MCT Oil And Weight Loss

What is MCT Oil?

MCT is an acronym for medium-chain triglycerides, which is a saturated fatty acid that has proven to have several health benefits. The fatty acid is able to improve your cognitive functions, as well as help you to lose weight. One of the best sources of MCT is coconut oil.

MCTs are also referred to as MCFAs, which is short for medium-chain fatty acids and is not present in most people’s diets. The reasoning is because most people have a notion that any form of saturated fat is pernicious.

Studies have shown that MCT Oil should be consumed daily as it is easier to digest than long-chain triglycerides and possibly possess more health benefits. Apart from coconut oil, you can find MTC in whole milk, butter, cheese and full-fat yogurt.

Why should you consume MCT Oil?

As medium-chain triglycerides are easy to consume, it goes straight into the liver where it has a positive effect on your metabolism. MCT is burnt by the body for fuel. The body does not store it as fat, thereby, helping you to lose weight

The other benefits of MCT Oil:

• Balances hormone levels.
• Combats bacterial infections.
• Provides the body with energy.
• Helps you to maintain a healthy weight.
• Improves your mood.
• Assists in the digestion.

How does MCT Oil help with weight loss?

We are glad you asked. As MCT is burnt and metabolized quickly, it helps you to lose weight. The MCT is absorbed from the gut and into the liver and is not stored as fat, instead, the body burns it to supply you with energy.

Research conducted has shown that the consumption of coconut oil has resulted in significant weight loss because the energy and fat burning increased. One of the benefits of coconut oil is its ability to speed up the metabolism, as well as curbing your appetite, thereby, allowing the consumer to lose significant stomach fat.

MCT also has the ability to act as an antioxidant and has antimicrobial properties. These roles result in the support of your immune system, as well as being a source of antibacterial and antifungal.

Since MCTs are a fat burning oil, it is absorbed in the blood, which boosts the metabolism, reduces fat storage, is able to burn fat and calories, not to mention curb your appetite. Studies have clearly proven that MCTs are able to burn 460 calories daily in men, while only 190 in women. As a result of suppressing your appetite, you lose weight, but MCTs make you feel full. You will not get that craving feeling that may lead to gaining weight if you act on it.

The individuals who undertook the testing had seen that MCT was able to improve the cholesterol profile. After the experiment, the participants were convinced, since they had seen proof that MCT is able to help you lose weight, as well as body fat and subcutaneous fat. The participants not only lost the fat but at the same time, their triglycerides had also decreased.

Calories In The Ketogenic Diet

The ketogenic diet is a form of the low carbohydrate diet. The idea is to reprogram the body’s metabolism to use fats as the major source of energy. By doing this, the energy is more sustained and the body breaks down some of the fat storage that it has. When the body is severely low in carbohydrates, the main source of glucose, it breaks down fats to release glycerol which can be converted to glucose. It also oxidizes the fatty acid chains which are released in order to make substrates that can enter the chemical reactions that produce energy. These processes generate a byproduct called ketones. This is where the diet gets its name from. But fats are very calorie dense foods and a person who follows a ketogenic diet can easily overshoot their recommended calorie intake. This article, therefore, determines how many calories a person should take in whilst following a ketogenic diet.

The foods that the diet includes

The diet suggests cutting out all forms of refined carbohydrates such as bread, rice, potatoes sugar and sugary drinks. Many people use refined carbohydrates as a staple in their diet. The ketogenic diet recommends using fats as a staple instead. A person conducting the ketogenic diet should also include high protein sources in their diet. Examples of these are red meat, chicken, fish, butter, olive oil and flaxseed oil. Individuals should also include normal sources of minerals as long as they do not contain high carbohydrates. For example, milk as a source of calcium, vegetables as a source of vitamins and minerals, restricted fruit intake and a reasonable amount of salt. These foods are also said to improve satiety – the feeling of being full – so that the person on the diet feels a less frequent need to eat.

Any sort of cheating on this diet should be considered very carefully because any form of carbohydrates completely disrupts ketosis (the formation of ketones through the breakdown of alternative energy sources).

The ketogenic ratio

The ketogenic ratio is the ratio of fats to other dietary sources (such as proteins and carbohydrates) in a person’s diet. For a ketogenic diet to be effective, a person’s ketogenic ratio should be between 2-to-1 and 5-to-1. This ratio can help a person to determine the estimated amount of fat they should be consuming on a ketogenic diet. The recommended daily calorie intake for men is 2500 kilocalories and for women is 2000 kilocalories. If you break that down according to the optimal ketogenic ratio, a man should be consuming between 1650 kilocalories and 2080 kilocalories of fat per day. This equates to between 6.5 and 8 oz. of fat per day. A woman should be receiving 1350 to 1650 kilocalories of fat per day. This equates to 5.3 to 6.5 oz. of fat per day. The remainder of the calories should be mostly in the form of proteins, but can be in a small part from natural carbohydrates. For a man, this is between 3.7 and 7.5 oz. per day of proteins and carbohydrates together. A woman should consume between 3 and 5.7 oz. of proteins and carbohydrates together.

Signs Of Ketosis

A ketogenic diet can be a great solution for weight loss and may also assist diabetes patients, as well as individuals who are suffering from heart diseases. While on the ketogenic diet, you are limiting the intake of carbohydrates in order for the body to burn fat for energy.

When the body enters the state where it is using fat for energy, it is called ketosis. So, what are some of the signs that you have entered ketosis?

Weight Loss

While in ketosis, your body is using fat as a source of supply for energy. The body burns fat, which results in weight loss. You will experience short-term and long-term weight loss. During short-term weight loss, you may experience drastic changes in your body. The body will release the stored carbs and water. To keep the fat off, you need to stick to the ketogenic diet by limiting the carb and calorie intake.

Appetite

Most people who are on the ketogenic diet will experience less hunger than if they had been consuming carbs. The reason this occurs is that, while on the ketogenic diet, you increase the consumption of protein and vegetables, therefore, the body hunger hormones are adjusted. While in ketosis, the ketones may have an impact on the brain by sending signals to it, informing the brain to reduce the appetite.

Fatigue

When you abandon the carbs in order to enter ketosis, you may experience several side effects. Some of them may be fatigue and being frail. Since some people on the ketogenic diet will feel fatigue, they are more prone to quitting the diet. Side effects such as fatigue while on the ketogenic diet are completely natural and can be reduced by consuming electrolyte supplements.

Digestion

A well-known fact about entering ketosis is experiencing digestive problems. Since you are changing the type of foods that you consume to enter ketosis, your body needs to adjust to the change. During the adjustment, you may experience side effects such as diarrhea and constipation. These side effects can be alleviated by the consumption of vegetables.

Insomnia

As a result of the drastic reduction in the carb intake, your body will need to make an adjustment. One of the side effects of the adjustment is insomnia. Numerous individuals who switched to a ketogenic diet stated that they would wake up intermittently during the night. After being on the diet for a few weeks, their sleep cycle returned to normal.

Bad Breath

One of the most common sign that you are in ketosis is when you experience bad breath. People who are on the diet have mentioned that their breath has a fruity odor, which is the result of the increase in the level of ketones. A ketone called acetone is released out of your body through your breath and urine.

Excessive Thirst

Individuals who entered ketosis had experienced an exponential increase in dehydration. They felt that their bodies were in short supply of water and needed to refuel on a regular basis. During ketosis, the body releases the stored water, thereby causing individuals on the ketogenic diet to feel thirsty more than regularly.

A Ketogenic Diet

What is all the fuss about this diet? There are so many celebrities who are saying that this diet is the ultimate solution to weight loss. So, what exactly is it? Well, we have taken the liberty of stating what the ketogenic diet is, who it is for and what are its benefits.

What Is It?

A ketogenic diet, otherwise known as a low-carb diet, is an extremely popular method of losing weight. In order to follow a ketogenic diet, your body needs to enter a state known as ketosis. Ketosis is a metabolic process that occurs when the body does not have adequate carbohydrates to burn for energy from the food that you have consumed. When the body does not have carbohydrates, it will burn fat. During this process, the body makes ketones.

When you are not on the ketogenic diet, your body is able to control the amount of fat it burns. To be in ketosis, you need to drastically reduce the number of carbohydrates that you consume. When you reduce the carbohydrates, the body will transition to ketosis in order to get energy.  This process can also occur when you have been exercising for a protracted period or even during pregnancy.

There are some risks to consider, as well. When ketones build up, ketosis may become dangerous as it leads to high levels of dehydration and the chemical balance of your blood may change.

Why Do It?

Well, as we mentioned, it is a very popular method for losing weight. Once you cut out the carbohydrates from your diet, the body has to burn fat to produce energy. Since your body burns fat, you lose weight.

Apart from burning fat, ketosis also promotes appetite suppression. You do not feel hungry as often as you did when you were consuming a high daily intake of carbohydrates. Studies have shown that ketosis will help you to maintain muscle.

A ketogenic diet also may lead to improvement in certain health conditions. People who suffer from epilepsy have reported that the frequency of the seizures decreased once they were on the ketogenic diet. Certain studies have shown that being on a ketogenic diet may help you to reduce the risk of getting any heart diseases. Research has also concluded that low-carb diets can help individuals suffering from type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and insulin resistance.

Are There Any Risks?

Once you are in ketosis, you may experience several symptoms.

• Muscle cramps
• Bad breath
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Diarrhea
• Constipation

Although these side effects may not be pleasant, most will subside in a week or two after being on the ketogenic diet. When you abruptly reduce the levels of carbohydrates, your body will enter ketosis and will need to adjust. During the adjustment, you may experience the aforementioned side effects. Once the body has adjusted and received plenty of low-carb veggies, the side effects will subside.

The ketogenic diet is for those who want to drastically lose weight and gain several health benefits such as reducing the risk of heart disease and decreasing the frequency of seizures.