressing, for example. After that you increase the amount day by day by about 10 g so that your body can get used to it slowly.

! Caution: If you increase the amount too quickly, stomach ache or diarrhoea can occur, because the body first has to get used to the new metabolic process.¹

Has your curiosity been aroused? Then do browse through our blog recipes. There you will also find tasty baking recipes with MCT powder. Our MCT in powder form can easily be carried in any handbag and so provide tasty keto coffee when you are out and about. But biscuits, breads or brownies also get a lovely consistency and that extra kick with it.

Here are a few examples:

• Foodpunk keto guacamole
• Cherry muffins with MCT powder
• Keto caramel toffees
• Keto nougat chocolate with an extra keto kick
• Keto cookie dough with MCT powder
• Low carb Easter lamb, paleo and gluten free
• Low carb carrot cake
• Low carb chocolate sandwich biscuits
• Creamy low carb carrot soup with „snow“
• Foodpunk matcha latte
• Salmon trout with mango and avocado salsa
• Camembert in a bacon coat
• Foodpunk sushi burger
• Wonderfully tender rack of lamb with Foodpunk marinade
• Tomahawk from pasture-raised beef
• Paleo Easter breakfast with baby chard

You can buy particularly good MCT oil here. It is made 100% from coconut oil, so it manages WITHOUT palm oil and WITHOUT rapeseed oil as raw materials. MCT powder is also made from this high-quality MCT oil from 100% coconut oil. Unlike many MCT powder products on the market, we also do entirely without the use of glucose syrup, milk protein and, here too, without the use of rapeseed oil and palm oil. Both products are perfectly suited to a low carb and keto diet.