What Are The Best MCT Oils for Keto?

The best MCT oil supplement brands are:

Taking a good MCT oil in your hot or cold drinks, or pouring it on food, can help you raise your exogenous ketone levels when on a ketogenic diet.

I was interested to find out what are some of the best MCT oil products to use for me to review.

So, I went out researching online for what are the top rated & most recommended brands who make good medium chain triglyceride oil products that are available to buy online.

The Best MCT Oils in 2024

Here is the list of MCT Oils on the market we reviewed for you to compare.

1. Natural Force MCT Oil

Natural Force has a collection of MCT oils, which include the pure C8 MCT oil, but also a general MCT oil and flavored MCT oil options. The Natural Force MCT oils are made from 100% organic, non-GMO, cold-pressed coconut oil and contain no palm kernel oil. It comes in a glass bottle so is plastic-free. Each MCT oil batch is 3^rd party lab tested for purity, potency, heavy metals, gluten, and more. What makes Natural Force different here is that the lab results are publicly available to view from the Natural Force website. They also ship the bottles with biodegradable protective packaging made from 100% recycled paper to prevent leaks or breakage during transit. Lastly, the Natural Force MCT oils are certified USDA Organic, Vegan, Project Non-GMO Verified, Keto, Paleo, Kosher, and Halal.

2. Bulletproof Brain Octane Oil

The Bulletproof Brain Octane Oil is a pure C8 MCT oil to get help raise your ketones higher and faster than the regular Bulletproof XCT oil option. The MCT oil is sourced from 100% coconut oil and has no palm kernel oil. You will get the most options in sizes available including travel-friendly MCT oil options.

Most might just think of Bulletproof coffee when thinking of the brand. However, they sell numerous coffee, tea & food products. The company even has several coffee shops located on the US west coast. In addition to coffee, they sell protein (like collagen & collagelatin) and other supplements (like unfair advantage), including MCT oil they call XCT oil. Their product line is even more wide-ranged, including vibration plates, biohacking supplements, books, accessories and clothing. You can find Bulletproof coupon codes here that could also help you get the best price.

3. Onnit MCT Oil

The Onnit MCT oil product range is a great option when looking to go keto. Onnit make regular MCT Oil, Emulsified MCT Oil and even different Savory MCT Oils to put in soups and on salads. There is just one size of bottle and there is no pure C8 MCT oil option.

Onnit is a fitness-focused company that was created in 2010 and has since become a multimillion dollar establishment. Their premier product, Alpha BRAIN, is a supplement that supports memory and focus. Aside from MCT oil, they sell a variety of performance, sleep and nutrition supplements as well as snacks, protein powder, coffee and tea. Their mission is to help people achieve what they call “Total Human Optimization”. You can find Onnit coupon codes here that could also help you get the best price.

4. Sports Research MCT Oil

The Sports Research MCT Oil on Amazon say they provide third party testing so you can view the certificate of analysis to do your due diligence. This is great for people who like to know their supplements, this food supplement, is being tested.

Sports Research makes supplements and oils for performance enhancement and general health. They also offer the Sweet Sweat line of workout enhancers and waist trimmers. Sports Research has a commitment to quality, and all of their products are GMP-certified. They also offer a database of recipes in which their products can be used. (ref)

5. Left Coast Performance MCT Oil

The Left Coast Performance MCT Oil on Amazon says that they only use organic coconut oil and no palm kernel oil.

Left Coast Performance is a small company that markets MCT, keto and bone broth supplements. Their MCT oil is comprised of caprylic acid and capric acid. Their website contains a useful FAQ section on each product, but does not contain much else. (ref)

6. Viva Naturals MCT Oil

The Viva Naturals company has been around since 2011 offering organic foods, supplements, essential oils and beauty products. The Viva Naturals MCT oil is made from certified organic, coconut oil which is sourced from Singapore. The MCT oil is said to be third-party certified for purity, but we couldn’t find the public lab report link. Their oil is also certified to be non-GMO, paleo and keto-friendly. (ref)

7. Kiss My Keto MCT Oil

Kiss My Keto is a MCT oil brand who has specialises in making keto-friendly products.

We like that their MCT oil is a pure C8 MCT oil version made from coconuts and comes in a glass bottle that is BPA free. The pump dispenser can help you avoid making an oily mess by not needing to pour the MCT oil out of the bottle.

MCT Oil Buyers Guide

I know you were looking for what are the best options, but here is some more detail as to why we would want to consider using medium chain triglyceride oils on a low carb or ketogenic diet.

What to Consider When Buying a MCT Oil

What is MCT Oil?

MCT Oil stands for Medium Chain Triglycerides oil. MCT’s are a type of healthy saturated fat not found in most foods. They are also sometimes called Medium Chain Fatty Acids (MCFA).

MCT’s are often used by people who are on keto diets for weight loss or wanting to be in nutritional ketosis, but it can have benefits for those eating a normal diet as well. (ref)

How Does MCT Oil Help Ketosis?

Consuming MCT oil will act as an exogenous ketone supplement and is different to when you make endogenous ketones by burning body fat.

Medium chain triglycerides are designed to bypass the bloodstream and go straight to the liver where they are directly metabolized into ketones. This increase in ketone levels will help you get into nutritonal ketosis.

The Types of Medium Chain Fatty Acids

Different types of MCFA’s are metabolized differently. The following is a list of the different types of MCFA’s your MCT oil might contain. (ref)

• Caproic acid or hexanoic acid (C6)
• Caprylic acid or octanoic acid (C8)
• Capric acid or decanoic acid (C10)
• Lauric acid or dodecanoic acid (C12)

Most MCT oils are comprised of C8 and C10, but some also include C12. Lauric acid has been shown to have stronger antimicrobial properties than the other acids, but not all MCT oils include lauric acid.

Amount of Medium Chain Triglycerides in Food

Here is a breakdown of the MCT composition found in each common type of food. (ref)

• Coconut oil: 15%
• Palm oil: 7.9%
• Cheese: 7.3%
• Butter: 6.8%
• Milk: 6.9%
• Yogurt: 6.6%

Does MCT Oil Help Weight Loss?

Consuming 18-24 grams/day of MCT oil during a weight-loss plan of up to 16 weeks has been shown to help with fat loss when compared to consuming olive oil. (ref)

It is thought that MCTs aid in modest weight loss by increasing energy expenditure leading to better body composition. (ref)

When to Use MCT Oil to Help Improve Ketone Levels?

Since ketones are a primary source of fuel for both your brain and body, there are numerous use cases for wanting more beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) in your blood.

Higher ketones might help people with the following health conditions.

• Malabsorption conditions like Crohn’s Disease (ref)
• People who have had their gallbladder removed (ref)
• Diabetes (ref)
• Hypertension (ref)
• Alzheimer’s (ref)

What Are the Benefits of MCT Oil Supplements?

MCT oil supplements can have other benefits aside from being used to help to treat or manage health conditions.

Healthy individuals may see the following benefits when using MCT oils:

• Increased metabolism efficiency to be fat adapted
• Better appetite control for aiding weight loss management
• Helping to lower cholesterol levels
• Better brain function and energy levels
• Short-term increase in BHB blood ketone levels when checked on a blood ketone meter

How to Take MCT Oils?

Here are some popular ways people like to use MCT Oil:

• Help to make keto coffee by blending the oil in hot coffee.
• Help make keto-friendly salad dressings
• Add to keto soups and bone broth recipes
• Add to keto protein powder smoothies
• Add onto sushi
• Add in keto dessert recipes
• Use as a cooking oil
• Blend into smoothies and keto shakes

If you are travelling you may find using an MCT oil powder more convenient to take on the road.

MCT oil can also be taken by itself. Since it is tasteless and odorless, it can go well in almost any food.

How Much MCT Oil Should You Consume?

According to University of Virginia research the maximum tolerated daily dosage of MCT oil can be up to 4-7 tablespoons (60-100ml). (ref)

Most people first starting to take MCT oil will want to take 1 tablespoon (15ml) per day for 3-4 days to assess for any gastrointestinal comfort then take between 1-4 tablespoons per day thereafter. This is different for MCT Oil powders.

Possible Side-Effects

One of the most common side-effects is gastrointestinal discomfort, which can include the following symptoms.

• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Abdominal cramps
• Belching
• Bloating
• Headache
• Stomach ache

Even if you are healthy, you may experience some side-effects when taking MCT oil.

To offset these potential side effects, start with a small dose of MCT oil and work up slowly to a larger dose. Also try taking the oil with food.

Is It Safe to Take MCT Oil?

MCTs are considered generally safe for most healthy people.

An exception is those with high cholesterol, specifically high triglyceride levels, since MCT oil might increase triglyceride levels.

When Not to Use MCT Oil?

• MCT Oil is not recommended as a cooking oil due to its relatively low smoke point.
• MCT oil is not recommended for use with any other foam-based material products like Styrofoam cups.

MCT Oil vs Coconut Oil

MCT oil is considered superior to coconut oil for ketogenic diet supplementation due to its higher concentration of caprylic acid and capric acid. While coconut oil by itself only contains about 15% MCFAs, MCT oil is comprised of up to 100% MCFAs.

Here is a side-by-side comparison of the two.

On the flipside, coconut oil has other properties that can have a wider range of health benefits. Which product you choose depends on what results you are looking for.

MCT Oil Frequently Asked Questions

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