Why I use and recommend Melrose MCT powders

Learn about Steph Lowe's top six reasons why she uses and recommends Melrose MCT powders, and get her favourite quick and easy go-to recipe.

We all know MCT oil is an incredible product for energy and mental clarity. MCT powder is both convenient and can be easier on the digestive system, allowing a full serve and maximum health benefits. 

Additional benefits include:

• Portable and perfect for travelling.
• Adds a delicious creaminess to your MCT coffee to keep you going for hours.
• Can also be consumed on its own as the perfect ketogenic beverage for non-coffee drinkers, and later in the day when you need the energy boost, but not necessarily another coffee.

Here's six reasons why I use and recommend MCT powders:

1. Clean instant energy
MCT powder provides an immediate energy boost with no subsequent blood sugar rollercoaster or crash. It is readily absorbed by the liver and stimulates the production of ketones, our alternate fuel source to glucose. Consume a scoop in your MCT coffee before exercise for an incredible energy boost.

2. Appetite control
MCT powder increases the release of satiety hormones, leptin and peptide YY, which stimulates feeling of fullness and supresses hunger. A serve of MCT powder in water is a perfect way to avoid the dreaded 3:30-itis and its associated poor food choices that can often unravel our good intentions from earlier in the day.

3. Promotion of fat burning
Fat burning, our natural metabolic state, is inhibited by excess carbohydrate consumption and/or chronic stress. MCT powder is a great way to get back into fat burning mode and as a result, control your cravings, body composition and extend your endurance potential. Fat burning is not just for weight loss – it is naturally anti-inflammatory with by-products of only carbon dioxide and water. This is the best metabolic state to promote not only great health, but also for helping to avoid many of our lifestyle diseases that are inflammatory in nature, including cardiovascular disease, and type II diabetes.

4. Increased mental output and improved brain health
Our brain is approximately 60% fat and requires good quality dietary fats to support its structure and function. Fats are also how our fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K are transported to the brain for use. MCT powder is made from pure coconuts, which provide nutrient-dense saturated fats that support not only your cognitive function but, can also assist mood and long-term brain health. Saturated fat is one of the main components of brain cells, and is neuroprotective to dementia and similar cognitive conditions that often stem from our low-fat ways of the past.

5. Increased blood ketone levels
MCT powder increase blood ketone levels up to 1.10mmol/L. This is what helps provide all of the above benefits and so much more. Ketones are well supported by the scientific literature to be beneficial for conditions including epilepsy, Angelman's syndrome, traumatic brain injury, dementia, Alzheimer's disease and cancer. You can also consume a scoop with or after a meal you've consumed that's higher in carbohydrates to get back into ketosis and avoid the dreaded blood sugar crash that would otherwise inevitably follow.

6. Digestive health
Each powder within the Melrose MCT Powders range contains 30% acacia fibre sourced from the sap of the acacia tree. This not only contributes to your daily dietary fibre intake but feeds the beneficial bacteria in your large intestine, helping to create a flourishing internal ecosystem. Acacia fibre has also been shown to allow an increased absorption of nutrients and to provide a barrier against pathogens being passed into the gut.

I love that the Melrose range also features matcha power, adaptogenic herbs and medicinal mushrooms. I have personally been using Lion's mane and reishi for years now and I strongly believe in their many health benefits, including mood and sleep support, immune boosting and the management of inflammation.

To get you started, here's my favourite quick and easy recipe with Melrose MCT powder.