When it comes to losing weight, everyone has their own ideas about how to accomplish their goals most efficiently. Some people create strict diets, while others focus on their exercise regiment. There is no single weight loss strategy that works for everyone. Usually, shedding pounds requires a combination of eating better, exercising, and cutting out unhealthy behaviors.

In recent years, using MCT oil to support weight loss has become increasingly popular. But can adding an oil to your diet really help you burn fat? Before giving this supplement a try, it’s best to understand what MCT oil is and how it impacts your body.

MCT Oil: What Is it?

To understand MCT oil and its effectiveness when it comes to weight loss, it helps to learn more about the different types of fat in the body. MCT stands for medium-chain triglyceride, referring to the length of the fat’s chain of carbon atoms. As the name suggests, MCTs are smaller than long-chain triglycerides (LCT) and thus easier to break down and use. MCTs naturally abound in coconut oil, palm oil, breast milk, and goat milk.

To make MCT oil, producers refine coconut oil and palm oil to extract just the pure MCTs, making it easy to increase your MCT intake without also consuming a lot of LCTs.

What Does MCT Oil Do When You Add It To Your Diet?

While the body tends to store LCTs, it can quickly burn MCTs and use them for fuel. When consumed, MCTs are absorbed rapidly and head straight to the liver to be oxidized. This rapid process increases energy expenditure and thus helps prevent weight gain.

Many people also associate MCTs with ketogenic diets. When carbohydrate intake is limited, MTCs can be converted to ketones, inducing the fat-burning state known as ketosis.

How Can MCT Oil Help You Burn Fat and Lose Weight?

When it comes to weight loss, using MCT oil made naturally can help you reach your goals in a number of different ways:

• Increasing MCT intake can help curb your cravings by making you feel full. Taking MCT raises levels of peptide YY and leptin, two hormones that create the feeling of fullness.

• As mentioned above, the body processes and uses MCTs faster than LCTs. By subbing out LCTs for MCTs, you can prevent excessive fat storage that leads to weight gain.

• MCTs can suppress the buildup of lactate during exercise, allowing you to extend moderate to high-level intensity workouts.

• Using MTCs can help you manage your cholesterol.

What Are Options for Taking MCT Oil?

MCT oil is odorless as well as flavorless, making it easy to use. From adding it to your morning smoothie or coffee to incorporating it into salad dressings and yogurt, the possibilities are endless.

People typically buy MCT oil in liquid, powder, and capsule forms, which you can purchase online or at a local grocery store or health and wellness store. While capsules make taking MCT oil convenient on the go, the oil and powder forms allow you to easily incorporate MCT into the foods and drinks you already love.

MCT Oil and a Healthy Body Weight

If you’re working hard to maintain a healthy body weight, adding MCT oil to your diet may be the help you’ve been looking for. Considering all the potential benefits of MCT oil, it’s easy to see why it has become so popular. Before making any changes to your diet, it’s important to talk to your doctor and find out if using MCT oil is right for you.