What To Buy: The Best MCT Oil #AskWardee 082

We convinced you to try MCT oil because it can help with energy and weight loss (and more!), and now…

…all that’s left is to choose a good one!

The options can boggle your mind…

…some contain different medium-chain triglycerides (there are 4 kinds).

…coconut only? palm-derived?

…some are organic and some not.

…some are labeled non-GMO and others suspiciously silent.

…and then there’s the price!

Dawn M. is confused by all the options, too, and wants to figure out the best MCT oil to buy.

I’d love to help you with sourcing the best and healthiest MCT oil — get the whole scoop on today’s #AskWardee. 🙂

I broadcast #AskWardee live each Wednesday at 10am Pacific (1pm Eastern) on Periscope and Facebook Live. Both the podcast and video replay of this week’s show are below. Enjoy!

Subscribe to #AskWardee on iTunes, Stitcher, YouTube, or the Podcasts app.

The Question: What’s The Best MCT Oil To Buy?

Dawn M. asks:

What is the best fractionated coconut oil [MCT oil] to get? I use it for cooking as well. Thanks so much for all the wonderful information!

My Answer

This is a really good question — and one I had to answer recently for our family. Wading through the choices out there took some serious time. 🙂

What Is MCT Oil?

I’m quoting from Megan in this article also published at our site:

MCTs are medium-chain triglycerides — a unique kind of saturated fat often missing from our diets.

Because the fatty acids in MCTs are relatively short, MCTs are easier to digest than their more common counterpart, LCTs (or long-chain triglycerides).

After consumption, the body breaks down MCTs into their component fatty acids, then sends these fatty acids directly to the liver. There, they are burned as fuel immediately instead of getting stored as fat.

The Benefits Of MCT Oil

My friend and contributor Megan already schooled us on the amazing benefits of MCT oil here: Why & How To Use MCTs {reduce belly fat & improve thyroid function!}.

To summarize (go here for more), the benefits of MCT oil include:

• easier to digest than other fats
• burned as fuel rather than stored as fast
• increased metabolism
• potential weight loss
• increase in brain and body energy
• potentially helpful with insulin resistance — MCTs escort sugar into the cells without insulin (mentioned by Dr. Tom O’Bryan in this video at 22 minutes)
• boost thyroid function

Where Can You Get MCT Oil?

Medium-chain triglycerides are in certain whole foods such as coconut and palm oils, but not in high quantities.

Coconut oil contains over 50% of a fatty acid called lauric acid. While some consider it to be a medium-chain triglyceride, it’s actually on the long side (and therefore slower to digest).

So, the shortest MCTs are extracted from coconut and palm oils to yield a pure and high concentration MCT oil.

This MCT oil is liquid and shelf-stable. It is often used in personal care products where it is referred to as fractionated coconut oil. We often use it as a carrier oil for essential oils.

It can also be used in cooking or baking and added as a supplement to coffee or smoothies for a boost.

Here’s What To Keep In Mind When Buying MCT Oil

There are a lot of choices out there, so keep these things in mind.

1. The Source — Coconut and/or Palm

MCTs can be extracted from coconut or palm oils. Palm is less expensive and often not sustainably harvested. Conventional palm harvesting brings much devastation to life and forest.

So, look for coconut-sourced MCT oil —OR— a coconut/palm MCT oil from sustainable farms.

2. Organic and Non-GMO

As Kristin pointed out in the comments of last week’s #AskWardee (the best and healthiest coconut milk to buy):

Please correct me if I’m wrong, but my uneducated assumption is that coconut trees tend to be more naturally cultivated rather than needing lots of pesticides and such – so that they are probably fairly “clean” even if they’re not certified organic. What do you think?

This is true. Coconut is one of the foods that is probably ok to buy conventionally if your pocketbook can’t afford the organic (source). I prefer to get organic if possible (to support the idea) but I think this is one acceptable compromise if you can’t afford or can’t source organic.

What about the GMO issue? Although coconut doesn’t top the list of genetically-modified foods for sale, it is best to ensure your coconut products are non-GMO. That’s a non-negotiable.

3. Which MCTs Does It Contain?

There are 4 different medium-chain trigylcerides (also know as medium-chain fatty acids or MCFAs) in coconut/palm oil. The shortest ones are the fastest absorbing. The longest of them, lauric acid, spends time in the liver and digests more slowly — it has wonderful benefits but not the benefits we’re discussing here.

Therefore, it stands to reason that most people are looking for their MCT oil to contain the 2 shortest MCTs: caprylic acid and capric acid such as in this MCT Oil from Perfect Supplements, this XCT Oil from Bulletproof, this Wild MCT Oil, or in Trim Healthy Mama’s MCT Oil.

I’ve run into some that also contain lauric acid (the longest MCT) such as this one from Sports Research, and yet others that contain only caprylic acid like this one from Bulletproof (which is much more expensive).

It seems to me that because MCT oil is more expensive at the get-go (more processing involved for the isolation of MCFAs), I would rather consume my lauric acid in less expensive and less processed coconut oil. So, I prefer the MCT oils that contain only the two shortest MCTs and I get my lauric acid in regular coconut oil.

My Picks

Note: in the video above, I mentioned only 2 of these… I have since added Perfect Supplements MCT Oil and Trim Healthy Mama’s MCT Oil to my list after learning more about their harvesting methods.

We’ve actually tried quite a few brands of MCT oil. When I look at all the options out there and all my qualifications, the two four that stand out are:

• Perfect Supplements MCT Oil — $31.95 for 30 ounces — HOWEVER if you buy 6 or more PLUS use coupon code TCS10, you’ll get 30% OFF (automatic bulk order discount) plus another 10% OFF with our coupon code… making each bottle just $20.12!
• Trim Healthy Mama’s MCT Oil — $19.95 for 32 ounces
• Bulletproof XCT Oil — $29.95 for 32 ounces
• Wild MCT Oil — $32.95 for 32 ounces

All of these are sourced from sustainably harvested coconut or palm, they’re non-GMO, and they’re rich in the two shortest MCTs (caprylic and capric acids). Also, they contain no lauric acid.

As you can see here, Perfect Supplements MCT Oil ticks nearly ALL the boxes — it’s organic coconut sustainably sourced (no palm) and comes in a BPA-free plastic bottle. The Bulletproof is organic but not coconut-only and comes in a BPA-free plastic container. The Wild and THM come in glass bottles, are palm/coconut sources, and while they are not organic, they use natural growing methods and natural pest control.

Note: If you look on THM’s MCT Oil product page currently, you will not see some of the details that I got directly from Pearl (one of the THM sisters). She said:

Our MCT oil is made using a blend of palm and coconut oil. What sets us apart from our competitors is not only the quality of the oil we provide but also the time we take to ensure all of our oils are sustainably harvested and the workers are treated fairly. These facilities are audited to make sure they maintain acceptable standards.

Here are some examples of how the suppliers are socially responsible and environmentally aware. They selectively breed the trees to increase the oil yield, giving more oil on a smaller footprint. They use a zero burn program when developing new plantations and redeveloping old ones. Pests are managed by natural means, native bugs, birds, and reptiles. No chemicals are used. Most oil comes from small farms where they are educated and trained to maintain these standards.

Pearl also verified that THM’s MCT oil is non-GMO.

Oh, and by the way… In order to get the health benefits of lauric acid as well as the shortest MCTs, I consume both coconut oil and MCT oil daily. And I choose the same MCT oil whether it’s for personal care items or for eating. 🙂

Helpful Links:

• Perfect Supplements MCT Oil — get 25% OFF when you buy 3 or more “Perfect” products —OR— 30% OFF when you buy 6 “Perfect” products (mix-n-match if you like) —AND— get another 10% off with our exclusive discount code TCS10
• Trim Healthy Mama’s MCT Oil
• Bulletproof XCT Oil
• Wild MCT Oil
• Why & How To Use MCTs {reduce belly fat & improve thyroid function!}
• High Quality Coconut Oil
• Real Food Sports Nutrition: Part 1
• FREE Traditional Cooking Video Series

 

Do you use MCT oil? How do you choose which one to buy?