As hard as we work hard in the gym to burn fat and stay in control of our diet, we will lose fat, but I’m always looking for ways to ease the process, right? That’s why I find the scientific studies on medium chain triglycerides and weight loss so exciting.
Research has reported that the fatty acids from MCTs in coconut oil (CO) are not easily converted into stored triglycerides and therefore cannot be readily used by the body to make larger fat molecules. Instead, it is easily absorbed and goes straight to the liver, where it increases themogenesis.
One animal feeding study assessed body weight and fat storage for three different diets – low-fat diet, high-fat diet with long chain triglycerides (LCTs) and high-fat diet with MCTs, and after 44 days the low-fat diet diet group had stored an average of 0.47 grams of fat per day; the LCT group stored 0.48 grams/day, while the MCT group stored only 0.19 grams of fat per day, representing a 60% reduction in the amount of fat stored.
This shows that when MCTs replace LCTs in the diet, the body is much less inclined to store fat. AND, if we eat sensibly, a diet high in MCTs is more effective than a low-fat diet breakdown of stored fat
Another human study showed that the MCT-containing meals caused an average 12 percent increase in basal metabolic rate compared to a 4 percent increase with the LCT-containing meal. So how do we get MCTs into our diet? Well, CO is nature’s richest source of MCTs. Believe it or not, the medium-chain fats in coconut oil are similar to the fats in breast milk. Coconut oil can be used as an additive to your post or pre-workout shake.
More ideas for using coconut oil:
o Fry or sauté vegetables, eggs, poultry, fish with coconut oil for a health-conscious light taste
o Make your own mayonnaise with coconut oil
o Use it in your salads
o Try using popcorn instead of butter
Thanks to Kurt Nimmo
