Quest Coconut Oil Powder?
Options
cstehansen
Posts: 1,984 Member
I bought some of this a while back because I thought it would be easier to use while I was traveling. After all, packing liquids in 3 oz bottles can be a pain.
Anyway, it seemed to work really well in coffee, however, I think I may have found a downside. It does have some additives, of course, to make it a powder. Per serving, it supposedly has 1 g fiber and 1 g protein with no non-fiber carbs. This, along with 8 g of fat, sounded like a good option.
Anyway, because I didn't want it to waste, I figured I would use it in my coffee, which I did since my last fast. I had gotten such great results after my first 48 hour fast I was quite optimistic coming out of this second one last week only to be disappointed with erratic BG readings.
To clarify, when I say fast, I mean I consumed nothing but water and some Himalayan salt for those 48 hours - no coffee, no tea, nothing.
Anyway, it hit me that the other potential variable was this coconut oil powder which I had used every day since breaking my fast (3 cups of coffee a day means 3 scoops of this stuff each day for 6 days).
Anyway, I skipped it this morning and drank my coffee black. Result, my mid morning reading was back down to what I was getting after my first fast as was my readings before and after lunch. If this was just a difference of a few points, I would think it was coincidence. However, I am talking about after lunch yesterday 118 and today 99. Before lunch yesterday 116 and today 94.
By the way, I did meal prep on Monday and so I had almost identical lunches yesterday and today. I don't eat breakfast, so the only difference was this product.
This is just one day. I will of course continue to avoid using this and check results. I was just curious if anyone else had used this stuff or is using it. If so, have you noticed any issues or had you even checked?
Anyway, it seemed to work really well in coffee, however, I think I may have found a downside. It does have some additives, of course, to make it a powder. Per serving, it supposedly has 1 g fiber and 1 g protein with no non-fiber carbs. This, along with 8 g of fat, sounded like a good option.
Anyway, because I didn't want it to waste, I figured I would use it in my coffee, which I did since my last fast. I had gotten such great results after my first 48 hour fast I was quite optimistic coming out of this second one last week only to be disappointed with erratic BG readings.
To clarify, when I say fast, I mean I consumed nothing but water and some Himalayan salt for those 48 hours - no coffee, no tea, nothing.
Anyway, it hit me that the other potential variable was this coconut oil powder which I had used every day since breaking my fast (3 cups of coffee a day means 3 scoops of this stuff each day for 6 days).
Anyway, I skipped it this morning and drank my coffee black. Result, my mid morning reading was back down to what I was getting after my first fast as was my readings before and after lunch. If this was just a difference of a few points, I would think it was coincidence. However, I am talking about after lunch yesterday 118 and today 99. Before lunch yesterday 116 and today 94.
By the way, I did meal prep on Monday and so I had almost identical lunches yesterday and today. I don't eat breakfast, so the only difference was this product.
This is just one day. I will of course continue to avoid using this and check results. I was just curious if anyone else had used this stuff or is using it. If so, have you noticed any issues or had you even checked?
2
Replies
-
What does corn do to your BG and would/could soluble corn fiber (an ingredient) have an impact on BG?
I've never used Quest powdered MCT Oil. Just thought I'd toss the thought out there.1 -
I've been told that this is a fantastic product, personally tested by members we know: https://www.ballisticketo.com/products/high-caliber-mct-oil-powder-salted-caramel
Should you want to do more test driving, that is.
I've not used the stuff. The corn fiber put me off it when a friend first started research the Quest powder.0 -
I think I am done test driving. The 3 grams of carbs (fiber or not) just don't explain my results. If they stay low tomorrow, given removing this product is the only change, I will have to say there is something specific with this product that does not agree with me.
I know there are other "fibers" that are added to low carb foods which have been shown to be digestible for at least some people. Still, I can usually get away with upwards of 30-40 net carbs with total being up over 70 sometimes without negative effects. That is part of being really active with total calories being near 3500. Even at 70 g, that is only 8% of calories.
This is why having such a huge difference just doesn't make sense. 3 g can't cause this alone. It has to be something about the processing or something else in this - that is assuming tomorrow gives similar results to today.
Oh, well. Lesson learned. I try to avoid "fake" foods anyway. I only got this because I thought it would be more convenient for traveling, so no real lose other than the $.0 -
That is why I like the description of this Ballistic Keto product. There is no added fiber. I don't remember the description of how it was processed, but @glossbones was involved in creating the logo and if I recall, testing the product along the way.
Should I be back in a position to use such a project, this is definitely one I'd seek out. I remember a discussion was had on this product, but I don't remember the specific feedback, other than from the above person.0 -
@cstehansen - I figure it's next to impossible in most n=1 trials to control even known variables, let alone those we're not aware of. (At least some things this amateur thought he'd learned through scrupulous self-experimentation turned out to be wrong.
)
I can imagine that unmeasured variations in sleep, emotions, etc., could affect one's hormone levels, even if food intake is held rigidly constant...0 -
Ketones are first in line, next to alcohol, in terms of substrate oxidation. In other words, they will be preferentially used and glucose will be spared to either be stored or left in the bloodstream for an extended period of time. Fasting reduces basal insulin levels which allow for increased lipolysis, which would increase ketogenesis. An extended fast naturally creates a higher level of endogenous ketones in the body, which would be fine since the body is at a level of homeostasis. However, breaking a fast with MCT that goes directly through the portal vein to the liver, will forcibly create an excess of ketones and displace any circulating glucose.
It's another reason why pushing the high fat version of keto is actually counterproductive for fat loss and glucose management.
Image taken from this post:
https://optimisingnutrition.com/2017/04/30/are-ketones-insulinogenic-and-does-it-matter/
3 -
Anyway, because I didn't want it to waste, I figured I would use it in my coffee, which I did since my last fast. I had gotten such great results after my first 48 hour fast I was quite optimistic coming out of this second one last week only to be disappointed with erratic BG readings.
The first 2-3 days after my two extended day fasts my blood sugar was really strange. 145 fasting blood sugar one morning, 180 after one meal that did admittedly have a joseph's lavash bread (8g carbs) but was otherwise fine. I was keto going into them and remained keto afterwards.
After those first 2-3 days as I transitioned to ADF my fasting blood sugars have been beautiful. I wrote it off to an artifact of some sort of cleansing or healing or something from the fast that I don't understand and can't explain.
I'm not saying that its NOT the powder in your case, but those first couple days after a fast can be strange it seems.1 -
I emailed Quest when they first changed formulations for their bars to inquire about the corn & I was assured that it is non-GMO, but if corn still reacts for you, ditch it.0
-
Ketones are first in line, next to alcohol, in terms of substrate oxidation. In other words, they will be preferentially used and glucose will be spared to either be stored or left in the bloodstream for an extended period of time. Fasting reduces basal insulin levels which allow for increased lipolysis, which would increase ketogenesis. An extended fast naturally creates a higher level of endogenous ketones in the body, which would be fine since the body is at a level of homeostasis. However, breaking a fast with MCT that goes directly through the portal vein to the liver, will forcibly create an excess of ketones and displace any circulating glucose.
It's another reason why pushing the high fat version of keto is actually counterproductive for fat loss and glucose management.
Image taken from this post:
https://optimisingnutrition.com/2017/04/30/are-ketones-insulinogenic-and-does-it-matter/
Great article. Like I mentioned, I lean toward going as natural as possible. This is just more evidence for me to not veer off path. I am that rare pre-diabetic (formerly T2 before keto) who is neither overweight nor insulin resistant. However, I seem to be very prone to high GNG rates despite very high activity levels.
BG today is better than while I was using this stuff, but not as good as after my last fast. I am planning on doing another 2 day (possibly 3) next week. This time I won't screw up the positive effects on my BG by using this stuff again.0 -
I have used both the powder MTC and Coconut Oil for traveling. Only negative I have found personally is the cost since I want to eat it like candy.
0 -
Ketones are first in line, next to alcohol, in terms of substrate oxidation. In other words, they will be preferentially used and glucose will be spared to either be stored or left in the bloodstream for an extended period of time. Fasting reduces basal insulin levels which allow for increased lipolysis, which would increase ketogenesis. An extended fast naturally creates a higher level of endogenous ketones in the body, which would be fine since the body is at a level of homeostasis. However, breaking a fast with MCT that goes directly through the portal vein to the liver, will forcibly create an excess of ketones and displace any circulating glucose.
It's another reason why pushing the high fat version of keto is actually counterproductive for fat loss and glucose management.
Image taken from this post:
https://optimisingnutrition.com/2017/04/30/are-ketones-insulinogenic-and-does-it-matter/
Fantastic explanation!
Marty's explanation of total energy makes so much sense and I thought of linking to it too until I saw you had and I wouldn't have explained this as perfectly as you did here.0
