The ketogenic diet has recently exploded in popularity as more and more people embrace its simplicity and its effectiveness.
With this explosion in popularity, there has been an inevitable rise in supplements that are designed to complement a ketogenic diet. These supplements range from the very good to the very bad, and sometimes it can be hard to tell which is which.
In this article we will be taking an in-depth look at Feel Good USDA Organic MCT Oil Powder, an organic ‘superfood’ product from Feel Good. We will look at the science behind the product, assess the claims made by Feel Good, and help you to decide whether this is the MCT Oil powder for you.
But first, we think that it would be beneficial to take a quick look at what the ketogenic diet is, and why it has become so popular over the last few years.
Table of Contents
What is a Ketogenic diet?
Despite often being marketed as a new dieting technique, the ketogenic diet was first created in the 1920s. The diet was designed for epileptics as it mimics the benefits of fasting, but still allows you to eat food. Fasting has been used to treat epileptics since Ancient Greece.
The belief is that restricting what you eat can give your nervous system a break and reduce seizures [1].
In the 1920s, doctors discovered that by removing starches and sugars from the diet it was possible to recreate the benefits of a fasting diet while eating normally.
Both starvation and reduction of sugars and starches leads to the liver creating three compounds, these are:
- β-hydroxybutyrate
- Acetoacetate
- Acetone
These three compounds are known as ketone bodies, and the diet that leads to your liver producing them is therefore called a ketogenic diet. The idea is that in the absence of carbohydrates, your body will instead burn stored fat for fuel. The ketone bodies are then used for energy.
Once the number of ketone bodies in your blood reaches a certain level, you will be in ketosis. If you are following a ketogenic diet, then this is the main goal.
After the creation of anti-convulsant drugs, the ketogenic diet was largely forgotten about. But it has become popular again in epilepsy as there are a small number of patients who do not respond well to their medication.
Ketogenic diets have also become popular in the fitness world.
Benefits of the Keto Diet
The most common reason for people following the ketogenic diet is that it is effective for weight loss. However, it should be stated that the keto diet is only as effective if you stay within a calorie deficit. If you follow a keto diet but you are consuming more calories than you are burning, then the keto diet is not going to prevent weight gain.
The reason why ketogenic diets are popular for weight loss is that
1) They allow people to eat a lot of the foods that they really like (high fat foods), and
2) They have simple rules that are relatively easy to follow.
The ketogenic diet is by no means a perfect diet. It can be hard to stay in ketosis, it means that you can never eat high carb foods, and it can be difficult to maintain indefinitely.
But compared to a lot of diets, the ketogenic diet is a perfectly sound diet that many people can enjoy following. It really is up to the individual.
Where do MCTs Come Into it?
Medium-Chain Triglycerides (MCTs) are more ketogenic than long-chain triglycerides (LCTs). Most of the dietary fats out there are LCTs. 100 calories of MCTs will provide more ketone bodies than 100 calories of LCTs. Meaning that a good MCT oil can help you get into ketosis quicker and stay in it for longer. MCTs are found in coconut oil, and there are four different types:
- C6 (Caproic Acid)
- C8 (Caprylic Acid)
- C10 (Capric Acid)
- C12 (Lauric Acid)
Out of these four types, C8 and C10 are by far the best. A superior MCT oil will be made up of 60% Caprylic Acid (C8) and 40% Capric Acid (C10) with no other filler ingredients.
About Feel Good USDA Organic MCT Oil Powder
Feel Good Organics is owned by APAX USA which is a multinational company that was originally a European nutrition company called APAX Nutrition Europe LTD. It has a long and complicated history, but right now Feel Good Organics is a small cog in a much larger wheel. The focus of the company is superfoods, with Turmeric and MCT Oils being a big seller. You can also get capsules and teas that are labelled as superfoods (a meaningless marketing term, but you get the idea).
Their Organic MCT Oil Powder is very simply made. A 10g serving contains 9.5g of MCT oils (Caprylic acid and Capric acid) and 0.5g of organic tapioca maltodextrin and silicon dioxide. They are certified organic by Oregon Tilith (OTCO). A non-profit organization that determines whether a product really is organic or not.
Feel Good USDA Organic MCT Oil Powder Facts
Serving Size: 1 scoop (10g)
Servings per Container: 45
| Name | Amount per Serving |
| Medium Chain Triglyceride Powder | 9.5g |
| Organic Tapioca Maltodextrin, Silicon Dioxide | 0.5g |
Directions for Use
There aren’t any particular directions for how to take it, the company suggest mixing in with a smoothie, stir it into coffee, or use it in baked goods. This is fair enough, as MCT oil powder isn’t really a supplement in the same way that creatine would be. It’s just a powdered form of a dietary fat such as butter or oil.
It’s worth noting that MCT oil powder isn’t as flexible as an MCT oil – the latter can also be added to food or even used to sauté. Powders are more limited in their application.
Feel Good USDA Organic MCT Oil Powder Analysis
See the Top Ranked
– MCT Oil Here –
There is no point analyzing the organic tapioca maltodextrin nor is there a point to analyzing the silicon dioxide. The latter is just added in as a flowing agent, while the former is probably added in to improve the flavor slightly. They won’t affect the product too much, though this can no longer be considered a 100% MCT oil powder product, as it is only 95%.
Medium Chain Triglyceride Powder (9.5g):
According to the label, the MCT oils that were used are caprylic acid and capric acid, which are C8 and C10. The two best types of MCTs that you can get. We don’t know what ratio they are in though, which is a shame. Both can offer slightly different benefits. C8 produces more ketones while C10 helps with digestion. A 60-40 mix of C8 to C10 would be ideal, but unfortunately, we have no way of knowing the exact ratio here.
USDA Coconut MCT Oil Powder does contain a decent dose of MCTs per serving – several other powders on the market offer less. However, if you want to gain as many MCTs as possible from your serving, you may be better opting for an MCT oil.
Our favorite MCT oil is Performance Lab MCT…
which contains 12.2g of C8 and C10 MCTs – in the ideal ratio – triple filtered to ensure there are no fillers and just 100% MCTs. You could benefit from nearly 3g more MCTs per serving just by swapping to an oil formula instead of powder.
MCT oils and oil powders are very effective at helping you enter ketosis and are great at preventing you from dropping out of it. Staying in ketosis is the goal of everyone who is following a proper ketogenic diet.
Note that USDA Organic Coconut MCT Oil Powder contains 2g of carbs, slightly more than some of its competitors.
Feel Good USDA Organic MCT Oil Powder Benefits
The benefits from this product are that Feel Good have used the best form of MCT oils, which are proven to do exactly what they are intended to (help you enter or stay in ketosis). There aren’t many other filler ingredients (other than the silicon dioxide and organic tapioca maltodextrin).
This product should, therefore, help you achieve all the benefits of a keto diet mentioned above which, as well as the weight loss, also includes decreased appetite, lower cholesterol, the lowering of blood sugars and potentially more energy for the brain (ketones can pass through the blood-brain barrier).
See the Top Ranked
– MCT Oil Here –
Who Takes it?
This supplement is designed exclusively for ketogenic diet adherents, there is no particular reason why someone who is not on a ketogenic diet would benefit from taking it. There are many people out there who believe they are following a ketogenic diet but are actually just following a low-carb diet. This supplement is not for them. The only people who will be looking for this supplement (and will subsequently benefit from it) are people who are taking the ketogenic diet seriously.
Feel Good USDA Organic MCT Oil Powder Side Effects
The most common side effect of taking MCT oil is an upset stomach, this often occurs in people who are new to the diet. It’s similar to how your body might react after going on holiday and eating more rich cuisine than you are used to. While your body gets accustomed to the higher fat content, you may experience more time sitting on the toilet. But it is more of an inconvenience than anything else. There is some suggestion that MCT oil powders are more easily digested than MCT oils.
It is currently being debated whether ketogenic diets are a good idea for people with diabetes, as they can lead to a build-up of ketone bodies. It is probably safe, but worth checking with your doctor first to be sure. Obviously, long term, an effective weight loss diet may be beneficial to someone with diabetes.
Feel Good USDA Organic MCT Oil Powder Summary
Pros:
- Uses C8 and C10 MCTs
- Is a very reasonable price
- Certified organic
Cons:
- Is not 100% MCT oil
- Contains fillers
- Does not specify ratio of C8 to C10
See the Top Ranked
– MCT Oil Here –
Feel Good USDA Organic MCT Oil Powder Price and Where to Buy
There are several places that you can purchase Feel Good USDA Organic MCT Oil Powder; it is sold at Costco, you can also purchase it on Amazon, or directly from the Feel Good website. This product is also likely to be sold in most health food stores as Feel Good are a big brand.
The price on the Costco website is $22.99 and that is for 45 servings. That works out at $0.51 per serving, which is very reasonable for a high quality MCT oil.
Feel Good USDA Organic MCT Oil Powder Review: Conclusion
As an MCT oil powder, this product from Feel Good is pretty decent, even if by no means the best on the market. Considering the price, however, it is a great product for beginners. The use of C8 and C10 MCTs is an indicator of how good the product is, as they could have used C6 or C12, inferior MCTs.
The fact that they are certified organic is another nice touch. They could have saved money by going down the non-organic route. Considering how cheap their product is anyway, they should be commended for shaving their profit margins down even further.
If you are a keen ketogenic diet follower, then you could do a lot worse than Feel Good’s USDA Organic MCT Oil Powder. But there are other companies out there who are delivering a better product for a similar price.
The use of filler ingredients is a shame, though it’s inevitable in a powder.
They are added during the manufacturing process, when turning the oil into a powder. Only MCT oils can be 100% MCTs – and not all of them are.
It’s not going to make too much difference; we’re talking about less than half a gram here. The silicon dioxide is used to help the product flow better when being poured. Anyone who has dealt with fully-organic powders will understand why they’ve chosen to add this (powder can easily clump when it gets damp).
Whether you like this product or not will come down to your opinion on what constitutes a true ketogenic diet. Purists will want their MCTs without fillers, starches or additional ingredients; for this, you’re better off choosing an MCT oil. Removing all fillers and starches may be very important to some, and largely unimportant to others. The former will hate this supplement, while the latter will probably love it. At the end of the day, it comes down to personal preference.
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