Medium chain triglycerides

It is always interesting how many things we learn as time, science and technology continues to evolve and develop. New findings are never more relevant when they can directly affect our daily life. Let’s take weight loss for instance; the problem of being overweight is something that most of the Western world contends with and any discovery in this area can prove to help those looking to lose fat in a natural and healthy way.

One such discovery is how medium chain triglycerides work in our bodies. There are several studies which show that the fatty acids from medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) aren’t that easily stored as fat by the human body as opposed to long chain triglycerides.

It appears that medium chain triglycerides are absorbed into the liver at a faster pace than the other triglycerides and this means that they are more readily used by the body instead of storing them. Animal testing has shown that a diet containing high fats that contain medium chain triglycerides leads to a considerable decrease in the amount of fat stored when compared to low fat diets and high fat diets containing long chain triglycerides, at around sixty percent. This shows a clear link between replacing long chain triglycerides with medium chain triglycerides and the fat storing process in bodies.

One human study of the effect that medium chain triglycerides have on the body has shown a twelve percent increase in the subjects’ metabolic rate. This means that besides the fact that the body is less inclined to store fats, it will also burn more of the stored ones once it is on a MCT diet.

The most readily available source of medium chain triglycerides is coconut oil. It appears that around ninety percent of coconut oil is saturated but not fattening because it is made up of medium chain triglycerides.

However, the benefit of coconuts doesn’t stop there; beside the fact that they are nature’s richest source of medium chain triglycerides they also have other properties that make them a great boon to the human immune system. As a great proof of coconut oil’s antimicrobial properties, this substance was kept at room temperature for a year and then tested for rancidity; none was found. Also the glycemic index ratings for both coconuts and coconut milk are low and this means that not only will they boost one’s metabolism while not allowing for further fat storage, but they won’t even modify the level of blood sugar which is a great thing for all the diabetics that need to lose weight.

It appears that around half of the medium chain triglycerides contained in coconut oil are made up of lauric acid which is a very important fatty acid when it comes to the building and strengthening of the immune system. This is the sort of well researched and proven discovery that provides the greatest of benefits to mankind in general because it affects individuals at a very personal level.

All that one needs to do in order to benefit from the overwhelming advantages of medium chain triglycerides is to steadily introduce coconut oil into the diet until it reaches a point where it can replace all the other vegetable oil in the house. It will take a bit of time to get accustomed to the particular flavor of coconut oil, but it is a pleasant flavor that can add a lot of texture to many foods. It can be used for any purpose one might use corn oil or sunflower oil, you can stir-fry vegetables or cook eggs, poultry and fish with it, you can use it in mayonnaise, salads and even on popcorn instead of butter.

Last updated on Apr 28th, 2010 and filed under Nutritional Information. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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