C8 MCT Oil UK Guide: C8 vs C10 vs Coconut Oil Explained

By AJ, Sports Nutritionist at BulletCBD · Updated 2 October 2026

Quick answer: C8 MCT oil is a clear, unflavoured oil made only from caprylic acid, the eight-carbon fat found in small amounts in coconut oil. If you are shopping for C8 MCT oil in the UK, look for "100% C8" on the label rather than a C8/C10 blend or plain coconut oil, which is mostly lauric acid. Bullet Organics Pure C8 MCT Oil is exactly that, and it is the same oil that carries the CBD in our isolate sprays.

Why does this matter? Because "MCT oil" on a label can mean very different things. Two bottles at the same price can contain a different mix of fats, behave differently in your coffee and fridge, and taste nothing alike. Once you know what the numbers mean, you can pick the oil that actually fits your routine, and you can read a CBD label with a sharper eye too.

What is C8 MCT oil?

C8 MCT oil is a medium-chain triglyceride oil in which every fatty acid is caprylic acid, a saturated fat with eight carbon atoms in its chain.

"MCT" stands for medium-chain triglycerides. A triglyceride is simply three fatty acids attached to a glycerol backbone, and most of the fat we eat, from olive oil to butter, comes in this form. What changes is the length of the fatty acid chains. Most everyday fats are long-chain, with 14 to 22 carbons. Medium-chain fats are shorter.

A 2022 review in the Journal of Food Science and Technology by Jadhav and Annapure defines the medium-chain fatty acids as four specific fats:

• C6 (caproic acid): the shortest, with a strong smell and taste, so it is usually left out of MCT oils.
• C8 (caprylic acid): the one in a pure C8 oil such as ours.
• C10 (capric acid): the usual partner in blended MCT oils.
• C12 (lauric acid): technically medium-chain, but the review places it at the boundary, with properties that bridge medium and long-chain fats.

To make it, producers take coconut or palm kernel oil and separate the fatty acids by chain length. The result is a light, clear oil that stays liquid at fridge temperatures and has almost no smell or taste.

Ours is made from coconut only. If you prefer to avoid palm-derived ingredients, check the source on any C8 MCT oil you buy in the UK, because the label does not always say.

C8 vs C10 vs coconut oil: what is the difference?

The short version: C8 is a single, refined medium-chain fat; C10 is its slightly longer neighbour; and coconut oil is a whole food fat that is mostly lauric acid, with only a small share of C8 and C10.

That last point surprises a lot of people. According to the Jadhav and Annapure review, coconut oil contains roughly 46 to 54% lauric acid, but only about 5 to 10% caprylic acid (C8) and 5 to 8% capric acid (C10). So a tablespoon of coconut oil gives you only a small amount of the C8 you would get from a tablespoon of pure C8 MCT oil.

Oil	Main fat	Taste and texture	In the fridge	Typical use
Pure C8 MCT oil	Caprylic acid (C8) only	Unflavoured, odourless, light	Stays liquid	Coffee, shakes, oats, dressings, CBD carrier oil
C8/C10 blend MCT oil	Mix of caprylic (C8) and capric (C10)	Mild, usually neutral	Usually stays liquid	General MCT use; cheaper per litre
C10 MCT oil	Capric acid (C10)	Neutral to slightly fatty	Check the label	Less common on its own
Coconut oil	Lauric acid (C12), plus long-chain fats	Coconut flavour (virgin) or neutral (refined)	Solid	Cooking, baking, skincare
Hemp seed oil	Long-chain polyunsaturated fats	Nutty, earthy, green	Stays liquid	Cold dressings; carrier for our broad-spectrum CBD

The practical takeaway: coconut oil is a good kitchen fat but not a substitute for MCT oil, a label that just says "MCT oil" is usually a C8/C10 blend, and pure C8 is the most refined option, so it behaves the same every time.

How is MCT oil digested differently from other fats?

Medium-chain fats take a shorter route through the body than the long-chain fats in most of our diet.

The Jadhav and Annapure review describes how, after digestion, medium-chain fatty acids "are directly transported via hepatic portal vein to liver", whereas long-chain fats are packaged up and travel through the lymphatic system first. This difference in handling is the main reason nutrition researchers study MCTs as their own category of fat.

It also explains why MCT oil is popular with people following keto and low-carb diets: it is a pure fat with no carbohydrate, it blends easily, and it does not change the flavour of food. We would rather talk about how it fits into a routine than make promises about what it does, and you should be wary of any brand that tells you MCT oil will change your body composition or your brain. Brands cannot make those claims in the UK without authorised evidence, and the honest picture is that MCT oil is simply a useful, versatile fat.

One practical point is worth knowing: some people find a large serving of MCT oil sits heavily in the stomach, especially on an empty stomach. That is why we suggest starting with one teaspoon and taking it with food or in a drink, then adjusting over a week or two.

What does the research say about C8 MCT oil and CBD?

Researchers are still working out which carrier oil is best for CBD, and the early findings are more nuanced than most marketing suggests.

CBD is fat-soluble, which is why almost every CBD oil and spray dissolves it in an oil. Scientists are exploring how much the choice of fat, and the food you take it with, changes how much CBD the body absorbs. Three studies are worth knowing.

1. Food and fat make a big difference. A 2018 Phase I trial published in CNS Drugs (Taylor and colleagues) gave highly purified CBD to 56 healthy adults. In the food-effect part of the study, the researchers reported that "a high-fat meal increased CBD plasma exposure (Cmax and AUCt) by 4.85- and 4.2-fold". Two caveats matter: the doses used were pharmaceutical (hundreds to thousands of milligrams), far above the amounts in food supplements, and the study looked at absorption, not at any effect on how people felt.

2. In one animal study, a natural long-chain oil beat MCT. A 2021 study in Pharmaceutics by Feng, Gershkovich and colleagues compared CBD in pure sesame oil with formulations that mixed in MCT. Adding MCT helped CBD dissolve in lab tests and made absorption less variable between animals, but the authors concluded that "the in vivo performance for the extent of both lymphatic transport and systemic bioavailability remains superior with a pure natural oil vehicle". This was a small study in rats (around five or six per group), so it cannot tell us what happens in people, but it is a useful reality check.

3. Formulation science is moving fast. A 2025 paper in the Journal of Cannabis Research (Jelínek and colleagues) tested oil-based emulsions of CBD and found that droplet size had a large influence on absorption in their model, with one emulsion reaching 291% of the exposure of a plain sunflower oil solution. It is early-stage pharmaceutical research, not a guide to choosing a supplement.

So where does that leave a shopper? The honest reading is that no study has shown C8 MCT oil to be the "best" CBD carrier for people, and anyone claiming otherwise is getting ahead of the evidence. What the research does consistently suggest is that CBD is a fat-loving compound and that taking it alongside food is a sensible habit, which is easy to build into a routine.

We use C8 MCT oil in our isolate sprays for practical reasons we can stand behind: it is neutral in taste, light enough to spray cleanly, very stable on the shelf, and it lets the fresh mint flavour come through without any earthy aftertaste. Our broad-spectrum range uses organic hemp seed oil instead, for people who prefer a natural hemp taste. You can read more in our guide to what CBD oil is made from, ingredient by ingredient.

How do you use C8 MCT oil day to day?

Start with one teaspoon a day mixed into something you already eat or drink, then build up gradually if it suits you.

Because pure C8 MCT oil is unflavoured and stays liquid, it is one of the easiest supplements to fold into a routine. A simple four-step approach:

1. Pick an anchor. Attach it to a habit you never miss: morning coffee, a post-training shake or your weekday porridge.
2. Start small. One teaspoon (about 5ml) with food or in a drink. A 500ml bottle gives you roughly 100 teaspoons.
3. Blend, don't stir. Oil and water separate, so a quick blitz with a frother or blender gives a smooth, creamy result in coffee and shakes. Our step-by-step guide to using MCT oil in coffee covers ratios and kit.
4. Keep it cold or cool. Store it in the fridge or a dark cupboard with the cap closed. Unlike coconut oil, C8 stays pourable straight from the fridge.

Avoid using it as a frying oil. MCT oil has a lower smoke point than most cooking oils, which the Jadhav and Annapure review also notes, so it belongs in cold dishes and drinks rather than a hot pan.

How do you choose a C8 MCT oil in the UK?

Check the fatty acid breakdown, the source and the ingredients list before you check the price.

Here is the checklist we use ourselves:

• "100% C8" or "caprylic acid" on the label. If it just says "MCT oil", it is probably a C8/C10 blend.
• The source is named. Coconut-derived C8 is clearly labelled as such. If the source is missing, ask.
• One ingredient, no added flavours.
• A sensible price per serving. At £18.99 for 500ml, our Pure C8 works out at about 19p a teaspoon.
• Who stands behind it. A UK brand with clear contact details and testing information is easier to trust than an anonymous marketplace listing. Here is why people choose BulletCBD.

Frequently asked questions

Is C8 MCT oil the same as coconut oil?

No. Coconut oil is mostly lauric acid (C12) with only around 5 to 10% caprylic acid. C8 MCT oil is a refined oil made only from caprylic acid, so it is liquid, unflavoured and far more concentrated in C8.

Which is better, C8 or C10?

Neither is "better" in every situation. C8 is the more refined, single-fat option and stays liquid in the cold, which makes it easy to use and consistent. C10 is usually found in cheaper C8/C10 blends.

Does Pure C8 MCT Oil contain CBD?

No. Bullet Organics Pure C8 MCT Oil contains no CBD. It is the same type of oil we use as the carrier in our CBD isolate sprays, sold on its own for coffee, shakes and cooking.

Is there research on CBD and MCT oil?

Yes, but it is early. A 2018 trial in 56 healthy adults found a high-fat meal raised CBD absorption around four-fold, while a 2021 rat study found a pure natural oil outperformed MCT mixtures as a carrier. No human study has shown one carrier oil to be clearly best.

How much MCT oil should I start with?

One teaspoon a day with food or in a drink is a sensible start. Some people find larger servings sit heavily in the stomach, so increase gradually over a week or two.

Is C8 MCT oil keto-friendly?

Yes. It is a pure fat with no carbohydrate, which is why it is popular with people following keto and low-carb diets. Our Pure C8 is also vegan.

Which BulletCBD product suits your routine?

If you want an MCT oil for your kitchen, choose Pure C8; if you want CBD in the same carrier, choose the 6000mg Mint Spray; if you want both, choose The Bullet Box.

• Pure C8 MCT Oil, 500ml (£18.99). 100% C8 from coconut, unflavoured and odourless, vegan and keto-friendly, and it stays liquid in the fridge. Around 100 teaspoons per bottle for coffee, shakes, oats and dressings.
• 6000mg Mint CBD Oil Spray, 30ml (£34.95, was £64.99). 99%+ pure CBD isolate dissolved in C8 MCT oil from coconut, with fresh mint flavour and no earthy taste. Roughly 300 metered sprays at about 20mg each, so it works out at about 0.58p per mg, the best value in our range. 0% THC, vegan, made in the UK, on the FSA's public list and independently lab-tested batch by batch. The FSA advises healthy adults to limit CBD to 10mg a day, so plan your servings with that in mind. If you are a drug-tested athlete, an isolate is the lowest-risk format, but no product can guarantee a test result, so check the batch lab report and your governing body's rules. WADA removed CBD from its prohibited list in 2018, but THC is still prohibited.
• The Bullet Box (£65.99, was £83.93). The 6000mg Mint Spray, 1000mg CBD Gummies (100 × 10mg) and Pure C8 MCT Oil together, saving £17.94 on buying them separately.

On the FSA's daily advice, the agency's Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor Robin May, said in 2023: "we are advising that healthy adults should take no more than 10mg of CBD a day." That is the figure every routine on this blog is built around.

The bottom line

C8 MCT oil is a single, refined medium-chain fat made from caprylic acid. It is not the same as coconut oil, which is mostly lauric acid, and it is more precise than a C8/C10 blend. For everyday use it is clean, neutral and easy: a teaspoon in coffee, a shake or your oats is all it takes to build the habit.

The research on carrier oils and CBD is still developing, and the clearest message so far is simply that CBD is fat-soluble and taking it with food makes sense. We chose C8 for our isolate sprays because it is neutral, stable and lets the flavour shine, not because of any shortcut claim.

If you are looking for C8 MCT oil in the UK, start with Bullet Organics Pure C8 MCT Oil, or get it alongside our best-value spray and gummies in The Bullet Box. Every order comes with free UK delivery.

CBD food supplements are not suitable for under-18s, or for anyone pregnant or breastfeeding. If you take medication, speak to your GP or pharmacist before use. This article is general information, not medical advice. Sources: Jadhav HB, Annapure US, "Triglycerides of medium-chain fatty acids: a concise review", Journal of Food Science and Technology (2022); Taylor L, Gidal B, Blakey G, Tayo B, Morrison G, "A Phase I, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Single Ascending Dose, Multiple Dose, and Food Effect Trial of the Safety, Tolerability and Pharmacokinetics of Highly Purified Cannabidiol in Healthy Subjects", CNS Drugs (2018); Feng W, Qin C, Cipolla E, et al., Gershkovich P, "Inclusion of Medium-Chain Triglyceride in Lipid-Based Formulation of Cannabidiol Facilitates Micellar Solubilization In Vitro, but In Vivo Performance Remains Superior with Pure Sesame Oil Vehicle", Pharmaceutics (2021); Jelínek P, et al., "Oil-based and oil-free formulations for enhancing cannabidiol bioavailability", Journal of Cannabis Research (2025); Food Standards Agency, "Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland update consumer advice for CBD" (12 October 2023).