Research

Energy balance

Consuming a diet rich in medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) for 28 days significantly reduces upper body adipose tissue in overweight men compared to long-chain triglycerides (LCTs).

If you are overweight, replacing some of your long-chain fats (like olive oil or butter) with medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) may help you lose a bit more upper body fat over a month, provided you keep your overall calories stable. Don't expect miracles; the metabolic boost is real but small. Focus on the quality of your fats, not just the quantity.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Upper body adipose tissue (AT) decreased to a greater extent (p < 0.05) with functional oil (FctO) compared with olive oil (OL) consumption (-0.67 ± 0.26 kg and -0.02 ± 0.19 kg, respectively).
Marie‐Pierre St‐Onge et al. · Obesity Research · 2003

Why this rating

Randomized controlled crossover design with controlled feeding, though the sample size (n=24) is modest.

Source

Medium‐Chain Triglycerides Increase Energy Expenditure and Decrease Adiposity in Overweight Men

Marie‐Pierre St‐Onge et al. · Obesity Research · 2003

DOI 10.1038/oby.2003.53

crossover · n=24Cited 274×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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