Coconut oil, MCT oil and fullness in people
What it found
In a small trial in people, coconut oil did not boost fullness or cut how much people ate the way MCT oil did.
Coconut oil also tasted less pleasant to the participants than MCT oil.
What they found
Studies in people
Food eaten at lunch
MCT oil led to less food being eaten at the lunch meal than coconut oil or the control oil. The three oils differed in how much energy and macronutrients people took in at that meal.
Food eaten over the day
Across the whole day, the control oil group ate more energy and fat than the MCT and coconut oil groups.
Fullness after breakfast
MCT oil increased fullness over the three hours after breakfast compared with both the control and coconut oils.
Taste of the oils
Participants reported coconut oil as less palatable than MCT oil.
What the authors conclude
“The results of this study confirm the differences that exist between MCT and coconut oil such that coconut oil cannot be promoted as having similar effects to MCT oil on food intake and satiety.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say the results confirm that differences exist between MCT and coconut oil.
- They conclude that coconut oil cannot be promoted as having similar effects to MCT oil on food intake and satiety.
How it was done
Many media articles promote coconut oil for weight loss, claiming it has the same benefits as MCT. The authors wanted to test whether that claim holds up.
After an overnight fast, participants ate a test breakfast smoothie containing 205kcal of either MCT oil, coconut oil or vegetable oil (control) on three separate test days. They rated their appetite on scales and were given a lunch of preselected sandwiches 180 minutes after the breakfast.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- The trial was small and only looked at one breakfast and one lunch, so it cannot show what happens with longer term use.
- It measured fullness and food eaten at those meals, not weight loss.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Oxford Brookes University, UK
The paper
- Title
- Coconut oil has less satiating properties than medium chain triglyceride oil
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Kinsella R, Maher T, Clegg ME (2017). Coconut oil has less satiating properties than medium chain triglyceride oil. Physiology & behavior. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.07.007PubMed 28689741DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error