Does MCT Oil Break a Fast?

There are many reasons why people might fast. Fasting may aid in weight loss, help give your digestive system some rest, or even support spiritual goals. To make it through a day of fasting, you may need to find ways to boost your energy and keep hunger pangs at bay. But does MCT oil break a fast? Can it be an option, considering the limited number of options you have for keeping your mind clear and suppressing hunger?  

In the strictest sense, any caloric intake (anything above 0 calories) during a fasting period amounts to breaking the fast! Just the flavor of toothpaste, or mouthwash can break a fast for those focused on fasting the right way. As such, consuming MCT oil, even with its low-calorie count, technically breaks a fast. 

However, since your body easily absorbs MCT oil, and it’s low in calories, you can still consume this substance during fasting. And the MCT oil effects and benefits won’t reverse the physiological benefits of your fast. 

Fortunately, you can use MCT oil to give your body the boost it needs to get through your fasting period. Plus, there are a host of extra MCT oil effects and benefits you can enjoy without stopping the fat-burning process. 

What Is Fasting?

Before we dive into whether or not MCT oil can break a fast, we need to understand fasting. We define it as willingly abstaining from all or some foods and drinks. And doing so for a given amount of time. You can fast in a number of different ways. These include time-restricted feeding, intermittent calorie restriction, and periodic fasting with fast-mimicking low-calorie diets. There is clean fasting which means ONLY consuming water, coffee (no sugar or milk/cream), or plain tea. 

Fasting pushes your body to find alternative ways of meeting its energy requirements, as well as increasing the natural process of autophagy. The “autophagy” activity is interesting, and its where cells in your body eat other cells that are waste (basically your body cleaning itself). 

One of those ways is through ketosis. In this metabolic state, your body burns fat as its primary energy source. This sets the stage for increased weight loss.  

Fasting may also help boost heart health and lower blood pressure. This happens as your body’s basal metabolic rate becomes more efficient. It’s one way your body tries to save more energy during the fasting period. 

Last but not least, fasting might also help make the cells in our bodies more resilient. Fasting stresses the body in the same way that working out stresses the muscles. When the body has enough time to recover in between fasting periods, the cells adapt and become stronger. 

Clearly, we can see that fasting must push the body to achieve two important goals in order to be effective. First, it must make your body burn fat instead of sugar as its primary energy source. Second, the body must also learn to become more efficient at using your consumed calories. 

Potential Benefits of Fasting 

What are the benefits of fasting? Below you’ll find a comprehensive list of potential effects.

Blood Sugar Control

Fasting might help you better control your blood sugar levels. This is mostly because fasting helps reduce blood sugar levels. In turn, your body becomes more sensitive to insulin. Ultimately, this means that your body efficiently delivers glucose in your blood to your cells. 

Enhanced Weight Loss

By regularly reducing your calorie consumption, you may be able to turn fasting into an effective weight loss tool. In addition to reducing your calorie intake, fasting may also boost your body’s ability to burn fat for energy production. 

Reduced Inflammation 

Fasting, or simply following a low-calorie diet that imitates fasting, may help reduce chronic inflammation in the body. 

Improved Brain Health

Fasting intermittently has the potential to improve brain health in different ways, according to animal studies. In one study, fasting in mice was shown to help improve brain structure. In another study, fasting improved cognitive function by promoting nerve cell generation. 

Longevity

On top of all the above, fasting may help increase longevity and survival rates in animals. In one such study, the lifespan of rats that fasted was much longer than that of rats that did not fast. 

As you can see from the above, fasting, when done in a healthy way, may be linked with a long list of health benefits. Read on to find out what MCT oil is, and how its consumption could align with your fasting goals.  

What Is MCT Oil?

Medium Chain Triglycerides in full, MCT oil refers to saturated oils found naturally in coconut and palm oil. These triglycerides, when isolated into a flavorless oil product through lab processes, may be used for its potential to provide an energy boost and or even possibly enhance weight loss in people who are fasting. 

MCTs are unique in that, unlike other fats, they can be absorbed directly into the bloodstream, and delivered to the liver, after ingestion. In the liver, MCTs are broken down into ketones, providing an alternative energy source to glucose/sugar. In addition to fueling the body, ketones, which are capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier, are also known to energize the body, ensuring mental clarity even during fasting periods. 

Since MCTs promote ketosis, the burning of fat to produce energy, they may play a  role in ensuring that the body continues to break down stored fats during fasting periods. And this is why many people choose to consume them when fasting.   

Potential Benefits of MCT Oil

Wondering what benefits MCT oil might offer? Here’s a detailed list of some of the potential health benefits of MCT oil:

Regulating Feelings of Hunger 

Consuming MCTs may help you manage your hunger pangs in a better way. The triglycerides found in the oil are healthy complex fats that the body finds harder to break down than the sugars found in carbohydrates. This means that it may take longer for you to feel hungry as the body takes a prolonged time to work on these fats. Those who “clean fast” are not proponents of MCT oil and fasting.  

Promotes Autophagy 

As it might make it easier for you to fast for longer, MCT oil could help promote autophagy. This is another essential metabolic process in which the body seemingly recycles or eats leftover cell material to fuel other physiological processes. There is primary literature from the scientific community that says “autophagy” is naturally occurring and MCT oil does not necessarily promote autophagy. 

Encourages Burning of Fats

As previously stated, the use of MCT oil may help trigger and promote ketosis. By providing the body with healthy fats that are easily absorbed into the bloodstream, MCT oil could supply the body with an alternative source of energy without triggering an insulin response.  

Improved Brain Function 

When fasting, your thoughts may get blurry as blood sugar levels take a dip; MCT oil may have the ability to help the body produce ketones. Ketones are able to pass the blood-brain barrier and provide an energy boost that could also boost your mental clarity. 

What Constitutes Breaking a Fast?

At this point, it is easy to see just how useful MCT oil can be when used during the fasting period. It may give you the energy your body and mind need to get through the fasting period. More importantly, MCT may have the ability to help you avoid hunger pangs that threaten to make your fast even more challenging. However, that is the point, hunger comes with fasting, and if you consume something that takes away the hunger — that’s not necessarily fasting, is it? 

However, all this brings us back to the question, does MCT break a fast? The answer depends on what you consider as breaking a fast. We believe it does break a fast is large amounts, but in small amounts – like in a 1mL dropper, it does not break a fast. 

If you are looking to lose weight, consuming a few drops of MCT oil is not likely to keep you from getting the full weight loss benefits of fasting. This, therefore, means that MCT oil would not break your fast. Furthermore, given its low-calorie count, MCT oil is not likely to trigger an insulin response in the body. 

If you are fasting in order to give your gut a break, consuming a few drops of MCT oil during the fasting period also should not amount to breaking the fast. The main reason behind this is the direct absorption of triglycerides into the bloodstream without the need for any digestive action. The triglycerides are then broken down into ketones once they reach the liver. 

However, if you are fasting in the strictest sense, taking anything other than water during the fasting period ultimately breaks the fast.  

How Much MCT Oil Should You Take When Fasting? 

To ensure that you get the full benefits of fasting as well as the MCT oil you are taking, it is important that you take the right dosage. It is recommended that you take a smaller part of your daily recommended dosage during your fast; the rest of the dosage can be taken after you break the fast. You should only take enough to keep you going until you break the fast. With this approach, you will not break your fast unintentionally by taking too much MCT, and with it, a substantially higher caloric intake.

Taking too much MCT oil during your fast may actually trigger the production of hunger hormones; causing you to experience stronger hunger pangs, something that you want to avoid during a fast.   

Conclusion 

Does MCT oil break a fast? Consuming any calories when fasting will break your fast. However, you can still get the full benefits of fasting while consuming MCT oil. The consumption of MCT oil is not likely to trigger an insulin response. In fact, MCT oil may promote ketosis; a metabolic response that plays an essential role in weight loss. 

To get the full benefits of consuming MCT oil as well as those associated with fasting, it is recommended that you follow the right dosage as recommended by your physician.