MCTs vs LCTs

Endogenous fat oxidation during medium chain versus long chain triglyceride

compares a MCT blend with butter vs beef tallow. so this study is comparing sat. fat vs sat. fat. Why butter + MCT instead of just MCTs? Nearly no one wants to eat MCTs straight. This study is dealing with human subjects here.

"With the MCT diet, but not the LCT diet, combined cumulative fractional LCSFA oxidation (P < 0.03), net LCSFA oxidation (P < 0.03), and percentage dietary LCSFA contribution to total fat oxidation (P < 0.02) were increased"
"CONCLUSION: The capacity of MCT to increase endogenous oxidation of LCSFA suggests a role for MCT in body weight control over the long term."

Here's a study that looks at weight recovery after low food intake (i.e. after a "diet"). Shows that lard results in more body fat regain than coconut oil (MCTs).

Another PubMed citation involving non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) subjects in a short-term study which compared the effect of substituting long-chain triglycerides with medium-chain triglycerides. The MCT group showed greated fasting concentrations of ketone bodies.
The following from the abstract doesn't mean much to me, but may for others:
"MCT-containing diets increased insulin-mediated glucose metabolism in both diabetic patients and nondiabetic subjects. In diabetic subjects, this effect appears to be mediated by increases in insulin-mediated glucose disposal."