MCT oil
Supplement
fatty acid
energybrain & mood
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
Ketone fuel — reviews find little effect on performance
When to take
Daily
Pros & cons
Pros
- 2021 meta-analysis: no change in LDL or HDL
- 2023 meta-analysis: small general cognition gain
- 30 g a day is the tolerance ceiling in review
Cons
- Little to no effect on endurance performance
- 2021 meta-analysis: triglycerides rose slightly
- HSA bars dementia and obesity claims in SG
Sources
- The Effects of Medium-Chain Triglyceride Oil Supplementation on Endurance Performance and Substrate Utilization in Healthy Populations: A Systematic Review (Chapman-Lopez & Koh, J Obes Metab Syndr 2022; PMID 36096496) · read 2026-08-27
what it says
“Most studies reported that MCT oil did not improve exercise performance and had no effect on respiratory exchange ratio, glucose concentration, fat and carbohydrate oxidation, and lactate concentration.”
- Chapman-Lopez & Koh 2022 (J Obes Metab Syndr) — maximal tolerated dose · read 2026-08-27
what it says
“Thirty grams of MCTs seems to be the safe maximal dosage to minimize adverse reactions during or after exercise.”
- The Effects of Medium Chain Triglyceride for Alzheimer's Disease Related Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (Sun et al., J Alzheimers Dis 2023; PMID 37248908) · read 2026-08-27
what it says
“Meta-analysis showed cognitive improvements in general (SMD = 0.64; 95% CI [0.05, 1.24]), but not in memory, language, and attention domains after oral MCT administration, compared to placebo.”
- Sun et al. 2023 (J Alzheimers Dis) — authors' conclusion and caveat · read 2026-08-27
what it says
“Better characterized clinical studies are warranted before making a definitive conclusion on the use of MCT for MCI and AD management.”
- Medium-Chain Triglyceride Oil and Blood Lipids: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials (McKenzie et al., J Nutr 2021; PMID 34255085) · read 2026-08-27
what it says
“MCT oil does not affect total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, or HDL cholesterol levels, but does cause a small increase in triglycerides.”
- HSA Singapore — Health Supplements Guidelines, GL-CHPB-3-001 Rev. No. 020 (January 2026), s6.6 and Table 6: Examples of Diseases/Conditions/Disorders Not Allowed for Health Supplements · read 2026-08-27
what it says
“HS must not be labelled, advertised or promoted for any specific medicinal purpose … Brain and nervous system: Epilepsy … Alzheimer's disease, Parkinsonism, dementia … Metabolic system: Obesity, gout”
- HSA Singapore — Guidelines on Prohibited and Restricted Ingredients in HS and TM, GL-CHPB-1-012 Rev. No. 001 (October 2025), Annex A/B full ingredient list · read 2026-08-27
what it says
“GUIDELINES ON PROHIBITED AND RESTRICTED INGREDIENTS IN HEALTH SUPPLEMENTS AND TRADITIONAL MEDICINES … The information in these Guidelines may be updated from time-to-time.”
- iHerb Singapore — Supplements > Weight Management > MCT Oil & Caprylic Acid category, default order (1 - 48 of 83 results) · read 2026-08-27
what it says
“California Gold Nutrition, Sport, Organic MCT Oil, Unflavored … Sports Research, Organic MCT Oil, Keto C8 … NOW Foods, Caprylic Acid, 600 mg … Nature's Way, Organic MCT Oil … BulletProof, Brain Octane® MCT Oil”
Updated 2026-08-30. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.