Scientific explanation of why C8 and C10 are a golden MCT duo and why they belong together.
Aziza Khabbush came to the conclusion that C8 and C10 are oxidised in a different way by our brain cells. For example, C8 can be metabolised more readily and provide energy, while C10, due to its dependence on the carnitine route, is metabolised less readily and therefore may build up, as can be seen in the picture below.
This doctor draws the conclusion that because CPT 1 (Carnitine palmitoyltransferase I) is not adequately expressed in the brain, C10 is relatively spared from β-oxidation and can build up that way. This is aided further by the presence of C8 in the ketogenic MCT diet, which has a limited effect on C10 β-oxidation.
