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Where are they found, and what are they good for?
MCTs are found in milk fat, palm oil and coconut oil. They are also made commercially and are available as liquid or capsules. The commercial formulas don't hold up well to cooking, because heat makes them oxidize and break down, but they can be used as a salad dressing or taken as a supplement. Since the 1950s MCTs have been used as part of the formula for patients who can not digest fats properly due to illness. They are given in IV units to people who need parenteral nutrition. These include people suffering from severe trauma such as burns, or newborn babies who need supplemental nutrition. People suffering from jaundice, Crohns disease, celiacs, cystic fibrosis, pancreatitis and other illnesses may get MCTs as a supplement to their diet. In the 1980s MCTs became a popular source of energy for people engaged in high-level sports such as bikers or marathoners. High carbohydrate diets had been popular for providing quick energy, but carbs also stimulate insulin, which causes your body to deposit fat. MCTs provide quick energy as well, but since they are a fat and not a carb, they don't stimulate insulin, and you don't have the problem with weight gain. MCTs do stimulate thermogenesis, which is the process where your body produces heat by increased burning of fat. This is a good thing for people who are trying to lose fat. People who suffer from epileptic seizures have been shown to benefit from a diet high in MCTs. They also tend to lower blood sugar slightly, and this is beneficial for diabetics. They have been shown to be antioxidants and have anticoagulative effects, which can help with heart disease.
have about 80 grams of fat. So in order to use MCTs to actually make your body burn fat, you would have to be eating a very unhealthy (and unpalatable) amount of fat. Aside from that level of fat in the diet being unhealthy, a diet high in MCTs also has some side effects. These include gastrointestinal upsets such as diarrhea, and increased levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. This occurs when the MCT level goes above 10% of calories. People who have complications from liver disease should not take MCTs, as they are processed by the liver. Also, MCTs do not contain any of the essential fatty acids that we need to survive. Therefore, a diet of strictly MCTs would be deficient in nutrients that you need.
more than 30% of your calories in any kind of fat. Also, don't eat ALL your fat in the form of MCTs, because then you are missing out on the essential fatty acids, which your body needs to survive. Studies have shown that eating more than 10% of your calorie intake as MCTs can raise your cholesterol level. As with most things, MCTs can be part of a healthy diet but you shouldn't overdo them. http://thirdplanetfood.com/tidbits/?p=392
Medium chain triglycerides is for dietary use in people whose bodies cannot digest certain foods properly. This includes people who are gluten or lactose intolerant, or who have unintended weight loss or need increased calories for other medical reasons. Medium chain triglycerides does not contain protein or carbohydrates. http://www.drugs.com/mtm/medium-chain-triglycerides.html
Several health problems such as obesity, heart disease, and osteoporosis are more prevalent in those people who have slow metabolism. Any health condition is made worse if the metabolic rate is slower than normal, because cells can't heal and repair themselves as quickly. Increasing metabolic rate, therefore, provides an increased degree of protection from both degenerative and infectious illnesses.
http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/article10612.htm
Fat Malabsorption
A double-blind, placebo-controlled study on 24 men and women with AIDS suggests that MCTs can help improve AIDS-related fat malabsorption.11 In this disorder, fat is not digested; it passes unchanged through the intestines, and the body is deprived of calories as well as fat-soluble vitamins. The study participants were split into two groups: one received a liquid diet containing normal fats, whereas the other group received mostly MCTs. After 12 days, the participants on the MCT formula showed significantly less fat in their stool and better fat absorption than the other group. Another double-blind study found similar results in 24 men with AIDS-related fat malabsorption.12 The body depends on enzymes from the pancreas to digest fat. In one study, individuals with inadequate pancreatic function due to chronic pancreatitis appeared to be better able to absorb MCTs than ordinary fatty acids.13 However, this didn't turn out to mean much on a practical basis because, without taking extra digestive enzymes, they could only just barely absorb the MCTs; whereas, if they took digestive enzymes, they absorbed ordinary fats as well as MCTs without difficulty.
Safety Issues
Studies in animals and humans tell us that MCTs are quite safe when consumed at a level of up to 50% of total dietary fat.28,33 However, some people who consume MCTs, especially
on an empty stomach, experience annoying (but not severe) abdominal cramps and bloating. The maximum safe dosage of MCTs in young children, pregnant or nursing women, or people with serious kidney or liver disease has not been established.
http://healthlibrary.epnet.com/GetContent.aspx?token=e0498803-7f62-4563-8d475fe33da65dd4&chunkiid=21809