KET-ONE: What Blocks the C8 MCT Oil Fat Loss Mechanism, Mental Health Impact of Processed High-Carb Foods, Can Anyone Take High Sodium LMNT Electrolyte Safely

ONE Actionable Takeaway from Ketosource

Takeaway: How Taking Food with C8 MCT Oil Blocks its Fat Loss Mechanism

When starting with C8 MCT oil there are two misconceptions people have:

That C8 MCT oil can be used as cooking oil or eaten with food
That C8 MCT oil on its own causes stomach upset and taking it with food helps alleviate these symptoms.

What Blocks the Creation of Appetite-Reducing Ketones

The purpose of taking C8 MCT oil for fat loss is to lower your appetite to consume fewer calories at your meals. This happens when MCTs are converted into appetite-reducing ketones.

If you take your C8 MCT oil with foods containing carbs you block the conversion of MCT oil into ketones.

Conversely, when taken on an empty stomach an hour before a meal your Beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) ketone level rises above 0.5 mmol/l. When measured in plasma, this value is 0.3 mmol/L.

*Appetite-reduction ketosis in chart is plasma BHB ketone level of 0.3 mmol/L. On home ketone blood meters like Keto Mojo this is equal to a value of 0.5 mmol/L.

Food + C8 MCT Oil: When taken with food C8 MCT oil’s ketone boost is inhibited. Ketones do not reach the dotted line (appetite-reduction ketosis) and you don’t get fat loss benefits.
C8 MCT Oil Only: Taken without food, C8 MCT oil will be converted into ketones within an hour. Ketones will rise above the marker for appetite reduction, supporting fat loss via eating less (lower calorie intake).

Why to Avoid Taking C8 MCT Oil With Food

There is another reason to avoid taking C8 MCT oil with food if your goal is fat loss. Not only will you block the production of ketones but you will also be adding more calories to your meal.

Clients who make this mistake find they can gain extra fat instead of losing it. This will not happen when following the proper method to take C8 MCT oil.

Actionable Takeaways

To avoid making a similar mistake remember this:

Take C8 MCT oil on an empty stomach or with no calorie options an hour before food using the proper C8 MCT oil method.
Appetite-reducing ketones are blocked by net carbs in foods.
Do not take C8 MCT oil with food as it will add to your calorie intake possibly causing weight gain.

Source: St-Pierre, V., Vandenberghe, C., Lowry, C., Fortier, M., Castellano, C., Wagner, R. and Cunnane, S. C. (2019). “Plasma Ketone and Medium Chain Fatty Acid Response in Humans Consuming Different Medium Chain Triglycerides During a Metabolic Study Day.”

ONE Quote from a Credible Expert

Takeaway: Highly Processed Foods Are Harmful to Mental Health

This quote comes from Chris Palmer, MD. Christopher Palmer, MD has a 25 year background as a research physician. His research currently focuses on using the ketogenic diet for psychiatric applications and more generally on metabolism, metabolic disorders, and their connection to mental disorders.

He is the Founder and Director of the Metabolic and Mental Health Program and the Director of the Department of Postgraduate and Continuing Education at McLean Hospital, and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

“Highly processed foods that are usually high in both sugar/ carbohydrate/ carbs, and fats. Those seem to be the worst foods… for metabolic health. And lo and behold, we’ve got emerging data that strongly suggests, it’s also bad for mental health.

Depression and anxiety are the most common mental disorders. And so we have the best data for those disorders. But we actually have a lot of data with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia [with] insulin resistance in particular.

Insulin signaling in the brain is impaired in people with chronic mental disorders kind of across the board — all the way from chronic anxiety, depression, to bipolar, to schizophrenia, and even Alzheimer’s disease.”

Source: Dr. Chris Palmer: Diet & Nutrition for Mental Health | Huberman Lab Podcast #99 (timestamp 00:43:51)

ONE of Your #1 Questions Answered

The Question: Can Anyone Take LMNT Safely?

The top question sent in from you this week was from Bremi. Thank you Bremi!

“I have a question on LMNT. Can anyone consume this? Is this for daily intake? I have seen information that we shouldn’t consume electrolytes daily as it will affect our body and heart. and also increases the blood pressure. Are you able to clarify this?”

The Answer:

People usually have two concerns when adding LMNT to their diet.

They are aware that general health recommendations in Europe (such as the NHS) are to keep sodium low, while the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sets the target of 2,300 mg of sodium daily. A single packet of LMNT contains 1,000 mg seems high in comparison.
They have heard medical recommendations to keep sodium low to prevent medical conditions such as high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

Understanding Your Body’s Sodium and Electrolyte Requirements

Government recommendations for sodium are based on an average modern diet which includes processed foods that are high in sodium, trans fats and sugars such as fructose. Clinical data investigating electrolyte needs for keto dieters and people who fast are higher than this average.

Ketogenic Sodium and Electrolyte Default Requirements

Recommendations for sodium and other electrolytes such as potassium and magnesium are between 3.5-7g of sodium, 1-3g of potassium, and 250-500mg of magnesium. These values take into account that electrolytes become easily depleted while on a keto diet.

Fasting Sodium and Electrolyte Default Requirements

Fasting requirements for sodium change depending on the type of fasting method used. The number of meals skipped dictates your sodium supplementation.

From research and data taken from Ketosource coaching groups, the minimum recommended value of sodium is 1.2g for each meal skipped. This can be broken up into two 600mg servings of sodium.

Electrolyte Needs Are Specific to Your Personal Situation

The “default” recommendations given above are an average of what is necessary for an individual on a keto or fasting diet.

To get a more accurate understanding of your sodium and electrolyte needs you should use an electrolyte calculator that factors in the specifics of your personal situation.

This will give you a targeted recommendation to follow to cover your specific electrolyte needs.

When to Avoid Taking LMNT

Many factors affect the correct amount of sodium for a given individual. For example, age, genetics, time of day and activity level can dictate your sodium needs. With this in mind, there are only two types of people who should avoid LMNT.

People with high blood pressure (hypertension)
People who consume a lot of processed foods (which include high levels of salt) and are habitually inactive and sedentary

From our experience with clients, we have found that they can take 1-2 packets of LMNT a day with no adverse reactions. But if you have hypertension or other health conditions that concern you, speak with your doctor before adding LMNT to your diet.

Actionable Takeaways

Use the electrolyte calculator to get a specific electrolyte recommendation for your personal situation
Choose a sodium-electrolyte balanced supplement like LMNT to cover your electrolyte needs when on a keto or fasting diet
Speak to your doctor before taking LMNT if you have hypertension or other health concerns

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