Can't remember the science behind it, but mct oil increases your ketone readings. So does coconut oil and to a lesser extent butter as both have mct in them.

Can't remember the science behind it, but mct oil increases your ketone readings. So does coconut oil and to a lesser extent butter as both have mct in them.

So here's the theory behind this observation (from Dr. Ron Rosedale)...

Our adipose tissue (fat) is saturated fat (long chain fatty acids). Coconut oil and MCT oil are processed differently than long chain fats in that they can go directly to the liver to produce ketones whereas the long chain fats must be processed through the lymphatic system first before hitting the liver. It is also noted that MCT fats are generally never stored (they're great for quick energy when using a keto diet). However, our body needs long chain fats for a number of processes, we cannot survive by MCTs alone. If we take all of this information we can arrive at a plausible theory that if you shift your fat consumption balance to more MCTs than LCTs, then when your body needs the long chain fats it will get them from your adipose tissue since it did not come from your diet. Note that ketosis greatly enhances this situation for our bodies since we're already fat burning machines 24 hours/day. Consumption of the MCTs keeps us satiated and the ketosis keeps rolling while our serum ketone level increases through the break down of our fat and the MCT conversion at the liver.