Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT) is a food, that is, a special form of fat that can be found in coconut oil and palm kernel oil. However, these oils also contain long-chain triglycerides. There is also small amounts of MCT in wholemilk and butter.
MTC supplements are made by extracting and isolating the MCTs from coconut or palm kernel oil.
MCT does not have an E-number. A special feature of MCT is that they are water soluble. This means that absorption from the gut does not require fat-digesting enzymes and so they are more easily absorbed into the bloodstream from the gastrointestinal tract and not stored as body fat to the same extent as other types of fat.
It is most common to see MCT added to fitness products. There is no limit to how much MCT may be used in dietary supplements, but a dose of 50 – 100 grams might cause gastrointestinal distress. In tablets, the amount of MCT will be at most only a few milligrams.
