ReviewFrontiers in nutrition2021
The Ketogenic Effect of Medium-Chain Triacylglycerides.
Review in Frontiers in nutrition, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 34 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
34 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 49 citations in OpenAlex.
- Adverse events and tolerability of ketogenic diets - a systematic literature analysis.BMC nutrition · 2026Pooled it
- Gastrointestinal issues predominate among side effects of medium-chain triglyceride consumption in humans.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Pooled it
- Symptoms during initiation of a ketogenic diet: a scoping review of occurrence rates, mechanisms and relief strategies.Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Pooled it
- Influence of Carbohydrate Intake on Caprylic Acid (C8:0)-Induced Ketogenesis-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Nutrients · 2024Pooled it
- Medium-chain triglycerides may improve memory in non-demented older adults: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.BMC geriatrics · 2022Pooled it
- Effect of glucose on medium chain triglyceride induced ketosis in healthy adults in a randomized, double-blind, controlled study.Scientific reports · 2026Trial
- Effects of acute ketone monoester ingestion on heart rate, blood pressure and muscle sympathetic nerve activity at rest and stress in healthy adults.Physiological reports · 2025Trial
- A pilot study of alternative substrates in the critically Ill subject using a ketogenic feed.Nature communications · 2023Trial
- Impact of medium-chain triglycerides on gait performance and brain metabolic network in healthy older adults: a double-blind, randomized controlled study.GeroScience · 2022Trial
- Review
- Medium-Chain Triglycerides: Scientific and Regulatory Perspectives from Germany and Japan with a US Context-A Concise Review.Nutrients · 2026Review
- The value of targeting ketone body metabolism in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.Journal of translational medicine · 2026Review
- The impact of lipid-rich nutrition on ketogenesis and muscle weakness in sepsis.Intensive care medicine experimental · 2026Article
- Article
- Medium-chain triglycerides improve cognition and systemic metabolism in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease.Brain : a journal of neurology · 2026Article
- Medium-chain triglycerides and ketogenic diet prevent alterations of the gut microbiome in transgenic Alzheimer's disease mice.Communications biology · 2025Article
- Ketone metabolites in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease progression: optimizing keto-therapeutic strategies.American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism · 2025Review
- Ketogenic Metabolism in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Mechanisms of Action and Therapeutic Potential.Metabolites · 2025Review
- Article
- Medium-chain triglycerides tricaprin TC10 and tricaprylin TC8 attenuated HFD-induced cognitive decline in a manner dependent on or independent of GLP-1.Scientific reports · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Medium-chain triacylglycerides (MCTs) are dietary supplements that can induce ketosis without the need for a traditional ketogenic diet or prolonged fasting. They have the potential to marginally delay the progression of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease. However, there have been inconsistencies in reports of the MCT dose-response relationship, which may be due to differences in MCT composition, participant characteristics, and other factors that can influence ketone generation. To resolve these discrepancies, we reviewed studies that investigated the ketogenic effect of MCTs in healthy adults. Aside from the treatment dose, other factors that can influence the ketogenic response, such as accompanying meals, fasting duration, and caffeine intake, were assessed. Based on the available literature, four practical recommendations are made to optimize the ketogenic effect of MCTs and reduce unwanted side effects (primarily gastrointestinal discomfort and diarrhea). First, the starting dose should be either 5 g of octanoic acid [caprylic acid (C8); a component of MCTs] or 5 g of a combination of C8 and decanoic or capric acid (C10; another component of MCTs), and the dose should be progressively increased to 15-20 g of C8. Second, MCTs should be consumed after an overnight fast, without an accompanying meal if tolerable, or with a low-carbohydrate meal. Third, the addition of caffeine may slightly increase the ketogenic response. Fourth, emulsifying the MCTs might increase their ketogenic effect and alleviate side effects.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.