MCT Oil and Benefits
MCT Oil
Gaining more popularity now than it had back in 2020 is
a positive sign that more people are becoming aware of its benefits.
I became aware of the healing benefits of MCT Oil back in 2020.
Story Time:
I was fresh out of the loony bin🏥 and on the run from a violent Ex in a new city: I sold my PS4 and packed up my cat, hoping the "big city" would be full of opportunities, a moment where my life felt like an early 2000s chick flick.
Sure, in the long run it turned out great, but in the days of current chaos it was hard to feel like happier days were coming. However, it really did turn out amazing! As I got to experience amazing days little Rossi only dreamed of, so let that be a reminder to always trust your instincts, trust you.
Anywho, MCT Oil. So as I was saying, back in 2020, a lot was going on, I started working 70 hours a week to pull myself out of debt and into an apartment. Any free time I had was spent searching for ANYTHING that would help make life easier and being hypomanic- drinking way too much still.
I felt in my SOUL Mental illnesses were not just "mental" (meaning thoughts) and were in fact PHYSICAL, involving the Brain and Nervous system. There had to be a way to physically heal/recover.
PTSD was flashing intensely during this time, a certain song playing could send me into panic or crying hysterically. My Depression had me struggling to brush my teeth, and the trauma left behind from the violence was causing migraines, sensitivity to lights, and extreme brain fog.
I was searching for any natural remedies for curing mental illnesses and getting off harsh SSRIs and at the time, there was NO such talk of recovery in the mental health world, most people still cringed and looked at me like I was crazy for talking openly about mental health, and natural remedies can be seen as witchcraft and is highly FROWNED upon.
I had asked myself, "what's going to bring in money?"
Guess which niche / industry was hyping up MCT oil? Can you guess?
The Sports Industry
"DUH!" I shouted to myself one day while brainstorming.
If Dr Pharma makes money off you being sick, he might be tempted to keep you sick, but sports? They profit off HEALTHY athletes, the healthier the more profitable. And that's where I found it, a research article for Sport Athletes like Hockey players and Football players who suffer from concussions and TBI -traumatic brain injuries.
And due to the unfortunate events of Aaron Josef Hernandez- an NFL player who murdered a man right before signing a $40 million extension to play for the New England Patriots. Sports Research was on the rise to find ways to recover athletes from Head Traumas and provide their brain with proper nutrients.
Other sport research benefits include: muscle performance and energy.
Also popular in the weight loss community for its benefits with appetite control.
What is it? How is it good for your Mental Health?
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Science.
MCT stands for medium-chain triglycerides, for now, we will focus on where it comes from and why it’s good.
The most popular source of MCT comes from Coconut Oil 🥥. MCTs are a unique fat that doesn’t require bile salts for digestion or extra energy for absorption, use, or storage.
The difference between medium-chain triglycerides and either long or short-chain triglycerides is the number of carbon atoms in each molecule.
Compared to the long-chain triglycerides found in other vegetable oils, MCTs are smaller and, consequently, more readily absorbed and metabolized — qualities that make them a good source of fuel for your brain. (source)
What is it used for?
Remember earlier I mentioned weight loss? Well, that is the most popular use for MCT oil, any quick search for MCT benefits on a search engine will result in a list of articles and studies breaking down MCT in the name of weight loss.
MCT packs many benefits for an overall healthier body and brain. Benefits to the brain is what caught my interest. MCT oil is gaining positive results in studies for helping with symptoms of Alzheimer Disease and ADHD.
Those diagnosed with ADHD, MDD, and PTSD could also benefit from drinking MCT. because of the connection to cognitive function and brain trauma.
Other Benefits of MCT Oil:
- Positive Mood and Cognitive function
- Reduced symptoms of anxiety
- Increased energy for exercise and sports
- Helping the body process fat or nutrients
- Appetite control
- TBI Recovery (traumatic brain injuries)
- Depression Relief
- Clearer Focus
- Balancing good gut bacteria
- Help retrieve Memories.
So.....Does It Work?
I say YES. because it has worked for me and my friend. However, I’m not everyone. I’m me.
There are people who can’t eat coconut, allergies, and people who might not see the benefits I did. But for me, it worked!
Of course, there are other factors to investigate, everyone is unique. But I believe MCT is worth a try because everyone deserves a chance to recover instead of cope.
However, remember this is not some "cure all" and should not replace your self care routines, but instead should be added to your routine.
Story Time
My health was a wreck, and my MDD (major depression disorder) was at its peak. And PTSD had its hold on me constantly- flashing what felt like every few minutes. His face, the voices, the noise, the glass, the headlights, all the past chaos would woosh by, sometimes sending me straight into a panic attack- which looked a lot like crying on the bathroom floor, many bathroom floors. This HAD to stop.
I cut off my antidepressant, in a somewhat calculated way, I cut down my dosage slowly over the time of.....maybe two weeks. But the adverse effects I was having made me feel the need to cut it off. So, I just stopped.
(WARNING) Please do not cut off your pills cold turkey unless otherwise medically necessary. Cutting these pills off require tracking of symptoms and a change in lifestyle, meaning less drinking and more supplements.
I don’t recommend…ever to go cold turkey unless you are on a plan, including a support plan, like therapy, to help you track your moods and prevent you from spiralling. Especially if you have been on medications for over 6 months and Definitely if you been on them for years.
Reminder:
These are strong chemicals, very harsh drugs essentially, and it's easy to prescribed a high dosage because of how much the body can grow a tolerance.
(A question I ponder: why are they giving us a medication the body have to tolerate?
A harsh drug that affects the brain, the same brain that is already so EXHAUSTED in the first place, leading to the list of mental illness symptoms?)
I was only on these SSRIs for a couple of months, yet, I STILL felt the very harsh side effects of cleaning off them, and it was not easy. Personally I felt like I had to, trusting myself for a minute. The medicine gave me the numbing / calming affect they promised, a "in control and not depressed" state the general statistics claimed, but it also came with the loss of EVERY emotion, I felt little to nothing, a mass void, my stuff, my home, my CAT, all unfamiliar to me, even my face in the mirror was unfamiliar and distant, far from happy. And worse of all, I had almost no desire to be Happy. It made me not care.
My dosage was upped by the Drs already after only a few weeks, suspicious, considering it didn't seem to be giving an outcome worth the side effects. I was not getting better. I was just disassociating more, numbing out, I couldn’t afford to numb out, my reality was a mess, consisting of violent abuse from a man who was revealing how dangerous he was with each passing day.
Stalking me, waiting for an opportunity to take back the one event he probably regretted, releasing his choke hold and letting me live.I needed to move, to get away from this weirdo.
I wanted to live life and needed something that would help my body thrivre, not keep it down and sick. If I had enough sense and thought to live, I figured I must not be as depressed and delusional as the Drs and mental health system make you feel. Hiding everyone behind the many labels of Mental Illness-without compassion or understanding of the traumas their body has been through.
AND THEN, I started throwing up, a lot, too much for "normal". Lost a lot of weight, there was no doubting it now, my body wasn't taking to the pills.
Trying MCT Oil myself
After all this chaos, and newly off the SSRIs, I ordered a Jug of MCT oil off amazon and began taking it, 2 Tablespoons in my Coffee or or protein shake each day and to my relief, I began to notice a difference after the first 1.5 weeks.
The fog that coated my thoughts and memories were clearing away, helping me think, and process decisions more clearly. Drinking MCT oil helped bring relief to my PTSD flashes. The intense flashes that left me shivering in tears were happening less often and after about 2 weeks I noticed I could remember where I left my keys vs. anxiously pacing my apartment in a panic of "did I leave them somewhere?!"
I then had to test if it was really working or just me wishing it was that maybe i convinced myself to believe it did. So I purchased another Jug and gave it to a friend (my now current partner) who had experienced a TBI (traumatic brain injury) resulting in his legal death. I wanted to see if MCT oil would hold up the the articles and help recover from the damage left behind.
And to my delight, he too was experiencing positive results. Like a more cheerful mood and clearer speech.
It was enough to confirm my beliefs that MCT Oil does help with mental health. Because Mental health IS brain health.
The MCT OIL I used for 3+ Years
Ways MCT can be used
✨Adding to Food:
Personally, I found it best/easier to consume by adding to teas, coffee (hot or cold), protein shakes, and oatmeal.
The MCT I use listed above, has no flavor.
There will be a thin coating of oil left on your lips after you drink the beverage, but I like to believe the left-over oil on my lips is providing a moisturizing benefit✨.
✨For Use on face:
Apply to clean dry face for 5-15 minutes before washing and rinsing off with lukewarm water. MCT oil does not clog pores and instead can help your skin against break irritations and acne.
✨For Oil Pulling:
Take 1 TSP and swish around mouth for 2-3 minutes, spit and rinse. Do 2X a day for best results.
✨For use in Hair:
Apply oil to the hair as a mask for a few hours or overnight. Apply to scalp and finger comb hair starting from scalp to tips.
Resources
https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/oils/mct-oil.html#google_vignette