Last modified on January 14th, 2023
What is Brain Octane Oil?
Bulletproof’s Brain Octane Oil is one of the most popular products right now. We explore everything you need to know, including what the benefits of Brain Octane Oil are, what the research and bulletproof mct oil reviews say, where to buy it and whether it’s worth it.
Benefits of Brain Octane Oil
- May increase energy levels
- Can improve ketone levels
- Could serve as a source of fuel for the brain
- Easily digested
- Helps with metabolism and fat-burning
- Some people find it helps with brain fog and improves cognition
Understanding MCTs
Bulletproof’s Brain Octane Oil is an MCT oil. So what exactly is an MCT oil?
MCT stands for medium-chain triglycerides.
The interest in MCT oils has grown significantly in the past few years for a few different reasons. One reason is that people are finding out more about the benefits of coconut oil, which is a source of MCTs. Another reason is the growing popularity of the keto diet.
MCT is a type of fat found in foods, including coconut oil. They’re metabolized differently from long-chain triglycerides, which are in many other foods.
Triglyceride simply means fat. Triglycerides can either be stored as body fat or burned as energy. All triglycerides have three fatty acids and a glycerol molecule.
Most of the fat you might consume in a traditional diet would be made up of long-chain fatty acids.
There are four main medium-chain fatty acids, which are C6, C8, C10, and C12.
Due to the short-chain of MCTs, they can be easily and quickly broken down and absorbed by your body. MCTs go directly to your liver. Once they’re there, MCTs can be used as an energy source, or they can be turned into ketones.
Ketones are released when your liver when it breaks down fat.
As opposed to other types of fatty acids, ketones can cross from your blood to the brain, and they then provide an efficient alternative source of energy for the brain. Otherwise, your brain uses glucose as fuel.
The calories in MCTs can be more easily turned into energy and then used by your body, so they’re less likely to be stored as fat.
Food sources of MCTs include whole milk, butter, and coconut oil.
MCT is a concentrated source of medium-chain triglycerides, and it usually contains either C8 or C10. Sometimes an MCT oil will have a combination of both.
So what are the possible benefits of MCT oil that make it such a popular product?
- MCTs have fewer calories than LCTs.
- MCTs can help you feel fuller for longer, which is likely because they influence hormones like leptin that increase fullness and reduce appetite.
- MCTs can be used as a source of energy.
- A diet high in MCTs can help your body burn fat more quickly.
- Some people use MCTs to enhance their exercise performance and improve energy levels, especially during high-intensity exercise. There are a few studies that have found for athletes on low-carb diets, MCTs may improve endurance.
- Some research has found a diet rich in MCTs can increase insulin sensitivity in adults with type 2 diabetes.
- Since MCTs produce ketones, they might help improve brain function while you’re following a keto diet, which is low in carbs and high in fat with moderate amounts of protein. Researchers are currently looking at MCTs and their potential use to help prevent or treat brain disorders including dementia and Alzheimer’s. There was one study that found MCTs improved brain processing, memory, and learning in participants with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s.
- Due to the fact that the body can easily absorb MCTs, they can help with conditions like diarrhea, steatorrhea, and liver disease that affect nutrient absorption.
- There’s some evidence that MCTs are helpful in treating epilepsy along with a keto diet.
So this all brings us back to Bulletproof Brain Octane Oil specifically. According to the Bulletproof company, Amazon Brain Octane Oil gives you four times more ketone energy than coconut oil, which could potentially be beneficial in terms of powering your brain and helping you burn fat.
Amazon Brain Octane Oil is 100% caprylic acid triglycerides derived from coconut oil. Caprylic acid is a specific type of MCT that is easy to digest and boosts energy levels. It comes from the most keto-friendly part of a coconut.
Amazon Brain Octane Oil is different from a lot of other types of MCT oil in that it is 100% Pure C8, which is caprylic acid. A lot of other MCT oils are a blend of C8 and C10. It’s produced in the U.S., and it’s flavourless so you can use it in a lot of different ways, including adding it directly to your food, smoothies or coffee.
Some people wonder whether or not you have to be in ketosis for there to be benefits of Amazon Brain Octane Oil. According to the Bulletproof company, the answer is no.
Yes, you will get more ketone benefits if you’re following a keto or low-carb diet, but C8 MCT oil can be beneficial even if you aren’t.
It should also be noted that Bulletproof does offer a traditional MCT oil product as well.
Brain Octane Oil Benefits
According to Bulletproof, Brain Octane Oil benefits include the following:
- The Bulletproof company says that when you take Amazon Brain Octane Oil, as the name might indicate, it will improve your cognitive performance. In fact, this seems to be one of the main reasons people use oil. Because the oil can cross the blood-brain barrier, it might improve your focus and concentration.
- A possible benefit of Brain Octane Oil is increased energy. It is quickly metabolized and turned into ketone energy. Ketone energy is a cleaner form of energy that doesn’t lead to a crash.
- Having Brain Octane Oil each morning may help you feel fuller, and you may have less hunger and fewer cravings.
- When you take Octane Oil, it could help increase your metabolism so you can burn more fat.
Something that we wanted to mention that’s unique about Amazon Brain Octane Oil is how it’s made. The Bulletproof company says they use triple-steam distillation, so it’s highly stable. You should be getting a bottle of only pure MCT oil, without solvents or chemicals.
The product is made in the U.S. from sustainable, imported coconuts.
If you’re on the keto diet, adding Brain Octane Oil to your morning routine is an easy way to up your fat intake.
Because so many of us are always looking for ways to improve our brain health, I did want to go into a little more detail about how Brain Octane Oil can do that.
First, MCT oil has been shown to improve brain energy by anywhere from 8 to 9%. MCTs may also delay brain aging, and they promote the repair of brain cell damage. This can be especially true if you combine MCTs like Brain Oil with a high-fat diet.
Another way MCT oils including Octane Oil potentially help your brain is by optimizing your intestinal flora. That’s your gut bacteria, and your gut and brain health are intrinsically linked to one another. Your gut has good bacteria that produce neurotransmitters. Those are chemicals your brain cells use for communication.
Two neurotransmitters responsible for a positive mood—dopamine and serotonin are primarily created in your intestines.
Also, having an abundance of good bacteria can potentially reduce inflammation in your brain, which researchers think could be an underlying cause of depression.
There was a recent study done at the University of Sherbrooke in Quebec. A researcher used PET scans to visualize the differences in the brain before and after Brain Octane oil was given. The PET scan found that after giving participants Brain Octane Oil, there was significantly higher ketone level activity around all brain regions. The human brain uses ketones for energy.
How Is Brain Octane Oil Different From Other MCT Oils?
This has been talked about a little above, but Brain Octane Oil is different from a lot of the other MCT oils you’ll see for sale.
The difference comes down to C8, C10, and C12 acids.
Plain coconut oil is mostly C12 acid, and your body doesn’t produce the same ketogenic response to this as it does to C8.
C8 has been found to provide up to four times more ketone energy than coconut oil because its more efficiently transformed into ketones by the liver before the ketones then cross the blood-brain barrier.
How Do You Use Brain Octane Oil?
There’s a lot of versatility as far as the different ways you can use brain octane oil, because it truly is tasteless and odorless. I’ve personally used it, and I can attest to that.
A few ways to use it include:
- Add it to your coffee in the morning
- Add it to shakes and smoothies
- Use it in tea
- Drizzle it over any food
- Use it as a base for dressings, marinade, or sauce
Brain Octane Oil has a smoke point of 320 degrees Fahrenheit. Every cooking fat has a smoke point, and it’s important. A smoke point is the temperature at which a fat starts to smoke. When something is heated past its smoke point, it starts to break down and release harmful free radicals and a substance called acrolein. Basically, what this means is don’t cook or heat Brain Octane Oil at a temperature any higher than 320 degrees.
Bulletproof Coffee
One of the most popular ways to use Brain Octane Oil is to make Bulletproof Coffee.
Bulletproof Coffee is a keto-friendly, energizing drink that can help you feel more alert and less hungry. It’s popular among CEOs, athletes, and more.
To make Bulletproof Coffee, you start with a brewed cup of coffee. There are Bulletproof brands, although you don’t have to use this.
Then you add your Brain Octane Oil and either butter or ghee to a blender. Blend it for 20 to 30 seconds, and it creates a drink with the consistency of a latte.
Butter is added to Bulletproof Coffee to help give you high-quality fats that fuel you and also to give the coffee a creamy consistency. Grass-fed butter is high in fatty acids, vitamin A and butyrate as well.
When you add Brain Octane oil, the fat raises your ketone levels, and your body fuels itself on fat rather than sugar for sustained energy without a crash.
You can buy a kit to get started with Bulletproof Coffee easily, and we highly recommend it.
Are There Any Side Effects of Brain Octane Oil?
If you are allergic to coconuts or coconut oil, you should avoid Brain Octane Oil and MCT oil.
Aside from that, some people do experience mild side effects when they use Brain Octane Oil. For example, upset stomach and nausea may occur. Diarrhea and throwing up can also occur, but typically if you don’t overdo it on how much you take, you should experience minimal side effects of Brain Octane Oil, if any.
When you’re using Brain Octane Oil for the first time, start slow.
You should have no more than a teaspoon and gradually let your body adjust to its effects before working your way up to a larger dose.
If you have type 1 diabetes, you should speak to your doctor before taking any MCT oil. Some sources say it’s not a good idea to take them because of the ketone production. If your ketone levels are too high, it puts you at risk of ketoacidosis, which can occur in people with type 1 diabetes.
Nutritional ketosis from a low-carb diet is significantly different from ketoacidosis.
What Do Brain Octane Oil Reviews Say?
I personally have used Brain Octane Oil, and I do like to add it to my coffee. I don’t typically make Bulletproof Coffee with it, but instead just add it to my regular coffee in the morning, along with heavy cream.
Brain Octane Oil is a highly-rated product on Amazon. It has nearly 16,000 bulletproof mct oil reviews on the traditional 16-ounce product listing and an average of 4.5 stars.
Many users say they get a great “buzz” from using Brain Octane Oil, and they feel generally sharper and more energized. Some users say they feel that it’s helped their mental health symptoms of anxiety and depression, although you should never try to replace any medicines you might be prescribed.
A lot of users say that having Brain Octane Oil and, more specifically, Bulletproof Coffee allows them to replace their breakfast and fast for longer if they do intermittent fasting.
Some users, according to bulletproof mct oil reviews say they feel it helps with pain and inflammation.
There are some complaints.
Some people don’t like the bottle design of Brain Octane Oil, because it drips when they pour it. This is a pretty common complaint we saw among the bulletproof mct oil reviews. Another common complaint is the price and some people do experience stomach symptoms from using it. Again, most side effects of Brain Octane Oil can likely be avoided if you start with a very small dose and gradually work your way up. That’s what the Bulletproof company recommends.
The Bulletproof Company
Dave Asprey founded the Bulletproof company in 2011 through the introduction of Bulletproof Coffee. The idea of the coffee is to embrace high-quality fats for more sustained energy and to challenge our previous notions about nutrition.
Frequently Asked Questions
While many of these have been touched on above, we wanted to put together a quick reference guide to some of the most commonly asked questions about Brain Octane Oil.
What is Brain Octane Oil?
So, what is Brain Octane Oil exactly?
Brain Octane Oil is a type of MCT oil that is known as C8. It’s unique from other types of MCT oil in that it only has C8, which is known to be one of the best components of MCT oil to help power your brain.
Brain Octane Oil is flavorless and odorless. It can be added to salad dressings, recipes, smoothies, and to your coffee. You can also use it to make the popular Bulletproof Coffee recipe.
Brain Octane Oil may provide you with an energy boost, help you fast for longer, and it increases your ketone levels.
What is in Brain Octane Oil?
Brain Octane Oil contains pure caprylic acid, which is also known as C8. This is a type of healthy fat or triglyceride harvested from coconuts. It’s a medium-chain triglyceride, more specifically, which is what MCT stands for. Caprylic acid is easy to digest, so it fuels your body more efficiently than conventional coconut oil.
There are no other ingredients in Brain Octane Oil.
Where Can I Buy Brain Octane Oil?
We’ve seen Brain Octane Oil at retailers like Whole Foods. You can also buy it through the Bulletproof website. Above, we linked to Amazon, which is where we prefer to buy Brain Octane Oil.
Why is Bulletproof Brain Octane Oil Making Me Feel Sick?
Some people experience side effects of Brain Octane Oil like nausea or diarrhea when they’re getting used to it. You’re more likely to have these symptoms if you take too much when you’re starting out. When you’re just starting to take Brain Octane Oil, take no more than a teaspoon at first. If you have a sensitive stomach, you might want to start with less than a teaspoon and gradually go up.
Final Thoughts—Our Recommendation
Do we recommend Brain Octane Oil?
Based on our research as well as my personal experience using it, I think it’s a great product, and you may end up noticing some benefits including increased energy and cognitive function. Plus, if you’re following a keto diet, it’s a really easy way to pack some additional healthy fat into your diet.
You should always speak with a health care professional before trying anything new, but overall this is a product we like that has a strong reputation.
We’re also interested in personally trying Bulletproof Coffee as well and letting our readers know how that goes.
References
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141105112614.htm
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0899900712003656
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4882694/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2919277/
https://www.drugs.com/cdi/mct-oil.html
https://www.bulletproof.com/news/mct-oil-for-brain-health/
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04095728
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