Medium-Chain Fatty Acids

Long chain fatty acids found in most other oils require bile and pancreatic lipase for digestion. Bile is produced by the liver, stored in the gallbladder, and is normally essential for emulsifying long-chain fats. Short and medium chain fatty acids undergo partial decomposition before reaching the duodenum. MCT oil is absorbed directly without the bile-dependent emulsification step. Short and medium chain fatty acids alter how the body processes and absorbs dietary fat compared to other oils. Medium-chain fatty acids do not require bile for absorption, unlike long-chain fats. Medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) in coconut oil are metabolized by the liver into ketone bodies. Medium-chain fatty acids are found in MCT oil, butter, coconut oil, and palm oil. MCT oil provides an accessible fat-based energy source for people without a gallbladder, with liver disease, or with malabsorption conditions.