Caprylic acid is a short or medium chain saturated fatty acid. Caprylic acid is also called octanoic acid. it occurs naturally in butterfat and palm and coconut oils in the form of triacylglycerols (TAG).

Products for sale
Solaray, Capryl, Sustained-Release, 100 Veggie Caps

Research
Caprylic acid infusion acts in the liver to decrease food intake in rats.
Physiology and Behavior. 2006.
Hepatic portal vein (HPV) infusion of the medium chain fatty acid caprylic acid for 90 min beginning at dark onset in 18-h food-deprived male rats reduced the size of the first nocturnal meal about 40% and reduced 24-h food intake by about 15%. Identical infusions into the vena cava affected neither initial meal size nor food intake. HPV caprylic acid infusion attenuated the postprandial decreases in plasma free fatty acids and beta-hydroxybutyrate. These data indicate that caprylic acid acts in the liver to produce a signal that inhibits feeding and that this inhibitory effect may be related to increases in hepatic fatty acid oxidation rather than be the result of aversion or toxicity.

Supplement questions
Q. I came across an ad for a caprylic acid supplement at 350 mg. One capsule provides caprylic acid (as calcium caprylate, zinc caprylate, potassium caprylate and magnesium caprylate. Can you tell me what this product is used for?
   A. I have no idea why anyone would want to take a caprylic acid supplement. As of April 2015 I have not seen research in humans where a caprylic acid supplement was given for any length of time to determine whether this fatty acid has any benefits.

I saw on your site where you answered a question saying you have no idea why anyone would take the caprylic acid supplement. Have you researched its use for elimination of candida?
    I have not seen such studies, but if you are familiar with such knowledge I would be glad to review them.

If you take a supplement and it makes you feel worse, what to do? Is it a case of "no pain no gain" and eventually you will get better or will it just damage you to keep taking it ? I ask because I seem to be sensitive to so many supplements . Fish oil make me worsewhereas most people say it is a miracle. Pycnogenol is another one .ALA seems to be ok for me now although 10 years ago i took 600mg a day on empty stomachand after a while it also made me worse .I have some kind of long standing health issue .I don't know what it is except that it has something to do with my brain . I don't have much sense of smell and I feel like my head is all plugged up . Music sounds like noise to me .Something with my gastro too .I don't want to go into too much detail but my life is in complete ruin .I have kind of been hopping from one supplement to another for 20 years now .I've had some moderate success recently by taking "Caprylic Acid Plus" for about 6 months .And I recently am trying a combo of fish oil , ALA , NAC , ALCAR , gingko and vinpocentine that I read in a study. But I dropped the fish oil because I think it is bothering me .I've been on this combo for over a month and I think I am better .Maybe my improved digestion from the caprylic acid allows me to absorb the other stuff better but I am skeptical that this will last . It is already not as good as when I started the combo .Anyway, mainly I want to know what to do if something makes me feel worse . Is it detox? Should just grind it out?
   A. In most cases the problem is with taking too high amounts. For instance 10 to 30 mg of alpha lipoic acid can provide with benefits and not a make a person feel worse.