MCT oils are growing in popularity with dieters and keto enthusiasts, but not all MCT oils are alike. We’re going to review Nutiva Organic MCT Oil and ascertain whether it’s a quality product worth your hard-earned cash or one to avoid…
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About Nutiva Organic MCT Oil
Nutiva Organic MCT Oil is a concentrated, distilled form of MCT oil that is primarily taken from coconut oil – and it has a 93% purity rate. This means that 93% of the weight of this product is from MCTs, or medium chain triglyceride.
The idea is to provide high-energy MCTs and make for a better source of energy, replacing some lower-quality fats. There’s only really one ingredient in this product and it’s distilled coconut oil, so today we’re going to look at how this product compares to other examples on the market.
We’re going to discuss everything from the way MCTs work to the way we compare manufacturers on a one-ingredient product!
Nutiva Organic MCT Oil Supplement Facts
One of the key facts about this product is that it is designed to be a single ingredient. It’s an MCT oil – and thus we don’t expect to see different ingredients. Rather, it’s all about the single ingredient MCT oil itself and how it contributes to your diet and wellbeing.
As you might expect this means the ingredient label is very simple, and what we look for is purity rather than diversity. More of that one ingredient tends to mean a better product. Here’s a look at the label itself:
Directions for Use
As a dietary fat, you can use this product in the same way that you might use something like coconut oil. It’s a form of distilled fat and as a result performs much like other common compounds like butter or olive oil, rather than like a supplement.
It’s not got a specific time of day or method of consumption that’s going to benefit you more than others. It has a relatively low smoke point so it’s probably not a frying oil but will be suitable for most other uses.
You can take this however you want, but it will always be best when combined with the fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) since it helps absorption. Combining the two in a meal or through direct supplementation/deliberate ingredient choices are the best way to take this product.
The Ingredients
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Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs)
There’s nothing else in this product – so the value of MCT oils are pretty much the beginning and end of what we’re going to discuss today. They’re very popular at the moment and are one of the most interesting dietary fats around, so we’re going to look into them in some detail.
Medium chain triglycerides are a form of dietary fat that falls into the saturated family. This is one of the best things about them, and it’s going to be key to understand.
Saturated fats are the group of fats that get the worst reputation: it’s been said (incorrectly) that they’re bad for the heart, or just unhealthy.
In reality, a diet with too many can be unhealthy but saturates aren’t actually bad for you.
The point of saturated fats – as with other kinds – is to get the best quality you can. This is what MCTs do, most of the time: they provide a fantastic source of saturated fats, so you don’t have to rely on the standard low-quality choices like butter.
MCTs are prized because they’re a dietary fat that contributes to improved fat-metabolism. This is important because it produces a more effective way of burning up fat for fuel, which you might be looking for with a high-fat diet.
Equally, it can contribute to better metabolic flexibility if you’re looking to boost long-term energy stores/efficiency. This is the kind of thing you’d expect on a ketogenic diet, or in endurance athletes where burning fat for fuel is useful.
MCTs also produce better fat-loss than other forms of dietary fats, which is one of the reasons that supplements exist in the first place. There seems to be a small metabolic boost, as well as out-performing other types of fats, specifically.
There are also some other possible benefits that are less clear, like the changes seen in cholesterol levels/balance, and insulin sensitivity, with MCTs. These are some secondary benefits most people don’t know about, or talk about, but they add up.
If you’re dieting for health and fitness, these are excellent things to improve. They combine to produce reduced risk for heart problems and diabetes, which are two of the most common causes of death.
These are part of the overall profile of MCTs and they’re significant for placing it head and shoulders above lower-quality saturated fats.
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Nutiva Organic MCT Oil Formula Analysis
If you’re looking for a high-quality saturated fat for your diet, then MCT oils are a great choice. They contribute to several interesting health and fitness related roles in the body.
However, we’re not 100% convinced that Nutiva Organic MCT Oil is the best example on the market – and there are a few reasons for this. First of all, the purity at 93% isn’t the best we’ve seen, especially since there’s only really one ingredient!
We have seen higher purity on the market and if you’re looking to buy MCT oil this is, and should be, a crucial factor in choosing a brand/product. The higher the purity, the more you’re getting from each serving – and whatever you spend on the product!
Our Verdict
We like MCT oils a lot – they provide a great source of saturated fats, which many of us either (wrongly) write off as bad, or simply don’t pay attention to. A good diet focuses on the quality of fat sources – both saturated and unsaturated – and MCT oils are some of the best saturates you can get!
The problem we have is that this isn’t our favorite example on the market.
The MCT oil market is very close but, since there’s just one ingredient, the difference comes from brand, manufacturing processes, and purity. At 93% purity we’re not sold on this product as the best possible use of your cash.
There are some redeeming qualities to Nutiva Organic MCT Oil, however, such as the non-GMO approach and a pretty good distilling process, resulting in a clean and neutral taste (unlike more chemical-tasting brands).
It’s a certified organic product which is good, but we’d also like some other certifications such as Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) or responsible, sustainable sourcing.
It’s also fair to point out that there are alternative MCT oils out there – such as Performance Lab MCT – that use superior designs and processes. Performance Lab MCT, for instance, is triple distilled and has a GMP certification, offering all these benefits and additional assurances of quality, safety, and reliability.
As a consumer, these kinds of differences between products can – and should – make the difference.
Benefits of Nutiva Organic MCT Oil
As with other MCT oil supplements and sources, this product can be a key player in building a better dietary profile. MCT oil is a great alternative to things like butter which are often lower-quality, unless you’re buying expensive brands.
Even so, the quality of the saturates in MCT oil like Lauric acid are fantastic for things like body fat oxidation. This helps you to use fats as a fuel source and – during a fat-loss diet – can contribute to the body using fat rather than breaking down muscular tissue for energy.
On top of this, it’s a significant contributor to your overall metabolic health, especially as you age. The intake and use of dietary fats is more important as we age and the role it plays in brain health means that a balance of carbs/fats, and high quality for both, is key.
MCT oil is a fantastic dietary choice if you’re looking to step up your fats and for those on a higher-fat diet, it’s an absolute must-have in the cupboard!
Who Should Use It?
There are a few groups that should primarily be looking at MCT oils, even if everyone can find some benefit with them.
First, anyone on a high-fat diet should be considering MCTs as one of the most useful and important dietary fats. Coconut oil is one choice but MCT oil is more refined and potent, helping fat metabolism, and offering a quality alternative to common, lower-quality fats.
Secondly, anyone looking to age well and live their best health and fitness after 30. This kind of product – even if not this product specifically – can contribute to better aging, especially in the hormones and the brain.
If you’re looking to take control of your body and build a better life in the long-term, proper dietary fat management is a great place to start. MCTs are just one of the pieces of this puzzle.
Any Potential Side Effects with Nutiva Organic MCT Oil?
MCTs are a dietary fat, and as such there really aren’t any significant risks or side-effects. You could be allergic to any of these fats, but the odds are very low, and you should consult your doctor if you do have specific intolerances or allergies.
For healthy people, there are no significant risks to MCT oils or similar dietary fats. This product offers some useful assurances and they suggest that you’re likely to be safe and comfortable with this product.
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Nutiva Organic MCT Oil Summary
Pros
- Good price point
- Many options for sizing of containers
- Decent assurances and certified organic
Cons
- The purity isn’t as good as others we’ve seen
- The assurances don’t speak to the quality of the product
- Also contains 0.7g of C12; while this isn’t a big issue, C8 and C10 are considered the more effective MCTs
Pricing & Where to Buy
The redeeming factor for this product is the price, to an extent. While it isn’t the best on the market, the price is pretty good at roughly $23-25. This isn’t a huge saving compared to better products, but it’s a decent price point.
The larger containers could be a good investment, but they do involve dropping some significant cash on a gallon jug of MCTs ($85). We recommend starting with one of the smaller options and seeing if MCTs fit your lifestyle and diet.
If you’re buying it, go direct – these are the best prices and you can deal with customer services directly if you have any problems.
Nutiva Organic MCT Oil Review: Conclusion
This is a good product but not a great one: it carries some assurances but not as many as other brands, and the purity isn’t the best on the market. This makes a difference when you’re looking at supplementing a single-ingredient product.
These shortfalls put it somewhere near the upper-middle of the market in our opinion. It’s a good product and a decent economy choice but it hasn’t blown us away – there are definitely market alternatives we prefer for manufacturing standards, brand reputation, and overall quality/purity.
Overall, we like this product, but it is a few % points and a few manufacturing regulations away from making the top of our list.
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