Food and drink Coconut oil is fashionable right now. Everyone knows that this saturated fat is actually good for us. Have you heard of Medium-Chain Triglycerides in foods, or MCT oil? Another term for triglycerides is fatty acids. So, another way of referring toMCTs is MCFA (mediumchain fatty acids). The word “medium” refers to the length of the chain of the fatty acids. Oils can contain short- medium- and/or long-chain fatty acids. Most oils have all three. Medium-chain fatty acids have tremendous health benefits, such as: ▶▶ Helping us maintain a healthy weight (a healthy, saturated fat that makes you feel full more quickly and, therefore, results in a tendency to eat less) ▶▶ By raising your metabolic function, it helps us reduce stored body fat ▶▶ Provides us with more energy ▶▶ Improves our digestion ▶▶ Balances our hormones ▶▶ Improves our mood ▶▶ Fights bacterial infections and viruses ▶▶ Helps our body absorb fat-soluble nutrients in foods MCTs are also vital to maintaining a healthy brain. My husband Jack and I incorporate MCTs into our diet because Jack has Alzheimer’s. MCT oil improves his cognition and memory. I can attest to this first-hand. Samuel Henderson, PhD is renowned for having patented MCT oil. He was the first to discover that MCTs improve cognition andmemory. MCTs produce ketones. The brain treats ketones as fuel, much like a carbohydrate (sugar). MCTs cross the blood brain barrier (BBB). This is why the ingestion of MCTs has an immediate and positive effect on the brain. Foods containing MCTs include: coconut oil (15%); palm kernel oil (7.9%); cheese (7.3%); butter (6.8%); milk (6.9%); and yogurt (6.6%). We prefer to ingest MCT oil as an additional dietary supplement and incorporate it into our cuisine. It is readily available for sale at health-food stores. You’ll find it on shelves beside avocado and grape seed oil. Before incorporating MCT oil into your diet, consult your physician. If it is okay for you to ingest this oil, start with just a small daily intake, about ½ teaspoon. It takes time for your digestive tract to get used to it and it can act as a laxative. Take ½ teaspoon for at least a week. If your digestive tract is fine, then you can slowly increase the amount. MCT oil does not solidify like coconut oil. It can be clear or light yellow in colour and is tasteless and odourless. Therefore, it’s a fantastic ingredient to add to a variety of dishes. It can be added to dressings and sauces, as well as to baked goods. It is key to add the oil after cooking or baking. Do not use MCT oil for frying. High heat will kill its nutritional properties. Add the oil at the end of the culinary process, or to uncooked foods and dishes. I use MCT oil in my super-healthy caesar dressing and as a base ingredient instead of olive oil in pesto! I add it to spaghetti sauce (after the sauce is already cooked) and to whipped cauliflower and roasted garlic on shepherd’s pie. I drizzle this odourless and tasteless oil over soups, stews and chili. This oil adds to a dish, as well. I’ve also added a teaspoon of MCT oil to both my white and red wines. It is tasteless, so does not alter the flavours of the wine whatsoever. But it adds incredible thickness, making the wine suitable to be paired with rich and/or fatty foods. MCT Benefits of MCT oil by Shari Darling For more information on wine and food, go to www.sharidarling.com 38 | www.snowbirds.org
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