9-5 Energy Hack Series: Need a hack for focus?

⭐ Key Points

• Effective dose: 1tbsp daily provides cognitive benefits

• Mechanism: MCT oil bypasses normal digestion → goes to liver → converts to ketones

• Benefit: Enhanced mental performance and appetite suppression without full keto diet

📊 Research

Key finding: A 2021 study published in Physiology & Behavior found that 12g (approximately 1 tablespoon) daily provides improvements in working memory and mental processing appearing after 2-3 weeks of consistent use (Ashton et al., 2021). The Ashton et al. study is the most relevant citation since it specifically established the 12g minimum effective dose in healthy adults and the 2-3 week timeline for cognitive benefits to appear.

How this translates: Add 1 tablespoon of MCT oil to your morning routine, be patient for 2-3 weeks, and enjoy improved mental clarity without needing expensive higher doses. It's like upgrading your brain's fuel system for the price of a daily latte.

☕️ Storytime

I was doing some research on different dieting strategies that would help curb appetite with minimal effort and this Bulletproof Coffee came up. And I don’t know about you but I prefer to drink my coffee black without any butter or oil let alone cream or sugar.

I’ve known about the ketogenic diet being popular for weight loss but I’m not into taking extreme dieting measures only to revert back to my original habits. Surprisingly, MCT oil came up here and there and I decided to do some research. While it’s more popularly known for aiding weight loss it also is known to provide mental clarity.

We all know ketones are known for enhancing mental performance, but MCT oil in particular is known to bypass normal fat digestion and go directly to the liver which then converts to ketones. Essentially you can still get the benefits of ketones without being on the keto diet.

If I’m being honest, I was skeptical at first. I would take about 1tbsp of MCT oil along with morning coffee to suppress my appetite, but I would notice myself breezing through work without feeling hungry until 2 or even 3pm. I would then force myself to take a break and eat something since I needed to make sure I got my protein in. After a while I realized how powerful its ability to suppress my ravenous appetite (which was the main reason I tried it) along with being able to work feeling energized and without any brain fog. I haven’t personally taken Adderall so I’m curious for any of you that have, how this would compare.

I try not to become overly accustomed to taking supplements in order to be productive aside from the more common things like a morning coffee and afternoon walk, so I save the MCT Oil only for days when I got a lot more to do and could use that extra boost.

Similar to that of any supplement, if you’re a regular person without any health concerns then there aren’t any major risks to be worried about, but it’s still a good practice to look into any side effects that may be of concern to you.

P.S. I take this one from Costco: Organic MCT Oil

References

Ashton, J. S., Roberts, J. W., Wakefield, C. J., Page, R. M., MacLaren, D. P. M., Marwood, S., & Malone, J. J. (2021). The effects of medium chain triglyceride (MCT) supplementation using a C8:C10 ratio of 30:70 on cognitive performance in healthy young adults. Physiology & Behavior, 229, 113252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.113252

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