Liquid vs. Powdered MCT Oil: Why You Should Be Using Powdered MCT Oil
You’ve probably heard some of the buzz.
Mct Oil is a superfood for those of us that are fat-fueled.
What is MCT Oil?
MCT oil is much more than your average cooking oil. In fact you should not cook with it.
It is a type of saturated fat that is quickly and efficiently absorbed by the body to be used as energy – immediately.
Besides the absorbency and energy qualities, MCT oil can help with immunity, gut health, weight loss, brain function, athletic performance, disease prevention and much more.
So how can MCT’s work so well within the body?
It’s because of what MCT oil is made of – Triglycerides:
- C6
- C8
- C10
- C12
These triglycerides are Medium-Chain Triglycerides (hence, the abbreviation MCT). Medium chain Triglycerides (unlike long or short chain) are easily absorbed by the body, can be used for immediate energy, and can help keep supplement and even keep you in Ketosis.
MCT Benefits
Medium-Chain Triglycerides (MCT’s) are found in Coconut Oil, which has gained tons of popularity for it’s health benefits.
We in the Western world are typically missing these essential nutrients from our diets, which is why it is recommended that you consume some sort of MCT’s each day through Coconut oil: either cooking with it or drinking it.
But MCT Oil is even better.
MCT Oil can help you:
- Maintain or achieve a healthy weight: they make you feel full, absorb more of the nutrients from your food in the gut, and boost your good but bacteria.
- Reduce stored body fat: raises metabolic function, stimulates your body to burn brown fat.
- Have more energy: MCT’s are easily digestible and available for immediate use as a perfect source of energy.
- Sustain mental clarity: our brains can use MCT’s to power itself perfectly, and for long periods of time. Your brain is mostly made up of fatty acids, and MCT’s provide a steady supply to fuel it.
- Improve Mood: As your mental clarity and function improve, so often does your mood. Feeling clear headed and energetic will often make you feel more positive, as will your improved digestion and immune function.
- Aid Digestion: have IBS, leaky gut, or intestinal upset? MCT’s can help fix all of those. MCT’s balance the gut’s microbiome, and help your body utilize it’s digestive functions more efficiently.
- Improve Nutrient Absorption: the after-effect of MCT oil balancing the gut microbiome is that your gut can now absorb more of the nutrients from the food you consume. You do need to consume healthy fats in order to absorb the fats found in your food. Basically MCT oil facilities the absorption of fatty nutrients in your food.
- Aid Immunity
- Balance Hormones: Blood sugar and insulin regulation affect so many functions: from improved metabolism, appetite regulation, improvements in PMS and PCOS, as well as cholesterol and blood lipid control.
MCT’s Effect on Ketosis
If you’re Keto, then you have probably heard about how MCT Oil can help keep you in Ketosis.
When you’re in ketosis, your body has switched from burning glucose, to burning ketones.
So why does this matter?
Because MCT’s are used immediately by the liver to make ketones.
The are the perfect Ketogenic fuel, and cannot be stored as body fat.
Unfortunately, because they cannot be stored as fuel, many people experience some side-effects of using Liquid MCT Oil.
MCT Downsides
Unfortunately, MCt’s do have some downsides that can make using it tricky.
The 4 main issues with MCT’s are:
- Digestive Upset: Consuming liquid MCT oil (in the beginning) can produce some digestive symptoms such as upset, diarrhea, and even vomiting. Some people have noticed gas or discomfort after consuming liquid MCT’s. These are most likely to happen if you take too much MCT oil or take it on an empty stomach. Even so, it is best to take MCT oil in small amounts at first to see if you experience any of these symptoms.
- Convenience: Transporting oil in a bottle is tricky, to say the least. You either have to tote around an entire bottle of oil, or you have to put it into a smaller container. And if you spill, well, we all know how tricky cleaning oil up is.
- Cooking: MCT oil cannot be cooked with, because if you heat it too high, it becomes a carcinogen. No kidding. So it’s best to use liquid MCT oil in cold drinks and foods like iced coffees, smoothies, salad dressings, or no-cook fat bombs.
- Texture: Adding oil to drinks doesn’t sound appetizing at all. Think about it – you’ve got a layer of oil floating on top of your coffee that you have to “get through” to get to the good stuff. Some people are fine with it (personally, I’ve adjusted to it over time) and of course you can emulsify it, but you’re still left with oily coffee.
Some people are fine with the downsides of MCT Oil.
But if you’re not, and still want to enjoy all the mental clarity, energy, improved digestion and immunity, or other benefits, you can benefit from using MCT Oil Powder.
MCT Oil Powder has all the benefits of MCT oil liquid, without the digestive upset, cooking limitation, and portability issues.
What is MCT Oil Powder?
MCT Oil Powder is just like MCT Oil liquid, but without all the downsides of the liquid that I mentioned above.
MCT Oil Powder is:
- Easier on your digestive system
- Easier to cook and bake with
- Easier to combine with other Keto supplements
How Is MCT Oil Powder Made?
MCT Oil powder is made through a process called “spray drying.”
It sound strange, but the process is widely used and accepted throughout the food industry to turn liquids into powders by evaporating the moisture with hot air.
Spray drying is used to make other food products like powdered milk, superfood powders, and even our beloved coffee.
Here’s how the process breaks down:
First, the two materials that will make up the MCT Oil Powder are combined.
Once the liquid in the MCT Oil is evaporated, it will need to bond to a carrier material. In Keto MCT Oil Powder, acacia fiber is used to keep carbs low and quality high. Lower-cost MCT Oil Powder often uses low-quality binder materials to keep costs low. You get what you pay for!
Second, the solution is fed through an atomizer.
An atomizer is a pressure nozzle that controls the size of the droplets into the perfect size to dry faster..
Third, the solution is dried.
The droplets created by the atomizer enter a chamber filled with hot air. The moisture is evaporated in this chamber, creating powder and evaporated gas.
Finally, the powder and evaporated gas are separated.
The mixture passes into a cyclone, where they are separated, and the powder is collected.
After this last step, we have MCT oil powder!
Unfortunately, while this process is very efficient and eco-friendly, there is a danger that companies trying to cut costs will include ingredients besides MCTs and the acacia fiber to bulk it up or make it more palatable.
But when you fill up a product with lesser quality materials, or extras, you get a less effective and lesser quality product.
So with that in mind, here’s what to look for to find a quality MCT Oil Powder:
- Those Made with a Healthy Binder Materials: Acacia Fiber is the best source to be used. Stay away from powders that use corn fiber, maltodextrin, or liquid glucose. The first ingredient should always be MCT Oil, and the second the Acacia Fiber.
- The MCT Oil should be made from coconut: MCT oil from any other source is inferior.
- The Type of MCT Oil: MCT is made of C6, C8, C10, and C12. The lower the # of C’s, the more potent the effect. However, cost-cutting companies will use only C6 and C8 because they’re cheaper to obtain and work with.
- Balanced MCT and non-MCT Ratio: basically, the ratio of MCT’s to other ingredients. Look for 70% MCT and 30% Acacia Fiber for the best products.
- No Extra Fillers: fillers could be added to extend shelf life, enhance taste or texture, or for many other reasons. There should be NOTHING in your MCT Oil Powder besides MCT Oil and Acacia Fiber. Nothing.
- No Unnecessary Sweeteners: MCT Oil powders can have flavors, and as long as they come from the right source, that’s fine. Where it gets tricky is adding sweeteners like those that come from sugar, or have been shown to have adverse health effects such as Aspartame or sucralose. Stick with those that use monk fruit, stevia, or erythritol only.
- Contains no allergens: look for powders that are dairy free. Dairy can be sneaky, and found in the form of casein, dry milk, corn fiber, or milk protein.
- Look for healthy flavors and ingredients: No matter what the flavor, read the ingredient labels to ensure there are no artificial or natural flavors. While these may not necessarily be harmful, it is always best to use flavors from their original sources, such as freeze-dried fruits, vanilla bean extracts, and pure spices.
Look for the MCT Oil Powder with the fewest, and highest-quality ingredients to KNOW you’re getting the best product.
This will often mean spending up to 50% more, but isn’t quality over quantity always the goal?
I recommend Perfect Keto MCT Oil powder because they have the highest-quality, most minimally processed product on the market right now.
How to Use MCT Oil Powder
In drinks:
- Bulletproof Coffee
- Protein Iced Coffee
- In Smoothies
- In plain water
- In Tea
For Breakfast:
- In Keto Overnight “Oats”
- In Fathead Bagels
- In Cream Cheese Pancakes
- Add a scoop to a breakfast smoothie or Keto Shake
Lunch & Dinner
- Add a scoop to soups or stews
- Incorporate some into sauces to go on wraps or proteins
Desserts & Snacks:
- Put MCT Oil in Fat Bombs
- Incorporate MCT Oil Powder into Keto Desserts like Cookies, Candies, and Mug Cakes
Pre-Post Workout:
- Put MCT Oil powder in with your pre-workout
- Mix it in with your after-workout
My favorite combination is found in my Collagen Coffee:
- 1 cup of Coffee
- 2 scoops of Collagen
- ½ oz Raw Cacao Butter
- 1 T. Heavy cream
- A few drops of Stevia Glycerite
- NuNaturals Chocolate Syrup
- And 1 scoop Perfect Keto MCT Oil Powder
My Collagen Coffee not only packs a punch of protein – 20 grams! – it is basically a fat bomb/keto bomb and meal in a coffee cup. It is the perfect way to prime your system for ketosis and for energy and focus for the day ahead.
MCTs are by far one of the best sources of energy – and incredibly valuable for ketosis.
They are the one supplement every Keto person should have in their cabinet and use regularly.
You can find Perfect Keto MCT Oil Powder (in plain and flavored) at their website: PerfectKeto.com
xoxo,
Gretchen
Keto can help you be your healthiest self! – here's where to start: Keto Quickstart! The 30-Day Guide that has everything you need to know about Keto + a 30-day Meal Plan, Shopping Lists and more!
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Hope you can help me. How do I know how to convert using mct powder in a recipe instead of mct oil.
Is 1 tablespoon of powder the same as 1T of the oil?