Editorial MEDIUM CHAIN TRIGLYCERIDES

For more than 30 years, medium chain triglycer-ides (MCT) have had an important role in nutritional care. Their relative ease of digestion and absorption, in comparison to long chain triglycerides (LCT), have made MCT a popular component of enteral feedings used in maldigestive and malabsorptive states. In contrast, MCT have been little used in parenteral nutrition. Although coconut oil and other rich sources of MCT were utilized in early studies of intravenous lipid delivery, all of the lipid emulsions that have widespread availability for intravenous use are based on oils consisting primarily of LCT.1 MCT have theoretical advantages over LCT in parenteral nutrition. Medium chain fatty acids (MCFA) are not reesterified and stored to the exten