MCT Reduces Anxiety By Improving Mitochondrial Function And Energy Production

[Hans]

The diet contained only 5% MCT oil. 5% of a 3000cal diet would by 150 calories and 16.6g. So it would basically be 1 tablespoon.

Medium chain triglyceride diet reduces anxiety-like behaviors and enhances social competitiveness in rats - ScienceDirect
"Given the recently established link between mitochondrial dysfunction and high anxiety and depression, we performed this study to investigate the effectiveness of an MCT-enriched diet to ameliorate anxiety- and depression-related behaviors in rats."

"MCT-fed rats exhibited reduced anxiety-like behaviors and enhanced social competitiveness"

"When evaluated at the end of the two-week MCT diet, mitochondrial respiration was reduced in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) while unchanged in the nucleus accumbens. In the mPFC, enzymes related to glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation were also decreased by MCT diet, while proteins controlling glucose and glutamate transport were increased."

"MCT diet decreases upregulated mPFC mitochondrial function in high anxious rats."
"HA (high anxiety) rats’ lower NAc oxygen consumption may be due to prolonged PFC overactivity."
So lowering mPFC function is not bad, and MCT did not lower mPFC function in low anxiety rats.

"In humans, anxious subjects exhibit reduced competitiveness under stress (Goette et al., 2015), which can be predictive of a subordinate social status"

They also mentioned: "Boosting mitochondrial function with nicotinamide in the NAc was able to increase social dominance"

"We also show that MCT treatment leads to a reduction in mitochondrial respiration in the mPFC, along with a reduction in complex I protein levels, increased GLUT1, GLT1, Na/K ATPase protein levels, and reduced hexokinase GSKab phosphorylation."

"MitoQ, a compound that protects mitochondria against oxidative damage (Cocheme et al., 2007), was shown to exert anxiolytic effects"
Indicating high ROS production causes anxiety.

"The significant enhancement of GLT-1 and Na-K ATPase observed in our study in the mPFC of MCT-treated animals suggests increased capability to uptake excessive glutamate in this brain region following MCT supplementation."

"decreases of mPFC glycolysis and complex 1 function lead to more efficient control of glutamate uptake and metabolism, and less cortical reactivity"

 

[Kray]

The diet contained only 5% MCT oil. 5% of a 3000cal diet would by 150 calories and 16.6g. So it would basically be 1 tablespoon.

Medium chain triglyceride diet reduces anxiety-like behaviors and enhances social competitiveness in rats - ScienceDirect
"Given the recently established link between mitochondrial dysfunction and high anxiety and depression, we performed this study to investigate the effectiveness of an MCT-enriched diet to ameliorate anxiety- and depression-related behaviors in rats."

"MCT-fed rats exhibited reduced anxiety-like behaviors and enhanced social competitiveness"

"When evaluated at the end of the two-week MCT diet, mitochondrial respiration was reduced in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) while unchanged in the nucleus accumbens. In the mPFC, enzymes related to glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation were also decreased by MCT diet, while proteins controlling glucose and glutamate transport were increased."

"MCT diet decreases upregulated mPFC mitochondrial function in high anxious rats."
"HA (high anxiety) rats’ lower NAc oxygen consumption may be due to prolonged PFC overactivity."
So lowering mPFC function is not bad, and MCT did not lower mPFC function in low anxiety rats.

"In humans, anxious subjects exhibit reduced competitiveness under stress (Goette et al., 2015), which can be predictive of a subordinate social status"

They also mentioned: "Boosting mitochondrial function with nicotinamide in the NAc was able to increase social dominance"

"We also show that MCT treatment leads to a reduction in mitochondrial respiration in the mPFC, along with a reduction in complex I protein levels, increased GLUT1, GLT1, Na/K ATPase protein levels, and reduced hexokinase GSKab phosphorylation."

"MitoQ, a compound that protects mitochondria against oxidative damage (Cocheme et al., 2007), was shown to exert anxiolytic effects"
Indicating high ROS production causes anxiety.

"The significant enhancement of GLT-1 and Na-K ATPase observed in our study in the mPFC of MCT-treated animals suggests increased capability to uptake excessive glutamate in this brain region following MCT supplementation."

"decreases of mPFC glycolysis and complex 1 function lead to more efficient control of glutamate uptake and metabolism, and less cortical reactivity"

@Salmonamb,

Have been perusing threads on MCT pros/cons. Found this link on another thread: How MCT Oil Makes You Allergic to Foods (Relevant to Th2 Dominant) - Selfhacked
Care to give your 2 cents on this? I ask because I need to lose some body fat and have been incorporating MCT into my daily routine, 1-2Tb/day. Still having butter and CO depending upon foods they are best matched with (potatoes and butter, CO and popcorn). Appreciate your thoughts, thank you.

 

[Hans]

@Salmonamb,

Have been perusing threads on MCT pros/cons. Found this link on another thread: How MCT Oil Makes You Allergic to Foods (Relevant to Th2 Dominant) - Selfhacked
Care to give your 2 cents on this? I ask because I need to lose some body fat and have been incorporating MCT into my daily routine, 1-2Tb/day. Still having butter and CO depending upon foods they are best matched with (potatoes and butter, CO and popcorn). Appreciate your thoughts, thank you.

The study he used was animals fed only MCT and the problem occurs when there isn't longer chain saturated fats in the diet. Your diet contains both LCT and MCT so I wouldn't be too concerned about it.

 

[Hans]

"increased intestinal permeability could be a risk factor for allergic sensitization"
MCT oil reduces gut permeability and endotoxins increase it.

"fatty acids that have more than 12 C-atoms and are absorbed via mesenteric lymph as part of chylomicron particles, promoted the absorption of the dietary antigen ovalbumin (OVA) into lymph and blood 9. In contrast, dietary medium-chain triglycerides (MCT; fatty acids with 12 or fewer C-atoms), which are absorbed via portal blood, promoted less antigen absorption 9. This would suggest that MCT should differ from LCT in their effects on allergic sensitization and anaphylaxis"
If your diet was based just on MCT oil, it could have been a problem.

"MCT produced significantly more IgE and IgG against peanut protein"
This is mainly because of reduced antigen absorption.

"mice gavaged with MCT had significantly higher TSLP mRNA in jejunal epithelial cells than mice gavaged with LCT, unless PL81 was added"
PL81 inhibits chylomicron formation. Once again, ingesting MCT is not a problem, because there are also long chain fats in your diet, which will stimulate chylomicron formation and reduce TSLP mRNA.

"dietary MCT had indeed promoted Th2 responses to the antigen."
It seems that MCT oil increases th2 just because of hypersensitivity to the antigen, but this would be reduced if there are also LCT in the diet.

"chylomicons inhibit antigen access to mast cells, basophils and dendritic cells that present antigen in a stimulatory manner"

"Chylomicron induction of macrophage cytokine production 30, 31, for example, may prevent Th2-biasing phenotypes in antigen-presenting cells (APC) and may, as suggested by our data, promote oral tolerance (Fig 3C). This is perhaps because of the high chylomicron content of retinol 32, which promotes oral tolerance by stimulating regulatory T-cell development"

"On the other hand, the Th2-biasing properties of MCT could be exploited to treat or prevent “Th1/Th17 diseases”, such as Crohn's disease and diabetes."

In the study, the LCT was peanut oil. I'm getting the idea the researchers are saturaphobes and want to put MCT oil in a bad light.

 

[Kray]

Thanks for the breakdown of specifics on the study.

Unless one is scientifically literate, it's easy to miss even the basics, like an experiment where the only fat used was MCT!

"MCT produces antigens against peanut protein". Peanut protein good, MCT bad, right? ha!

 

[Elephanto]

"increased intestinal permeability could be a risk factor for allergic sensitization"
MCT oil reduces gut permeability and endotoxins increase it.

MCT Oil products can be gut irritating though, which is a cause of intestinal barrier disruption. Peat has mentioned this and I find it true with the products I've tried. A teaspoon combined with 2-3 teaspoons of coconut oil usually don't do this, but a teaspoon alone has sometimes caused discomfort.

Anyway you shared very interesting findings but this is just a cautionary advice that it's better to not take it alone. This is the Peat's quote :

....essentially they're doing the same thing of bypassing your stored polyunsaturated fats and letting you oxidize more safely the saturated fats but one of the problems is that they are so mobile relative to longer chains that they can be irritating to your stomach and intestines. You have to take it in a good balance with other foods.

MCT Oil Warning - Irritating And Allergenic

 

[Kray]

Good advice. Will keep that in mind, may be best to combine. So far no irritation for me. Thanks!