Have you ever considered the role of fats in your diet, especially when following a specific eating plan like the carnivore diet? The carnivore diet, also known as the all-meat diet, is a dietary approach that focuses exclusively on animal products. This means consuming meat, fish, eggs, and certain dairy products while completely eliminating plant-based foods. This strict regimen has gained traction as an eating plan that centers on animal-based foods, minimizing or entirely eliminating plant products.
On the other hand, MCT (medium-chain triglyceride) oil-often derived from coconut or palm kernel oil-has been hailed for its potential health benefits, particularly in ketogenic and low-carb diets. MCT oil is often celebrated in ketogenic diets for its ability to support ketosis and provide a clean energy source. With both dietary patterns aiming for low carbohydrate intake, the compatibility of MCT oil within the carnivore framework becomes a compelling discussion.
So, is MCT oil compatible with the carnivore diet? This inquiry is more than just about dietary preferences; it's a dive into the intersection of nutrition science and culinary choices. This article seeks to explore whether MCT oil can fit into a carnivore diet, examining the foundational elements of both dietary approaches and how they intersect. It aims to demystify the use of MCT oil, discuss its potential benefits, and provide guidance on how to incorporate it if you're following a less strict version of the carnivore diet.
Understanding the Carnivore Diet
The carnivore diet is fundamentally simple: it focuses on meat and animal products exclusively. This means that followers consume beef, pork, chicken, fish, eggs, and some dairy but eliminate all fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes. While the strict carnivore diet excludes all plant foods, some practitioners adopt a more flexible approach, incorporating small amounts of non-animal products. This can include seasonings, dairy, or even certain oils.
The primary mechanism of the carnivore diet is the promotion of ketosis. When carbohydrate intake is sharply restricted, the body transitions to burning fat for fuel. This high-fat, low-carbohydrate approach is designed to promote ketosis-a metabolic state where the body primarily burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. This is where fats like MCTs can play a crucial role.
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What is MCT Oil?
Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) are a type of saturated fat that can be rapidly absorbed and utilized by the body for energy. MCT oil is often celebrated in ketogenic diets for its ability to support ketosis and provide a clean energy source. MCT oil is a supplement made up of medium-chain triglycerides, primarily derived from coconut oil or palm kernel oil. Unlike long-chain fatty acids found in most dietary fats, MCTs are rapidly absorbed and metabolized, making them a popular choice for those looking for a quick energy boost.
MCT oil is obtained through fractionation, which separates caprylic and capric acid from other fats in coconut or palm oil. These isolated MCTs are then used to create triglycerides through lipase esterification, a chemical process involving the enzyme lipase. The oil undergoes subsequent steps, including filtration, deacidification, bleaching and deodorizing. After quality analysis, the resulting MCT oil is considered suitable for consumption.
There are four different types of MCTs, and each type is identified by the number of molecules in its carbon chain:
- Caproic acid (C6): Caproic acid, also known as hexanoic acid, contains six carbon molecules. It is metabolized quickly and is good for short bursts of energy.
- Caprylic acid (C8): Caprylic acid, also known as octanoic acid, comprises eight carbon molecules.
- Capric acid (C10): Capric acid, also known as decanoic acid or decylic acid, is built of 10 carbon molecules.
- Lauric acid (C12): Lauric acid, also known as dodecanoic acid, has 12 carbon molecules. Though it’s the slowest to digest because of its longer carbon chain, it still has antimicrobial properties and various health benefits.
Typically the proportion of MCTs in MCT oil is 50 to 80 percent caprylic acid and 20 to 50 percent capric acid. Caproic acid (C6) is often removed from MCT oil because it can have an unpleasant taste and smell. MCT oil typically does not contain lauric acid (C12) either because its benefits are debated. Because lauric acid contains 12 carbons, it is on the cusp of being a long-chain triglyceride. Some argue that lauric acid may act the same as an LCT in the body and be more difficult to absorb and process.
Upon digestion, MCTs are quickly absorbed in the gut, swiftly entering the bloodstream and being transported directly to the liver. In the liver, MCTs are converted into ketones, which can be promptly utilized for energy or stored for future use. Ketones are created when your body converts fat into energy during a process called ketosis. This process is notably more efficient compared to the processing of LCTs. By comparison, LCTs require bile and pancreatic fluids to be absorbed in digestion.
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Plant Origin vs. Carnivore Principles
From the standpoint of a strict carnivore diet, MCT oil raises some ethical and dietary concerns. The strict interpretation of the diet prohibits all plant-based foods, including MCT oil, since it is derived from coconut. However, many practitioners of the carnivore diet adopt a more moderate approach, allowing for some flexibility in food choices.
For those following a less strict version of the carnivore diet, MCT oil may be included in moderation. In this context, MCT oil could be viewed as a beneficial supplement, particularly for those looking to enhance their energy levels or support their ketogenic state. For example, if someone is struggling to meet their fat intake through animal sources alone, adding MCT oil may help bridge the gap without completely undermining the principles of the diet.
Potential Benefits of MCT Oil
MCT oil has gained popularity as a health food and dietary supplement because of the numerous benefits they offer.
- Weight Management: MCTs and MCT oil have a variety of properties that aid in weight loss and management. Compared to LCTs, MCTs have fewer calories but can better increase the feeling of fullness and reduce appetite. MCTs are also burned more rapidly by the body and are less likely to be stored as fat. Some studies have shown that MCTs may even increase the body’s ability to burn fat, to reduce accumulation of body fat and help prevent obesity. Experimental studies demonstrate that dietary MCTs suppress fat deposition through enhanced thermogenesis and fat oxidation in both animals and humans. In fact, MCTs are sometimes called “the ultimate ketogenic diet fats” because of their heating effect in the body and ability to rapidly be used for energy, especially when someone is not eating a lot of carbohydrates.
- Energy Boost: As an easily digested form of fat, MCT oil can provide a quick burst of energy after being consumed. MCTs found in coconut oil easily turn into energy.
- Improved Athletic Performance: Because they can increase energy levels and burn fat, MCTs can boost exercise performance for athletes and bodybuilders. One study found MCTs to be effective in decreasing lactate acid buildup, decreasing athletes’ perceived exertion and increasing stamina during high-intensity exercise.
- Cardiovascular Health: MCTs seem to be able to help decrease cardiovascular disease and mortality risk in general due to helping lower odds of becoming obese.
- Enhanced Nutrient Absorption: You also need to consume fatty acids in order absorb certain vitamins and nutrients found in various foods.
- Antimicrobial and Anti-inflammatory Effects: According to some studies, medium-chain fats offer better protection from infections than longer-chain fatty acids do. Other research has shown that MCT oil can help control inflammatory responses through modulation of mitochondria activity.
- Cognitive Function: The MCTs in coconut oil can improve cognitive function. Studies show that consuming coconut oil can have positive effects on improving the quality of life, fatigue, sleep, loss of appetite, sexual function, and body image. Consuming MCTs may lead to better focus and more clear thinking. Because the brain is composed of fatty acids, improved gut health has a positive impact on brain functioning. The ketones produced by MCTs are also able to fuel the central nervous system better than LCTs because they can pass through the blood-brain barrier.
Incorporating MCT Oil into a Less Strict Carnivore Diet
If you decide to consume coconut oil on a Carnivore diet, you can use it in cooking, baking, making bulletproof coffee (coffee with fat), frying eggs, etc. Adding MCT oil to your diet is easy. Since it is flavorless, simply stir a few tablespoons into your favorite dish to receive its health benefits.
MCT oils have the same consistency as other oils and can be mixed into dressings, soups or broths or just drizzled over vegetables, says DiMarino. MCT powders work better with protein shakes or smoothies. MCT coffee: Blending coconut oil or MCT oil into coffee is one of the most popular uses for MCT oil.
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However, because of its relatively low smoking point, MCT oil isn’t great for high-heat cooking. Raising the temperature of MCT oil beyond 284 degrees causes it to break down and lose beneficial nutrients. This also causes the release of harmful free radicals.
Foods that are naturally high in MCTs include coconut oil, palm kernel oil, coconut meat and cream and dairy products.
Potential Side Effects and Considerations
If taken in large doses, MCT oil or powder may cause abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, warns DiMarino. To avoid adverse effects start by taking a low dose, such as one teaspoon, and increasing gradually up to one to two tablespoons daily.
While MCT oil has no serious side effects, it can take some time for a person’s body to get used to consuming MCTs. Those who are new to MCT may experience some nausea or diarrhea when they first begin using MCT oil supplements.
It's also important to be mindful of the source of MCT oil. Palm oil is a controversial source of MCTs - not because it’s bad for your body, but because there are major issues involved in the process of procuring this oil.
MCT Oil vs. Coconut Oil
Consumers sometimes confuse MCT oil and coconut oil as being the same product, but coconut oil contains all four types of MCTs as well as other fats. Coconut oil comprises approximately 60 percent MCTs and other fats constitute the rest of its composition. Lauric acid, the predominant medium-chain triglyceride in coconut oil, constitutes 76 percent of its MCT content. The difference between coconut oil and MCT oil is purity.
MCT oil offers the advantage of being flavorless, scentless and liquid at room temperature, allowing for versatile use across various applications.
The Market for MCT Oil
According to a report by Grand View Research, the global coconut oil market size was valued at USD 3.44 billion in 2020 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.6% from 2021 to 2028.
MCT oil is a natural and sustainable product recently gaining popularity globally. In 2016, the global market size for MCTs was 271 kilotons. Dietary and health supplements accounted for over 59 percent of the total revenue from MCTs.