MCT oil is the fat that is contained in coconut oil. It is extracted so that it does not contain some of the other fats and compounds found in coconut oil.
The primary difference between the two is the fatty acid profile. There are technically 4 different kinds of MCTs:
- Caproic Acid (C6)
- Caprylic Acid (C8)
- Capric Acid (C10)
- Lauric Acid (C12)
Lauric acid is considered an MCT but it possesses characteristics of both MCTs and regular fats. The difference between Coconut Oil and MCTs is the presence of Lauric Acid. Coconut Oil is comprised of mostly Lauric Acid with lower amounts of the other MCTs. Standard MCT Oil is made up primarily of Capric Acid and does not contain Lauric Acid.