Reach for healthy fats

Fats are important for your body to function properly. You shouldn’t avoid them in your diet. On the other hand, you hear a lot about unhealthy fats which cause obesity and many other health problems. No wonder that you get confused. But the answer is rather simple – it all depends on the type of fat you’re consuming.

Fats – are they good or bad?

What makes fat good or bad is the structure of the inner molecule. We all heard about saturated and unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats are known as “healthy fats”. Our body needs to consume polyunsaturated fats with food, because it can’t synthesize them on its own. On the other hand, there are saturated fatty acids, which can be divided according to the length of the molecule chain.

What is MCT?

Although it is said that we should avoid saturated fats, medium chain fatty acids (known as MCT – medium chain triglycerides) have many benefits for the body. They contain fatty acids with a chain length of 6-12 carbon atoms. MCT include caproic acid, capryllic acid, capric acid and lauric acid.

Source of energy

Medium Chain Triglycerides are easier to digest than longer-chain fatty acids found in many other foods. Triglycerides have two purposes: they’re either burn for energy or stored as body fat. Medium-chain triglycerides are rapidly broken down and absorbed into the body. As a result they can be used as a clean energy source, and they’re less likely to be stored as a body fat.

Numerous benefits of MCT

Interest in MCT has grown rapidly over the last few years. MCT oil became a popular supplement among bodybuilders and athletes. This oil contains a lot of medium chain fatty acids and have many health benefits.

First, it has the potential to promote weight loss. MCT Oil releases two hormones which promote the feeling of fullness and reduces calorie intake. It supports fat loss and ketone production on low-carb diet. MCTs cause the body to draw energy from the stored fats. What’s more, it improves the gut environment.

MCT is a great energy source and help the body to use fat for energy. The oil is quickly absorbed. Unlike carbohydrates, MCTs doesn’t cause sudden drop of energy.  

Medium Chain Triglycerides help reduce disease risk factors, such as weight, cholesterol, and inflammation. It may also help to manage blood sugar.