Medium-chain triglyceride (MCT)

Medium-chain triglycerides are fats made of fatty acids with six to twelve carbon atoms, typically derived from coconut or palm kernel oil and used as a carrier oil.

MCTs are digested and absorbed more directly than the long-chain fats found in most foods, being carried to the liver through the portal vein rather than packaged into chylomicrons. Refined MCT oil is clear, nearly tasteless, liquid at room temperature, and resistant to oxidation, which makes it a convenient base for dissolving fat-soluble ingredients. It is widely used in nutrition products, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical formulations.

MCT oil is the most common carrier in CBD oils and tinctures because cannabidiol dissolves well in it and the oil has a long shelf life. It is an inactive vehicle, not a cannabinoid, and its presence does not change the labeled cannabinoid content. Some people experience loose stools from larger amounts of MCT oil, independent of any cannabinoid. On a label, MCT oil may appear as fractionated coconut oil or as caprylic and capric triglycerides.