MCT oil increased triglycerides by 0.14 mmol/L (5.41 mg/dL), but did not affect total cholesterol, LDL-C, or HDL-C. In subgroup analyses, MCT oil increased total cholesterol and LDL-C compared to unsaturated fatty acids and slightly lowered LDL-C compared to LCTs.

Using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool,^[15] the seven trials were classified as “low risk” or having “some concern”.

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The big picture: A 2018 meta-analysis found that, compared to diets high in LCTs, diets high in MCTs increased HDL-C, with no significant effect on LDL-C, total cholesterol, or triglycerides.^[16] A 2015 meta-analysis on the effects of MCTs on body composition reported blood lipids as a secondary outcome and found that MCTs did not affect LDL-C, HDL-C, total cholesterol, or triglycerides.^[17]

MCTs are more easily oxidized than LCTs, and so replacing the latter by the former in one’s diet might reduce body weight and body fat percentage.^[18]^[17] Just adding MCTs to your diet, however, is more likely to promote weight gain by increasing your caloric intake. Furthermore, while MCTs are likely less harmful than LCTs, replacing saturated fats (including MCTs) with unsaturated fats will likely improve your health markers.

Does MCT oil affect blood lipids? Original paper