MCT (Medium-chain triglycerides)

Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) are fats found in foods like coconut oil. They’re metabolized differently than the long-chain triglycerides (LCT) found in most other foods.

MCT oil is a supplement that contains a lot of these fats and is claimed to have many health benefits.

Triglyceride is simply the technical term for fat. Triglycerides have two main purposes. They’re either burned for energy or stored as body fat.

Triglycerides are named after their chemical structure, specifically the length of their fatty acid chains. All triglycerides consist of a glycerol molecule and three fatty acids.

The majority of fat in your diet is made up of long-chain fatty acids, which contain 13–21 carbons. Short-chain fatty acids have fewer than 6 carbon atoms.

SUMMARY

Due to their shorter chain length, medium-chain triglycerides are more rapidly broken down and absorbed into the body. This makes them a quick energy source and less likely to be stored as fat.