(This is part of our biohacking and more features and experiments!)
MCT’s (Medium Chain Triglycerides) are all the rage today. They “may” offer mental clarity, sustained energy and weightloss. MCT typically comes in oil form and can be added to coffee or drizzled on salads.
The thing that is tricky to figure out is which MCT offers you the most bang for your buck. Just looking at the labels for the least expensive 4 brands on Amazon gives a good idea of which one to choose. These are all vegan products that come in 32 oz bottles.
Besides price please note the quantity of c8 (caprylic acid) and c10 (capric acid). While both c8 and c10 are present in ordinary coconut oil they make up less than 15% of it. Getting a quality refined MCT will give you 6-18x the quantities of c8 and c10.
There is a higher end market of MCT oils in the $30 – $50 range. Those MCTs are pure c8 which your body can convert to ATP in just three steps (much faster than sugar). Some customer reviews tend to indicate that they do not notice a difference using the pure c8 over the mixed c8 and c10 MCTs. There are also not any studies I can find showing additional advantages of pure c8. YMMV.
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Not sure of you are vegan but I have been 100% plant powered for the past 2.5 years. My answer below is geared toward a vegan or 100% plant based diet. Hopefully it will still have some value to vegan and non-vegan readers of this thead.
I have been using virgin cold pressed organic coconut oil vs. a pharmaceutical grade MCT oil. Non vegans will likely follow Dave Asprey’s recipe and add grass fed butter for a creamy texture. The coconut oil provides this creamy texture as well where as the MCT oil does not. Also, you can totally taste the MCT oil (not a really good thing). Not sure if grass fed butter disguises the MCT oil flavor or not. But adding it straight takes the flavor in the wrong direction (IMO). Additionally, the pure MCT oil will run right through you until your body becomes acclimated. This can also happen when too much coconut oil is used.
HELPFUL TIP: Put a little block of vegan dark chocolate in with the coconut oil. It is a great compliment to the MCTs as it provides a nice endorphin high along with the MCT brain fuel. Plus… chocolate … yum.
Not sure of you are vegan but I have been 100% plant powered for the past 2.5 years. My answer below is geared toward a vegan or 100% plant based diet. Hopefully it will still have some value to vegan and non-vegan readers of this thead.
I have been using virgin cold pressed organic coconut oil vs. a pharmaceutical grade MCT oil. Non vegans will likely follow Dave Asprey’s recipe and add grass fed butter for a creamy texture. The coconut oil provides this creamy texture as well where as the MCT oil does not. Also, you can totally taste the MCT oil (not a really good thing). Not sure if grass fed butter disguises the MCT oil flavor or not. But adding it straight takes the flavor in the wrong direction (IMO). Additionally, the pure MCT oil will run right through you until your body becomes acclimated. This can also happen when too much coconut oil is used.
HELPFUL TIP: Put a little block of vegan dark chocolate in with the coconut oil. It is a great compliment to the MCTs as it provides a nice endorphin high along with the MCT brain fuel. Plus… chocolate … yum.
Hope this input helps.
-Steve