two halves of a coconut with hemp leaves strewn atop and glass CBD bottles nearby

MCT Oil: The Best Base Oil Option for CBD

Whether you’re new to CBD oil or have been using it for quite some time, there’s a chance that you might not know what medium-chain triglycerides are or even why they’re used. Don’t worry though! Every day is a chance to learn something new.

What are Medium-Chain Triglycerides or MCT?

Medium-chain triglycerides are also called MCT. They are a kind of fat that’s found in oils like coconut oil, which is also used in the creation of CBD oils. MCT oil is used by many brands as a base oil, or carrier agent of CBD extract with good reason. MCT oil helps the body to better absorb CBD and also assists with dosing. Moreover, medium-chain triglycerides are metabolized in such a way by the human body that they are known to encourage better energy production.
Coconut meat in a bowl next to a glass of oil, with a broken coconut blurred in the background
While long-chain triglycerides certainly exist, the medium-chain varieties are considered superior in a few different ways. For example, medium-chain triglycerides are metabolized faster by the body. After they are metabolized, the blood transports them to the liver where they are then transformed into ketones. Those ketones are then turned into an energy source that may also be able to quell hunger.

Why Does the Carrier Oil Matter?

As stated earlier, carrier oils help to carry CBD, terpenes, and other phytonutrients obtained from hemp plants. CBD oils are simple solutions because the carrier oil works as a solvent to help dissolve hemp plant compounds so that they are easier to use by the body. Scientifically, cannabinoids are more soluble in fats and oils than they are in water. There are many benefits to using carrier oils in CBD products. The three main reasons are as follows:

1. CBD Absorption is Enhanced Through Carrier Oils

When hemp extracts are diluted in carrier oils, they are better absorbed into the gut. The main reason for this is that CBD is a fat-soluble substance. Before CBD can enter into the bloodstream, it first needs to be turned into micelles, or small droplets. The micelles can then travel into fatty lymph tissue. After entering into the lymph tissue, the micelles move through the lymph and enter into the bloodstream.

2. Dosing is Easier with Carrier Oils

Dosing pure CBD crystals is quite difficult. However, when CBD is dissolved into a carrier oil like MCT oil, it's easier to draw up a more predictable amount like 20mg, 30mg, or 40mg per dropper. With CBD oils, dosing is more consistent and accurate as opposed to trying to measure out pure CBD crystals on their own.

3. Some Carrier Oils May Be Better for Your Health

Some carrier oils, like coconut oil, have been recognized in the scientific world for having anti-fungal and antibacterial properties, as well as potentially having the ability to boost “good” cholesterol, or HDL. Other types of MCT oils can have antioxidant effects, help boost energy, and provide the body with beneficial omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. It should be noted, however, that most of these benefits require relatively larger doses of pure oils to be consumed.

The Skinny on MCT

Triglycerides bind three varying lengths of fatty acids — short, medium, and long — together with a glyceride backbone. The length of a triglyceride is determined by how many carbon atoms it's made of. For example, short-chain triglycerides contain 2-5 carbon atoms, medium-chain fatty acids contain 6-12 carbon atoms, and long-chain triglycerides contain 13 or more carbon atoms. Medium-chain triglycerides are considered to be the gold standard to use in the creation of CBD oils because they are able to be immediately absorbed by the body through the digestive tract. This is all due to their shorter structure. Because they are smaller, they can be quickly absorbed rather than slowly broken down by the body.
A young man drops CBD oil into his mouth, and the caption on the image says, "In the mouth, under the tongue"
The reason that short-chain triglycerides aren’t preferred is because they are a main food source for the natural bacteria that resides within the gut. This means that the gut bacteria will eat short-chain triglycerides faster than the body can absorb them. On the opposite end of that spectrum are long-chain triglycerides. Because of their structure, the body needs to break them down into smaller pieces before absorbing them. This means that it will take a while for them to enter into the body. Medium-chain triglycerides are best to use in the creation of CBD oils because not only are they readily absorbed into the body in a short amount of time, they’re also fairly inexpensive because of how plentiful coconut, palm oils, and soy are in today’s market.

MCT: Fun Facts and Interesting Info

  • MCT oils and coconut oil are not interchangeable terms. What people might not know is that while coconut oil contains high levels of MCT, it is completely separate from MCT oil. MCT oil only contains MCT.
  • When CBD oils are made with MCT oil, the MCT helps the body to better absorb the CBD into the bloodstream. Because CBD is fat-soluble, it binds strongly to MCT oil. This means that the MCT will help the CBD avoid the digestion process in the overall metabolism process.

Putting it all Together: Our Closing Thoughts

CBD oils crafted using MCT oil are the standard for a host of reputable brands. In fact, one of the main reasons why it was so important for the team at FAB CBD to use MCT oil in their top-shelf full-spectrum CBD oils was because they wanted the CBD to be absorbed by the body in the most effective way possible. So, after careful research and testing, they knew that MCT oil was the best way forward.

 MCT oil is the go-to for many brands because of how inexpensive and abundant it is, and because of how well it enables the body to absorb higher amounts of CBD. When it comes to researching CBD brands and products, one thing worth taking a look at is the type of carrier oil that the CBD oil was created with. If you want CBD to be better absorbed by your body, then it’s best to go with products, like FAB CBD’s highly-rated CBD oils, that comes with many reasonable features including the presence of MCT oil.