Not all fats are the same. Whether vegetable or animal, saturated or unsaturated, long-chain, medium-chain or short-chain – the type of fat also affects our health. Find out here what type of fat is in which foods and what of it you can eat without a guilty conscience.
MCT fats for digestive problems.
Dietary fats can be a possible cause of symptoms such as bloating, tendency to diarrhea, upper abdominal discomfort or fatty stools. A number of conditions involving maldigestion and malabsorption require the use of special dietary fats called MCT fats (middle/medium chain triglycerides). Maldigestion means poor digestion of food, malabsorption means poor absorption of food components by the mucosal cells of the small intestine. Help is available for people with the following conditions when fat is not tolerated:
- Diseases of the pancreas
- Gallstones
- Cystic fibrosis
- Chronic intestinal inflammation
- Celiac disease (indigenous sprue)
- Cholagenic diarrhea
- Condition after surgical stomach (partial) removal
- Short bowel syndrome
- AIDS
Reducing conventional dietary fats and replacing them with MCT fats restores fat digestion and avoids unpleasant symptoms.
Dietary fats (triglycerides): LCT and MCT.
Dietary fats (triglycerides) are composed of glycerol and various fatty acids. The latter can be short-, medium-, or long-chain. The type of fatty acid determines the property of fats and their importance in human nutrition. Common dietary fats such as butter, margarine, vegetable fats and oils contain triglycerides with long-chain fatty acids, so-called LCT fats (long-chain triglycerides). The process of fat digestion of these fats is complicated and prone to failure if there is a tendency to digestive disorders, for example in chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, or if there are diseases of the digestive organs, for example in exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. In contrast, fats consisting of medium-chain fatty acids require much less digestion effort. MCT fats can enter the mucosal cells of the small intestine quickly and easily, without being broken down by bile acids and enzymes (lipases), and are released directly into the blood.
MCT fats as a solution for fat utilization disorders.
MCT fats occur naturally in coconut fat, palm kernel oil and in minimal amounts in milk fat. A special process is used to extract pure MCT fats from coconut oil and palm oil, whose fatty acids have a length of six to twelve carbon atoms. Special fats made from medium-chain trigycerides have been available as dietary foods since 1965. MCT fats can be used to improve fat utilization disorders and the weight loss often associated with them, and to ensure the supply of fat-soluble vitamins. The dietary food industry offers MCT specialty products such as margarine, oil, processed cheese, turkey cream and chocolate cream with MCT fats. The products are available through mail order or health food stores.
Practical recommendations for the use of MCT fats.
- LCT fats should be largely replaced by MCT fats, which are gradually introduced into the diet in small amounts at first. The body must become accustomed to the intake and utilization of these fats, otherwise it may cause symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting or headaches.
- Starting with 20 grams of MCT fats per day, the patient can well tolerate about 100 to 150 grams as a daily amount with a daily increase of 10 grams.
- An even distribution over several meals a day is recommended. Foods with a high proportion of LCT fats (hidden fats in meat, sausage, cheese, convenience foods or sweets) are favorable to reduce.
- MCT fats are not suitable for high heating above 150 degrees, because they have a lower smoke point compared to LCT.
- Food prepared with MCT fats should be consumed immediately after cooking, as keeping food warm leads to a bitter aftertaste.
MCT – The fat that does not lead to obesity.
An eight-week study (2 x 4 weeks, cross-over, blind) conducted at Charles University in Prague, involving 35 female subjects, found that when MCT-containing foods are consumed, more calories can be added compared to LCT-containing foods without causing weight gain. The study also showed, surprisingly, that when LCT fats are replaced with MCT fats, energy requirements increase. MCT fats are therefore suitable for the prevention of obesity. It is likely that the use of MCT fats in overweight people leads to weight reduction. Weight reduction in overweight individuals is achieved primarily when a reduction diet rich in carbohydrates and fiber is implemented, for example, with 1,200 to 1,800 kilocalories. If the amount of fat supplied consists in particular of MCT fats, the effect can be exploited and kilocalories saved as a result. In the MCT subjects of the Prague study, energy requirements were increased by an average of 135 kilocalories daily (extrapolated to 49,275 kilocalories annually).
