Written byAsh, ACE, MSc
Last Updated onFebruary 11th, 2023
MCT stands for medium-chain triglycerides and these are essentially fats found in foods like coconut oil and palm oil. A lot of products include long-chain glycerides (LCTs) like C12 in MCT supplements. But I make sure you only find the pure MCT products.
MCT oils improve brain function[1][2], reduce food cravings[3], provide clean energy to the body, and boost your overall energy levels along with a few other side-benefits that you’ll learn.
Let’s find out the best MCT oil for you!
Our Top Picks
1. Sports Research MCT Oil – Editor’s Choice
Summary:
Sports Research MCT Oil works on a non-GMO verified formula. It is packed with C8, C10, C12, as well as several energy-dense fatty acids.
The decision was not difficult to make at all. The best MCT oil supplement out there is clearly Now Sports Pure MCT Oil.
- It’s 100% organic, safe, natural, and easy to consume daily.
- Focuses mainly on weight management, but also has amazing secondary health benefits.
- It’s a pure, unflavored product with nothing else added besides MCT and C10.
- It’s keto-friendly and comes with a bunch of certifications ensuring you don’t face any problems or health complications.
- You can’t go wrong with this product. It’s simply the best MCT oil for weight management that doubles up as a high-performance and clean brain fuel.
Key highlights:
It’s a verified non-GMO project, certified vegan, keto-friendly, and certified paleo.
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The supplement is known to provide fuel to your brain and body, improving cognition, brain activity, energy levels, as well as promoting weight loss and taking care of a few health problems.
It’s very easy to mix up with coffee and regular shakes. You can take it at any time of the day.
The product is unflavored.
Ingredients:
The core ingredient is pure MCT oil made from non-GMO verified coconut oil. Purity is guaranteed. 1 tablespoon of the product gives you 130 calories, 14 g saturated fat, 13.5 g MCTs, 5.65 g caprylic acid, 3.7 g capric acid, and 4.0 g lauric acid.
The supplement contains a standard allergen warning. As the product contains coconut (which is a tree nut), it can cause allergies to people who can’t tolerate tree nuts.
Brand:
Sports Research is a brand that focuses heavily on providing the best products made from the purest ingredients. They believe that everyone benefits if there’s an assurance of the ingredients being 100% pure. The brand provides exceptional support to all queries, has a decent outlook online with really great positive reviews, and makes sure it has its certifications right. All in all, this is a brand that you can trust and thousands of people rely on, daily.
Effectiveness:
I must say that I was pretty surprised by how fast the results were. I started seeing considerably high energy levels throughout my day. It has also helped promote weight loss in a lot of people. Almost all customers share the sentiment that the product is very good for improving skin infections too (that might be due to a reduction in your Candida albicans levels[4], which is a common yeast that causes skin infections).
Sports Research MCT Oil
Sports Research MCT Oil
Sports research MCT Oil is vegan, paleo & keto-friendly, gluten & dairy-free. Made from NON-GMO coconuts. Use in coffee and smoothies.
2. Viva Naturals Organic MCT Oil
Summary:
The Viva Naturals Organic MCT Oil has very effective fat-burning potential. It also gives your energy level a spike. All in all, this is a great product when you require a balance between body and brain energy.
Key highlights:
The product comes with high-quality MCT, which ensures there’s optimal fat-burning.
The product also helps your body and brain achieve a better level of energy. It does that by providing an alternative source of energy through pure MCT.
Viva Naturals MCT Oil is completely tasteless and odorless, which means you can mix it up with anything of your choice (though they recommend coffee) without worrying that it would taste like coconut oil in any way.
Ingredients:
The product contains organic medium-chain triglyceride oil derived from organic coconut oil.
As goes without saying, it includes coconut. Tree nuts are an allergen that affects a great deal of people. So, if you have allergies to tree nuts, this product is not recommended.
Brand:
Viva Naturals has a huge reputation on the market when it comes to pure and 100% natural oil supplements. All of their oil products have never cause side-effects, health problems, or any other kind of complication. Their reputation is very good. This product is also top-notch and you can never go wrong with a Viva Naturals product.
Effectiveness:
Viva Naturals Organic MCT Oil provides amazing effectiveness in terms of energy.
A lot of people want more energy when they start their day. And if you’re one of those people, then you’ll find your savior in this product. You probably already drink a cup of morning coffee anyway. All you need to do is mix some Viva Naturals Organic MCT Oil in your regular coffee and see the amazing benefits!
You will feel that you have a lot more energy to start your day.
Viva Naturals Organic MCT Oil
Viva Naturals Organic MCT Oil
Viva Naturals Organic MCT Oil supports energy and weight management on a low carb diet. Aids mental focus and stamina. Made from NON-GMO coconuts.
3. Left Coast Performance MCT Oil
Summary:
The premium 100% pure MCT oil from Left Coast is truly exceptional and one of the best MCT oil supplements out there. It performs instantly and provides all-day energy in most cases.
Key highlights:
Left Coast sources the MCT oil from high-quality coconuts only. No palm oil. At the same time, they also make sure that the coconuts are fresh and the product is also as fresh as possible. This product does not sit in warehouses for months. So, there’s a good chance that you’re getting a product that’s actually very fresh and pure.
This oil does not contain C12, which is a common ingredient in many other MCT oils. C12 is not an MCT and is an LCT actually. C8 and C10 are actually MCTs and this product makes sure that you receive a perfect balance of these triglycerides. This product contains a 60 / 40 split of C8 and C10, respectively, which is an ideal balance.
Ingredients:
This product includes 100% MCT oil from fractionated coconut oil.
Each serving provides 7.8 g caprylic acid and 6.2 g capric acid, as well as 126 calories and 14 g saturated fat.
Brand:
Left Coast is a trusted brand among MCT oil consumers. The Performance range from Left Coast is reliable, effective, and highly appreciated. They always receive highly positive ratings and reviews online and offline. The dedication of the brand to produce the best quality of supplementation and independently test every batch of products is what makes them so preferred.
Effectiveness:
The MCT oil from Left Coast is exceptionally good as it’s C8 and C10 only. It’s also fresh, independently tested by a third party, and triple filtered. The coconuts are also of the highest quality. All in all, when you need brain fuel and body fat burning supplementation that you can take your daily coffee, then the Left Coast Performance MCT Oil is an ideal product for you.
Left Coast Performance MCT Oil
Left Coast Performance MCT Oil
Left Coast Performance MCT Oil is great for weight management, thermogenic metabolism booster. Non-GMO Ingredients. Vegan & easy on the digestive system.
4. Garden of Life MCT Oil
Summary:
This is a doctor-formulated product that increases your brain activity and improves overall brain health. When you need a product that provides fast fuel to your body, then you can easily choose the Garden of Life MCT Oil.
Key highlights:
100% organic coconut MCT oil that delivers exceptional energy and fuel to your body.
The product is keto diet-friendly as well as paleo diet-friendly. It’s certified non-GMO, 100% vegan, and completely free of gluten. It’s also hexane-free.
It is unflavored.
The product comes with no filler oils. The oil is made only from sustainably-grown coconuts.
You can easily try it with coffee, shakes of your choice, salads, as well as yogurt/
Ingredients:
The product contains 100% organic coconut MCT oil only.
Brand:
Garden of Life is an average brand. Customers report certain problems from time to time. However, in the case of their MCT oil product, they’ve received surprisingly positive reviews only. This product is truly high-quality and made with pure coconut oil.
Effectiveness:
Mainly, the effectiveness of the Garden of Life MCT Oil comes from the fact that it is very swiftly digested in your liver. Your brain will be able to receive additional energy to perform its tasks in a faster way.
Garden Of Life MCT Oil
Garden Of Life MCT Oil
Garden of Life MCT Oil is gluten-free, vegan, organic and non-GMO. Paleo & Ketogenic diet-friendly. Fast fuel for body and brain. No palm oil or other filler oils.
5. Onnit MCT Oil
Summary:
Powerful, cooking-ready MCT oil is something that’s rare to find. If that’s your wish, then you’ll find this product to be the best for you.
Key highlights:
This is perhaps one of the only few MCT oils that are recommended for cooking. Usually, you’re not supposed to cook with MCT oil or coconut oil. The reason is the low smoke point. However, Onnit maintains that you can use this pure MCT coconut oil for cooking purposes and that’s a bonus for a lot of people.
Optimized for both ketogenic and paleo diets, this is an organic product that includes C8, C10, as well as lauric acid from the highest-quality raw ingredients.
Ingredients:
There are no other ingredients besides 100% natural and organic MCT from coconut oil made from sustainable coconuts. As the product contains tree nuts (coconut), you might want to think twice if you have an allergy.
Brand:
Onnit specializes in many products including supplements, nutrition, fitness, as well as apparel. This is a brand that a lot of people trust for their daily supplementation needs.
Effectiveness:
This product provides quick and clean fuel. 100% pure coconut sourced, it’s reportedly great for athletes. There is no palm oil included, which improves the effectiveness of MCT.
Onnit Pure Premium MCT Oil
Onnit Pure Premium MCT Oil
Onnit Pure Premium MCT Oil is derived from 100% pure coconut oil with lauric acid in it. Supports ketogenic diet. It's tasteless, odorless great for shakes, smoothies.
6. Zhou MCT Oil Powder with Prebiotic Acacia Fiber
Summary:
This is MCT oil in powdered form. It also comes with prebiotic acacia fiber to improve gut health. So, on top of getting an all-day energy product, you’re also getting something that improves your overall digestive health.
Key highlights:
The product has zero net carbs. So, you don’t have to worry about in taking some additional carbs and gain weight when you consume the Zhou MCT Oil powder daily.
This powder is optimized for keto-friendly diets.
The product provides a long-lasting and high-performance fiber source that provides the body and brain sustained energy throughout the day.
It’s also very good for gut health because it includes added prebiotic acacia fibers.
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Easy to mix with your coffee, it’s also very easy to digest by your liver, making it the perfect MCT oil powder for your daily consumption needs.
Ingredients:
Besides the medium-chain triglycerides provided as the registered trademark “goMCT”, there’s also prebiotic acacia fiber included in the product.
There is no other ingredient.
Brand:
Zhou is an international brand shipping to all corners of the world. Their fitness and nutrition supplement products are used by the general populace and professional athletes all around the globe. This is a brand that will not let you down. They have high standards when it comes to research and development. Zhou follows industry best practices when it comes to making their products and it’s something you can feel completely safe with.
Effectiveness:
There are considerable boosts to your body after consuming this on a regular basis.
You’ll start noticing a great boost in the active energy to go through your day. Furthermore, you will see a wholesome brain boost as well as digestive comfort.
Zhou MCT Oil Powder
Zhou MCT Oil Powder
Zhou MCT Oil Powder, easy to digest, blends easily, fast sustained energy, mental performance, gut health, appetite control. Great for coffee, smoothies and more.
7. Perfect Keto MCT Oil Powder
Summary:
This is another MCT oil product in powder form. It’s marketed as a ketosis supplement for providing fast ketone energy.
Key highlights:
Keto and paleo diet optimized, this is great non-dairy coffee creamer. It comes in multiple flavors: chocolate, matcha, salted caramel, and vanilla. There’s also an unflavored variation if you prefer that instead.
This is 100% pure MCT oil powder, an ideal supplementation for those who often upset their stomach when consuming MCT oil directly. This powder is smooth, creamy, delicious, and has a nice texture overall.
There are no carbs and zero sugar. The 100% pure product is manufactured at a GMP facility in the US. The container is a food-grade, BPA-free PET container. The product contains a 70 / 30 ratio of C8 and C10 and each batch is lab-tested to ensure that balance.
Ingredients:
It contains MCT oil powder with acacia fiber. Besides that, the flavor you choose is also included (for example, the vanilla flavor includes natural vanilla powder).
Stevia leaf powder is also used in the product. It’s a non-nutritive sweetener that contains almost no calories.
The product does not contain any filler ingredients like fiber additives, cornstarch, etc.
Brand:
Perfect Keto is a brand known for some really good keto diet supplements. This is a reputation that they’re proud of and as a result, they don’t compromise the quality of their products in any way. You can be sure that you’re getting 100% quality.
Effectiveness:
This product is pretty effective even from the first few days of usage. You will start feeling more active and your overall energy levels will rise.
Perfect Keto MCT Oil Powder
Perfect Keto MCT Oil Powder
Perfect Keto MCT Oil Powder is gluten and dairy-free, lab tested and doctor's approved. Supports increased ketone levels and energy. Made from real coconuts.
8. Bulletproof Brain Octane Oil
Summary:
Clean, no-nonsense solution for providing energy to your brain quickly. It’s more than simply MCT oil.
Key highlights:
Brain octane is a brain-boosting fat that keeps the brain high-energy and always-active. It also helps keep your body sleep by reducing food cravings thanks to its satiating nature. Concentrated brain octane is really good for you if you struggle with low energy levels and find it difficult to get through your day or your work.
It’s good for reducing body fat as well as keeping your brain completely active throughout the day.
Ingredients:
It includes MCT and brain octane.
Brand:
Bulletproof is a very popular brand and ranks #1 for many who use dietary supplements regularly. It’s a brand that goes by the motto of using their pioneering technologies to innovate and revolutionize diet supplementation.
Effectiveness:
The product provides physical as well as mental energy pretty quickly. It helps boost the cognitive functions as well as keeps food cravings away, so that helps you stay fit and slim.
Overall, it’s a powerhouse of energy that has additional benefits. The results are fast and long-term. It’s a 100% sugar-free, pure, and clean source of energy.
Bulletproof Brain Octane Oil
Bulletproof Brain Octane Oil
Bulletproof Brain Octane Oil has 100% caprylic acid (MCT). It increases energy and fat burning. Boost brainpower. 100% sustainable coconut oil.
9. Nature’s Way MCT Oil from Coconut
Summary:
Highly potent, pure, and well-certified, Nature’s Way MCT Oil is 100% organic and natural. It is proven to do wonders to your body and brain as far as energy levels are concerned.
Key highlights:
It is a non-GMO product with proper verification. The source is purely coconut, there is no palm kernel extracts. Free of hexane and certified for paleo as well as vegan ingredients, this is one of the most effective MCT oils out there on the market right now.
It’s gluten-free and 100% organic.
Nature’s Way MCT Oil goes really well with coffee. Smoothies shake, and other beverages are also great companions. Just take a tablespoon full of this oil and mix it well.
Ingredients:
The product includes MCTs from organic coconut oil.
Coconut is a tree nut, so if you have allergies then you might not want to use this product, or any other MCT oil product, for that matter.
Brand:
Nature’s Way specializes in making products that are 100% organic and natural. Their standards for meeting non-GMO verification, hexane-free production, as well as being 100% vegan are quite rigorous.
Effectiveness:
If you want fast results, go with this product. Pretty effective from the early doses, if you maintain a daily consumption for a few months, then you’ll start to see radical improvement in brain function, cognition, as well as body slimming.
Nature’s Way MCT Oil
Nature’s Way MCT Oil
Nature's Way MCT Oil is a certified vegan and paleo as well keto-friendly. Non-GMO and BPA free. Use in smoothies, shakes, coffee and other drinks.
10. Now Sports Pure MCT Oil
Summary:
Now Foods MCT Oil Liquid is a great product and the best of the lot. It comes with amazing benefits. The primary focus of this product is weight loss but there are multiple secondary benefits that you’re going to love.
Key highlights:
Focuses on weight management. So, if you’re on a diet and decided to take MCT oil to go with it, then there’s nothing better than Now Sports MCT Oil. Now Foods specializes in weight management products (especially weight loss) and the MCT oil from them is just amazing.
The product is pure, unflavored, and thermogenic. It supplies clean fuel to your body and brain.
Now Foods’ Pure MCT Oil derives its nutritive value from two of the best sources of MCT: coconut oil and palm kernel oil. Highly digestible and performance-boosting, these ingredients are 100% safe and organic.
Ingredients:
Besides MCT oil from coconut and palm kernel oil, the product also includes capric acid (C10).
Brand:
Now Foods is one of the best, if not the best, brand when it comes to 100% natural, organic, safe, and affordable dietary supplements, sports nutrition, essential oils, beauty and Health oils, and natural foods. This is a brand that millions trust all around the globe. Now Foods makes sure all its products are processed in US-based GMP facilities with the highest quality of raw ingredients.
Effectiveness:
This is the most effective product if you’re looking for safe, easy, and hassle-free weight control using MCT oil.
Simply put, you just can’t go wrong with this one.
Now Sports MCT Oil
Now Sports MCT Oil
Now Sports MCT Oil is non-GMO, keto-friendly, thermogenic and unflavored.
How was the ranking done
Essentially, all these products only contain MCT oils. Therefore, the ingredients part wasn’t a big consideration. As they’re all fine when it comes to mixability, that was also an insignificant factor.
The major factor in which the ranking was done was how good their effectiveness was for the long-term.
Who should buy MCT oil?
Truthfully, I’d say anyone can buy and consume MCT oil daily.
But if you’re on a keto diet and looking for a 100% organic and natural boost then there’s no better option for you than this.
Pick a product of your choice and see how your waist circumference reduces and how you start having all-day energy in no time!
How do I pick a good MCT oil supplement?
Ingredients, mixability, taste, etc. are not really important considerations when going for the ideal MCT oil supplement for your daily needs. So, don’t pay much attention to those factors.
Yes, being 100% natural and organic is very important.
Also, make sure you check out whether they include C12. C12 is not really an MCT but still included in a lot of products.
In case you get digestive problems or headaches after consuming MCT oils, it might be a good idea to switch to powder-based MCT oils.
Lastly, if you have an allergy to tree nuts, you might not want to use any MCT oil as they’re made from coconut oil.
FAQ
Why take MCT?
MCT oils provide clean fuel to your body and brain, very fast. It improves your lifestyle by a great deal.
How is MCT oil different from coconut oil?
Coconut oil is a combination of different things. MCT oil is something that’s extracted out of that coconut oil without everything else that you don’t need.
How to take MCT oils?
Mostly, MCT oils are odorless and tasteless. The best way to consume them is by adding to coffee, smoothies, shakes, salads, and so on.
Are MCT oils good for keto?
MCT oils are built keto diets! They provide clean fuel to your body without making you run out of ketosis.
Recap
So, now you know about the potential benefits that MCT oil can provide to your body and brain function. It improves cognition and reduces weight over time, both of which are extremely important steps to attain a better lifestyle.
Staying fit isn’t easy and only MCT oil won’t cut it. I’d recommend pairing MCT oil consumption with a suitable diet for the best effectiveness.
Refrences
- Marie-Pierre St-Onge, Aubrey Bosarge, Laura Lee T. Goree, Betty Darnell. National Institutes of Health. US National Library of Medicine. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Journal of American College of Nutrition. PMC database. 2008, October. 27(5): 547-552. Medium Chain Triglyceride Oil Consumption as Part of a Weight Loss Diet Does Not Lead to an Adverse Metabolic Profile When Compared to Olive Oil. PMID: 18845704.
- Schönfeld P, Wojtczak L. National Institutes of Health. US National Library of Medicine. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Journal of Lipid Research. PubMed database. 2016, June. 57(6): 943-954. Short- and medium-chain fatty acids in energy metabolism: the cellular perspective. PMID: 27080715.
- Marie-Pierre St-Onge, Brian Mayrsohn, Majella O’Keeffe, Harry R. Kissileff, Arindam Roy Choudhury, Blandine Laferrère. US National Library of Medicine. National Center for Biotechnology Information. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. PMC database. 2014, October. 68(10): 1134-1140. Impact of medium and long chain triglycerides consumption on appetite and food intake in overweight men. PMID: 25074387.
- Ogbolu DO, Oni AA, Daini OA, Oloko AP. National Institutes of Health. US National Library of Medicine. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Journal of Medicinal Food. PubMed database. 2007, June. 10(2): 384-7. In vitro antimicrobial properties of coconut oil on Candida species in Ibadan, Nigeria. PMID: 17651080.
If you have any questions or need further clarification about this review, please leave a comment below, and Ash will get back to you as soon as possible.