Do medium-chain triglycerides improve metabolic health?

One small RCT showed that substituting dietary long-chain triglycerides with MCTs for 3 days prevented high-fat-diet-induced insulin resistance in adults without known health conditions;^[1] however, a small trial that provided 30 grams of MCTs per day for 6 weeks found no significant changes after the intervention in fasting glucose, insulin, insulin resistance, or beta-cell function in adults without known health conditions.^[2] Unfortunately, because this trial had no control group, firm conclusions about the effects of MCTs on insulin resistance or glycemic control cannot currently be made. In an observational study, a higher dietary intake of capric acid (a.k.a. decanoic acid) was associated with a lower risk of coronary artery disease (CAD).^[3] Randomized controlled trials are needed to determine whether this association is causal.