MCT may help with appetite control via their satiating properties. The satiating properties of MCT involve multiple pre-absorptive and post-absorptive mechanisms.
First, MCT appear as a thin, light-yellow, clear, and odorless oil, with a nearly neutral or slightly bland taste, whereas MCFA are characterized by an odor of goat and strong bitterness.This repulsive quality is extremely strong, as a concentration of 0.1% makes a meal unfit for human consumption. These palatability properties are important determinants of feeding behavior of an individual, in particular satiation.
The satiating effect of these two triglycerides appears to be related to their caloric content rather than to chain length.
In addition, the ingestion of MCT as a bolus does not stimulate contraction of the gallbladder nor raise the plasma cholecystokinin (CCK) level in the manner in which it occurs following LCT ingestion. This gastric relaxation by MCT is not sufficient to induce satiation; therefore, the nutrient-induced gastric relaxation occurs through other mechanisms than CCK.
According to research, MCT inhibit gastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretion, but less so than LCT. Overall, it has been determined that the satiating effects of a fat depend on the fatty acid chain length, and moreover that the role of CCK and gastrin-stimulated gastric acid are minor.
Post-absorptive properties of MCT, including hepatic exposure to fatty acids, may lead to greater beta-oxidation by the liver than that following LCT intake. Enhanced beta-oxidation may in turn lead to increased satiety. Thus, MCT consumption in sufficient quantities over the long term may lead to decreased caloric intake and consequently decreased body weight and fat.
Ingestion of a MCT-containing lunch resulted in less food consumed at dinner in comparison with the other non-MCT-containing meals, indicating that MCT have a higher satiation power than other fats and carbohydrates. This increased satiety may also be due to greater fat oxidation after the MCT lunches.