Natural oils are the epitome of essential nutrients, be it the vitamins or the fatty acid chains. Take the example of vegetable oil- it consists of saturated fatty acid chains and glycerol, which have many health benefits for the body. However, today we won’t be discussing the regular vegetable cooking oil you usually use in your home.
Today, our main discussion will be based on the facts that will be revolving around a long term argument- MCT oil vs olive oil.
However, before we dive into the comparisons, you need to know the essential facts about both the oils. So, without wasting any more time, let’s get started.
Table of Contents
What is MCT oil?
Most of the natural oils are made of short and medium chains of different fatty acids. However, the most important one of them is triglycerides. Generally, triglycerides are the resultant compound of ester and three molecules of fatty acids.
Both palm and coconut oil are rich in triglycerides, especially the medium-chain ones. These glyceride chains are artificially extracted from the oils by several means. The entire processing is carried on in labs under scientific precision. Once the triglycerides are obtained, they are combined to form the MCT fats.
The reason why palm oil and coconut oil are chosen is that both of them contain long-chain triglycerides which form the best MCT oil. The MCT molecules have around eight carbon molecules that are digestible easily, and hence these triglyceride chains provide a lot of energy to your body. Also, the MCT oil is artificially manufactured saturated fatty acid oil, which offers many health benefits.
What is olive oil?
Before moving to the discussion of MCT oil vs olive oil, let’s first understand what precisely olive oil is. This will provide you a better idea about the comparison between MCT oil and olive oil. Now, olive oil is obtained from green olive fruits, which are usually grown in the Mediterranean regions.
It is one of the best vegetable oils that you will get in the market, and hence it is preferred by many people for cooking, dressing, baking, and so on.
The constitution of the olive oil is never fixed. Instead, it varies according to the altitude of cultivation, the harvest time, and the entire extraction process. The main component of olive oil is oleic acid, an unsaturated natural fatty acid.
Each oleic acid compound has eighteen carbon molecules, and hence it is considered a long-chain fatty acid. Since oleic acid is a mono-saturated fatty acid, its presence in the olive oil makes the component one of the healthiest substituents for food.
What are the benefits of MCT oil?
Before you decide about MCT oil vs olive oil, you must know their health benefits to have a clear idea about these two oils. Even though the MCT oil is artificially manufactured oil, the medium-chain triglycerides certainly provide some excellent health benefits that most of you aren’t aware of. So, let’s have a look!
1. Helps in losing weight
Several studies have shown that after having the recommended MCT oil dosage, two hunger-suppressing hormones are released into the bloodstream. These two hormones are the peptide YY and the leptin.
Since these two hormones are released into the blood, your hunger feelings will be suppressed for longer times. Hence, you will eat much less as compared to your regular calorie intake.
2. Cleaner and instant energy source
It is said that MCT oil is one of the cleanest sources of energy. Your body gets the metabolic energy from two primary sources- carbs and fats. However, it is challenging to break down the fat at the earliest for releasing the energy molecules.
Yet, the eight carbon molecule chains of MCT oil can be broken down easily without releasing any form of nitrogenous by-products. This is why it is said to be a clean fuel and also an instant energy source.
3. Prevents lactic acid formation in athletes
When athletes work, they put their muscles through vigorous pressure and strain. The muscle fibers need instant energy to provide the movement of the body parts. As a result, anaerobic respiration takes place, which is faster than the aerobic one. However, with anaerobic respiration, lactic acid is produced, which accumulates in the muscles.
Because of this, the muscle fibers start aching and hence prevent the athletes from continuing with their workout. However, MCT oil doesn’t produce lactic acids even if it undergoes anaerobic respiration.
4. Might help people suffering from neurodegenerative diseases
Even though medical documents are not available yet, it is said that MCT oil helps people who are suffering from various types of degenerative neural diseases.
5. Has antibacterial properties
One of the best MCT oil benefits is that the compound contains several anti-bacterial properties. Hence, the oil will help your body fight against yeast infections and other bacterial infections.
6. Lowers the amount of harmful lipids in the blood
Lastly, taking MCT oils daily as one of your dietary supplements will reduce the amount of lipids that threaten your cardiac system. For example, the medium-chain triglycerides will lower the amount of cholesterol and LDL in the blood.
Also Read: How To Cook With Olive Oil: Healthy Cooking With Olive Oil
What are the benefits of olive oil?
When discussing MCT oil vs olive oil, we can never have a clear picture without knowing the health benefits of the latter. Olive oil is known to be the king of the vegetable oils for a reason. Not only is the oil light and non-greasy, but it also helps avoid any adverse effects of having too many fatty oils. This is why here we will be discussing how olive oil will benefit you in various ways.
1. Is rich in antioxidants
When you are studying about olive oil keto, you need to understand the fundamental constitution of the oil. Studies have shown that extra virgin olive oil is rich in antioxidants. These bioactive molecules help in reducing the number of free radicals in your blood. As a result, it helps prevent the early aging of cells, tissues, skin, and even your hairs.
2. Shows strong anti-inflammatory properties
Another reason to trust olive oil with your health is the enormous quantity of anti-inflammatory components present in the oil. Most of the time, people only care about inflammation and swellings caused by external injuries and bruises.
However, internal swells and inflammations are quite hard to recognize and treat. This is where the anti-inflammatory properties of olive oil will help you to alleviate pain and swellings.
3. Helps prevent heart diseases
If you are at higher risks from cardiac problems, you need to switch over to olive oil at the earliest. While studying MCT oil vs olive oil, it has been noticed that the latter is far more beneficial for lowering the risks of strokes, heart attacks, increased LDL levels, and so on. Olive oil contains only a single type of mono-saturated fatty acid.
As a result, it is quite light and doesn’t add to your body’s fat content. Perhaps this is why cardiologists always prefer a strict olive oil diet for people suffering from heart issues.
4. Helps reducing unnecessary hunger pangs and weight gain
As discussed earlier, olive oil doesn’t add to the fat content of your body. Hence, the oil would never cause a spike in your body weight. Surveys have shown that olive oil suppresses food cravings, thereby preventing you from either eating excess or eating too often. As a result, it helps in reducing your body weight when combined with an overall balanced diet and active lifestyle.
5. Helps in fighting off Type 2 diabetes symptoms
Type 2 Diabetes is your body’s resistance to respond to the insulin level in your blood. As a result, your blood glucose level increases rapidly. However, if you are taking olive oil as a part of your regular diet, oleic acid, and other small chained fatty acids will help lower your body’s resistance to the insulin hormone in your blood.
6. It facilitates the body’s immunity
The anti-bacterial properties present in the olive oil MCT will help promote your body’s autoimmune response system. As a result, you will be able to fight off more infections caused by bacteria and fungi with ease.
MCT Oil vs Olive Oil – Is MCT oil better than olive oil?
Let us come to our main discussion topic: MCT oil vs olive oil. Since both these oils have many health benefits, it’s quite challenging to compare these two without hampering the other one’s reputation. Let us see the points to consider carefully discussed MCT oil vs. extra virgin olive oil.
COMPOSITION
Our first point of discussion is based on the composition of both the olive oil and the MCT oil. Even though both these oils have medium and long-chain fatty acids, there is a considerable difference between the entire compositions.
- Mct contains mainly the medium-chain fatty acids with no trace of glycerol or esters. The two main fatty acid chains are Caprylic acid and Capric acid.
- On the other hand, olive oil contains long-chain fatty acids like oleic acid, linoleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, and alpha-linolenic acid.
FAT TYPES
Now, since we are talking about oils, we need to discuss the fat content of the substances. For instance, MCT oil is manufactured artificially, where the fatty acids of both the palm oil and coconut oil are mixed. As a result, the exact fat content of the oil is still not known accurately. However, in olive oil, all the fatty acids are mono-saturated, and hence don’t harm your body.
HEALTH EFFECT ON LIPID LEVEL
For understanding MCT oil vs olive oil, you need to know the effects both these oils have on the lipid level in your blood.
- Even though MCT oil helps in reducing the cholesterol and LDL levels in your blood, if taken in excess, the oil will cause a sudden spike in the LDL levels.
- If you are considering olive oil, it mainly contains mono-saturated fats. As a result, the level of LDL and cholesterol won’t increase in your blood.
METABOLISM RATE OF THE FATTY ACIDS
The fatty acids are metabolized by your body to provide energy to the cells for carrying on with their work. However, both the MCT and the olive oil are broken down into ATP molecules at different rates, thereby causing a difference in MCT oil vs olive oil.
- For instance, MCT oil undergoes fast metabolism, and hence a large amount of energy is released in no time.
- But, olive oil fatty acids undergo a slower reaction rate. As a result, energy is produced slowly in your body over the hours after consumption.
SMOKE POINT
The smoke point is defined as a temperature where the oil will start giving off smoky vapors instead of simmering. Both the oils that we are discussing have different smoke point temperatures. Since the smoke temperature is always considered one of the essential facts about any oil, it inevitably does form a strong base for discussing MCT oil vs olive oil.
MCT has a smoke point at a hundred and thirty degrees celsius while you will be able to generate smokes from olive oil at a hundred and sixty-three degrees celsius.
DIET
If you want to take any of the oil with your diet regularly, you need to know what type of food will be suitable for the oils. MCT oil can be taken with a ketogenic diet because of its high energy production rate. However, if you want to consume olive oil, you need to switch to a Mediterranean diet form.
ANTIOXIDANT CONCENTRATION
Olive oil is actually rich in antioxidants and other bioactive compounds. However, MCT oil doesn’t have a massive concentration of antioxidants in it.
What are the best MCT oil brands?
Learning everything about the comparative study for MCT oil vs olive oil includes the coverage of many topics, one being the oils’ brands. Many companies sell MCT oil, but you need to know about those who are trustworthy and sell only quality products. So, let’s have a look at the different MCT oil brands that you must try.
1. Viva Naturals
This particular American MCT oil brand sells only the organic product with no mix or adulteration present. The primary two fatty acids that you will find in this oil are the capric and the caprylic acid, and a little bit of sugar.
2. Sports Research
Their MCT oil is free of any flavors or artifice components, making the oil one of the best in the market.
3. Clean MCT Oil
The major constituent of this oil is caprylic acid, which is one of the most honest and fastest energy-releasing fatty acid components. The oil doesn’t contain a single ounce of gluten in it. Also, lactose is absent from the oil.
4. Quest Nutrition MCT Powder Oil
For the best product to stand out against the argument of MCT oil vs olive oil, you can buy this powdered product. There is no extra fat inducing nutrients like long-chain fatty acids or carbs. The best part of this product is that you can take the powder with milk, salad, etc.
5. Onnit MCT Oil
If you are looking for a perfect supplement to the keto diet, this mixed variety of MCT oil will be your best shot. It contains both the caprylic and capric acids, which promote your health and help you stay energized.
Related Read : All You Need To Know About The Best Olive Oil For Cooking.
What are the best olive oil brands?
We cannot leave the discussion of MCT oil vs olive oil without knowing the top brands for the latter one. Even though many companies sell quality-based olive oil, you need to buy the extra virgin and light oil to enjoy its perks to the maximum.
1. California olive ranch everyday extra virgin olive oil
There is a subtle flavor of green apple in this olive oil brand, making it perfect for baking desserts. Also, this oil is quite light, which will undoubtedly be good for your heart.
2. Ellora farms extra virgin olive oil
With being a hundred percent organic and natural, this particular oil variety is well known for its fruity sweet smell and a spicy flavor. The olives that are used for extracting the oil are of high quality and are grown organically.
3. Mantova Flavored extra virgin olive oil
There are four different flavors of this oil variety, namely, chilli, lemon, basil, and garlic. This is the perfect oil brand if you are a salad or dressing lover. The oil is made from natural olive fruits, which are grown under excellent agricultural conditions.
4. O-Live & Co. everyday extra virgin olive oil
Three different olive varieties are mixed to extract this sweet and soft olive oil. You will enjoy light tones of Apple, green tomato, lettuce, banana, and even balsamic components.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some interesting FAQs on MCT Oil vs Olive Oil :
1. Is olive oil healthier than MCT oil?
Among the two, olive oil is said to be more beneficial as it lowers the risks of strokes, heart attacks, and increased LDL levels. It is rich in healthy monosaturated fats.
2. Can MCT oil be used in place of olive oil?
Yes, MCT oil can be used place of other oils including olive oil for cooking and baking purposes.
3. What are the side effects of MCT oil?
Some of the possible side effects of consuming too much MCT oil might include loose stools, vomiting and diarrhea.
4. Does olive oil stop ketosis?
No. Olive oil definitely does not stop ketosis. It is one of the best fats to consume while on a ketogenic diet.
5. Does olive oil have MCT in it?
Olive oil does not have MCT in it. MCT oil is commonly derived from coconut or palm kernel oil. These contain MCT in them.
Conclusion
Since both these oils are quite close to each other in terms of benefits and composition, it is difficult to call a truce against MCT oil vs. olive oil. Even though here we have described all the necessary information about both the vegetable oils, the last decision will rest on your shoulders.
So, do choose the oil wisely as per your needs. Make sure that your chosen oil brand is genuine and provides a hundred percent natural oil variety.