Hiya, Bees!
So, since we’ve still got another month left of Summer 2017, who doesn’t want a lil’ more energy for work and play? Right: No one…and precisely why we’re highlighting a superfood upgrade that is continuing The Juice Standard’s juicy journey toward #MissionNutrition (and #HellaFunDaysAndNights), by being a naturally occurring energy source that can be seamlessly—tastily!—added to any of our juices, smoothies, nut milks, and hot cacao and specialty espresso drinks.
(And even if the mere thought of a hot bevvie makes you sweat, for the days when your office AC is JACKed…you’ll thank us for this. You really will.)
For years, NOW has been a popular entry-level brand for folks dipping their toe in wellness waters.
MCT oil is clear and flavorless, and can be added to everything from beverages to salad dressings (seriously: sub out your olive or flax oil at home with one of the brands we mention at the end). MCT stands for “medium-chain triglycerides”—also referred to as “medium chain fatty acids”—and to fully appreciate TJS making MCT oil an available upgrade, we’re gonna vegucate you a little about different fatty acids and how they can benefit our health.
All Fats Are Not Equal
Fats are classified as one of three types depending on their chemical structure:
- Short-chain (meaning the fat has a structure with five or fewer carbon atoms);
- Medium-chain (the fat has six to 12 carbons); and
- Long chain (it contains more than 12 carbons).
Now. When we’re talking MCTs, there are four types:
- Caproic acid (abbreviated as “C6” which means it has six carbons);
- Caprylic acid (C8);
- Capric acid (C10); and
- Lauric acid (C12).
Truth? All you need to know is that the fewer carbons in an MCT, the faster the carbons are absorbed by the body. We’ll explain why that’s important next.
So…Why Fatty Acids? And Will They Gimme Me A Fatty A(ss)cid?
(Cute.)
Well: It’s all about energy, Bees! When digested, fatty acids are used as energy…and what dictates how our bods break down fat is the fatty acid’s structure.
Most dietary fats that comprise standard American diet are long-chain triglycerides, and because of the many carbons in a long-chain triglyceride, our body has to do some hard w-e-r-k to digest it. But that’s where the awesomeness of MCT oil comes into play:
MCTs’ fewer carbons mean our body can break down the fatty acids fast…allowing them to passively diffuse from our GI tract to our bloodstream where our liver converts them to energy really quickly.
The Amazing Metabolization of MCTs (And Other Cool Bennies)
Bonus? Instead of metabolizing through digestion (like other fats), MCTs are taken straight to the liver where they act similarly to carbohydrates by providing instant and sustainable energy. But it’s not just the energy you get that’s interesting. MCTs improve blood sugar regulation (yay!), improve metabolism (especially fat metabolism), they may improve thyroid function, and they improve appetite regulation.
The most common whole-food source of MCTs is coconut oil: About 65 percent of its fatty acids are considered medium-chain. Palm kernel oil and full-fat dairy are two other food sources of medium-chain triglycerides. But nothing says energy-lovin’’ like a pure MCT oil, and that’s what TJS is bringing you.
Enjoying MCT Oil at TJS
Wanna feel the effects for yourself? Ever hear of the Bulletproof® coffee phenomenon? It’s a riff off an ages-old Tibetan drink called “yak butter tea” that uses yak butter the way Westerners use typical dairy in our coffee. (Tibetans have more yaks than cows so they turn yak milk into butter…butter that can be kept shelf stable for up to a year if wrapped properly.)
“Buttered coffee” became all the rage when a bee named Dave Asprey researched the tea he tried on a Tibetan trek. After understanding the energy it gives Tibetans living and working the land in high altitudes, he learned that yak butter tea is super high in—say it with us—MCTs. Once back in the United States, to mimic the Tibetan drink’s health bennies he combined a serving of freshly brewed coffee with a tablespoon of coconut oil (which you now know is high in MCTs and lauric acid and rootin’-tootin’ tasty). He also added a tablespoon of grass-fed butter or ghee (close cousin to that yak butter…and, very tasty) to create “buttered coffee.” When you blitz it all up in a high-speed blender, the coffee froths like a latte. And it’s just as creamy, without the dairy.
It’s true: From chocolatey cacao drinks to espressos (even all our icy sips), MCT oil can go into any of ’em.
There’s a lot of info on the Internets about how the oils combine with coffee’s caffeine to slowly release energy rather than in a typical surge or crash. TJS’s Bee Invincible is Marcella’s own riff off Bulletproof® Coffee, but for a super-simple recipe without sweeter or cashew cream, add a tablespoon of our MCT oil to your coffee and we’ll blitz it up for you. It’s also terrific in smoothies.
Seriously: Especially in coffee, you’ll be rewarded with an effect you WILL feel—and the feel will be like there’s rocket fuel in your system. And really, who doesn’t want that?
Curious? Try our MCT oil. We think you’ll be glad you did.
Insider Intel
Curious about MCT oil but aren’t sure where to begin? There’s a lot on the market. Here are a few to check out:
• This brand has been ’round for ages and the price point is usually friendly.
• This is Asprey’s “octane oil” that he sells for your cuppa. We’ve sampled it, and it’s as colorless and odorless as the rest.
• Whole Foods’ trusted 365 brand jumped into the market last year. It’s pretty much avail across the country, now.
Shout Out to TJS Manager Bean Ream for handily helping us compile this MCT goodness!