Subject: Health Tip Coconut Oil and Alzheimers
Coconut Oil and Alzheimer’s Disease
The most effective treatment for Alzheimer’s may be sitting on your cupboard self. Doctor discovers effectiveness of coconut oil in fighting neurodegeneration.
From time to time I receive testimonials from people who attest that coconut oil helped them or a family member overcome neurological problems. These problems include Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, autism, dementia, epilepsy, and various emotional disorders. Of these conditions, the effects of coconut oil or the fatty acids in coconut oil on epilepsy are the most thoroughly studied and documented. However, new research on Alzheimer’s disease has shown that coconut oil may be the best alternative treatment for this otherwise untreatable condition.
Recently, I received a copy of a letter addressed to Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and other Members of the Alzheimer Study Group. I would like to share some of the contents of this letter with you.
The letter was written by Mary T. Newport, MD, Director of Neonatology at Spring Hill Regional Hospital in Florida. About five years ago Dr. Newport’s husband, Steve, began to develop signs of Alzheimer’s disease. At the time Steve was only 53 years old. The disease progressively worsened and according to Dr. Newport is now “moderately severe.” Steve’s latest MRI shows extensive atrophy in the amygdale and hippocampus, the areas affected by Alzheimer’s. He lives at home where his health care is supervised by his wife.
During this time Dr. Newport searched endlessly for ways to curb the progression of the disease. She learned of some clinical trials recruiting Alzheimer’s patients for studies to test the effectiveness of two experimental drugs. In researching the drugs she discovered that one of them, Ketasyn, showed great promise. In preliminary studies persons with Alzheimer’s disease demonstrated overall improvement in mental ability in as little as 45 days. Positive results were noticeable in some of the subject after just a single dose. She recognized that this drug had the potential to be the most effective treatment on the market for preventing and reversing symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
During her research, she discovered that the active ingredient in Ketasyn was medium chain triglycerides (MCT)—which are derived from coconut oil. Since the drug is not yet approved for treatment of Alzheimer’s by the FDA and is commercially available, she went to the health food store and purchased a bottle of virgin coconut oil. The daily dosage of MCT oil used in preliminary studies was equivalent to about 2½ tablespoons of coconut oil.
“I started adding 2½ tablespoons to my husband’s oatmeal at breakfast,” says Dr. Newport. “Within a few days there was noticeable improvement in his gait, his ability to converse, his sense of humor has returned; he remembers the month and the season immediately, which he could not remember if repeated over and over to him before. He is following through on things that he wants to accomplish during the course of the day…To see this much improvement in such a short time is very encouraging for both of us. He is well aware that he is suffering from this disease and fully supports and enjoys our dietary change.”
In the hospital where Dr. Newport works, some nurses are from the Philippines. “My nurse friends from the Philippines have advised me that in their country of origin (as well as other Asian countries), coconut and coconut oil are a staple, used on a daily basis, which may explain why there is a much lower incidence of Alzheimer’s disease in that part of the world.”
How do the medium chain triglycerides in coconut oil fight Alzheimer’s disease? During digestion, MCTs are broken down into medium chain fatty acids, some of which are converted into ketones. Nerve tissue, including the brain, relies on glucose for energy. Nerve cells can also convert ketones into energy. When food is restricted and adequate glucose is unavailable, the body converts fat into ketones, which supplies the brain with the energy it needs to function properly.
Certain conditions, such as chronic inflammation, can cause cells to become insulin resistant. Insulin is a hormone that takes glucose from the bloodstream and shuttles it into the cells. Glucose cannot enter cells without the aid of insulin. In insulin resistance, insulin receptors do not function properly and cannot adequately transport glucose into the cells. When inflammation affects nerve tissue, nerve cells become insulin resistant. Therefore, the brain is unable to get the glucose it needs and nerve cells degenerate and die, leading to neurological problems such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and other neurological disorders.
Ketones do not require the aid of insulin to pass through cell membranes. Therefore, they can supply brain cellswith needed energy regardless of insulin status. Diseased brains, which are starving for nourishment, get the energy they need from the ketones the body manufactures from the coconut oil. Other fats and oils will not convert to ketones unless a state of starvation exists, so they are of no benefit.
Dr. Newport discovered that the science behind the use of MCTs to treat neurological disorders has been around for a number of years, but little has been done to use this knowledge to development treatments for Alzheimer’s and other neurological conditions. MCTs and coconut oil are natural products and as such, are not patentable, so drug manufacturers have little interest in researching their therapeutic potential. Likewise, the government and medical profession, which are greatly influenced by the pharmaceutical industry, have shown little interest.
She laments that had she known about MCTs, she could have begun treating her husband sooner. “Just three years ago my husband’s MRI was ‘normal’ and he could work as an accountant.” Now, it may be too late, “realistically speaking, I cannot expect him to fully recover.” If she could have started him on the coconut oil when the symptoms first arose, she believes his mind would not have deteriorated to the state it is in today. In fact, he may have retained all of his mental capabilities.
Disturbed by the lack of action taken by the government and medical profession, she wrote a letter to key individuals imploring them to “study the research and make the findings public knowledge so that everyone who suffers from this disease can potentially benefit.” In addition to Justice O’Conner and myself, letters were sent to Senator Hillary Clinton, Dr. Steven K. Galson, acting Surgeon General of the U.S., Dr. Mehmet Oz at NBC studios, the medical editors of the New York Times and Washington Post, and many other influential individuals. Will Dr. Newport’s campaign bring about greater awareness of the health benefits of coconut oil? Only time will tell.
The most effective treatment for Alzheimer’s may be sitting on your cupboard self. Doctor discovers effectiveness of coconut oil in fighting neurodegeneration.
From time to time I receive testimonials from people who attest that coconut oil helped them or a family member overcome neurological problems. These problems include Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, autism, dementia, epilepsy, and various emotional disorders. Of these conditions, the effects of coconut oil or the fatty acids in coconut oil on epilepsy are the most thoroughly studied and documented. However, new research on Alzheimer’s disease has shown that coconut oil may be the best alternative treatment for this otherwise untreatable condition.
Recently, I received a copy of a letter addressed to Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and other Members of the Alzheimer Study Group. I would like to share some of the contents of this letter with you.
The letter was written by Mary T. Newport, MD, Director of Neonatology at Spring Hill Regional Hospital in Florida. About five years ago Dr. Newport’s husband, Steve, began to develop signs of Alzheimer’s disease. At the time Steve was only 53 years old. The disease progressively worsened and according to Dr. Newport is now “moderately severe.” Steve’s latest MRI shows extensive atrophy in the amygdale and hippocampus, the areas affected by Alzheimer’s. He lives at home where his health care is supervised by his wife.
During this time Dr. Newport searched endlessly for ways to curb the progression of the disease. She learned of some clinical trials recruiting Alzheimer’s patients for studies to test the effectiveness of two experimental drugs. In researching the drugs she discovered that one of them, Ketasyn, showed great promise. In preliminary studies persons with Alzheimer’s disease demonstrated overall improvement in mental ability in as little as 45 days. Positive results were noticeable in some of the subject after just a single dose. She recognized that this drug had the potential to be the most effective treatment on the market for preventing and reversing symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
During her research, she discovered that the active ingredient in Ketasyn was medium chain triglycerides (MCT)—which are derived from coconut oil. Since the drug is not yet approved for treatment of Alzheimer’s by the FDA and is commercially available, she went to the health food store and purchased a bottle of virgin coconut oil. The daily dosage of MCT oil used in preliminary studies was equivalent to about 2½ tablespoons of coconut oil.
“I started adding 2½ tablespoons to my husband’s oatmeal at breakfast,” says Dr. Newport. “Within a few days there was noticeable improvement in his gait, his ability to converse, his sense of humor has returned; he remembers the month and the season immediately, which he could not remember if repeated over and over to him before. He is following through on things that he wants to accomplish during the course of the day…To see this much improvement in such a short time is very encouraging for both of us. He is well aware that he is suffering from this disease and fully supports and enjoys our dietary change.”
In the hospital where Dr. Newport works, some nurses are from the Philippines. “My nurse friends from the Philippines have advised me that in their country of origin (as well as other Asian countries), coconut and coconut oil are a staple, used on a daily basis, which may explain why there is a much lower incidence of Alzheimer’s disease in that part of the world.”
How do the medium chain triglycerides in coconut oil fight Alzheimer’s disease? During digestion, MCTs are broken down into medium chain fatty acids, some of which are converted into ketones. Nerve tissue, including the brain, relies on glucose for energy. Nerve cells can also convert ketones into energy. When food is restricted and adequate glucose is unavailable, the body converts fat into ketones, which supplies the brain with the energy it needs to function properly.
Certain conditions, such as chronic inflammation, can cause cells to become insulin resistant. Insulin is a hormone that takes glucose from the bloodstream and shuttles it into the cells. Glucose cannot enter cells without the aid of insulin. In insulin resistance, insulin receptors do not function properly and cannot adequately transport glucose into the cells. When inflammation affects nerve tissue, nerve cells become insulin resistant. Therefore, the brain is unable to get the glucose it needs and nerve cells degenerate and die, leading to neurological problems such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and other neurological disorders.
Ketones do not require the aid of insulin to pass through cell membranes. Therefore, they can supply brain cellswith needed energy regardless of insulin status. Diseased brains, which are starving for nourishment, get the energy they need from the ketones the body manufactures from the coconut oil. Other fats and oils will not convert to ketones unless a state of starvation exists, so they are of no benefit.
Dr. Newport discovered that the science behind the use of MCTs to treat neurological disorders has been around for a number of years, but little has been done to use this knowledge to development treatments for Alzheimer’s and other neurological conditions. MCTs and coconut oil are natural products and as such, are not patentable, so drug manufacturers have little interest in researching their therapeutic potential. Likewise, the government and medical profession, which are greatly influenced by the pharmaceutical industry, have shown little interest.
She laments that had she known about MCTs, she could have begun treating her husband sooner. “Just three years ago my husband’s MRI was ‘normal’ and he could work as an accountant.” Now, it may be too late, “realistically speaking, I cannot expect him to fully recover.” If she could have started him on the coconut oil when the symptoms first arose, she believes his mind would not have deteriorated to the state it is in today. In fact, he may have retained all of his mental capabilities.
Disturbed by the lack of action taken by the government and medical profession, she wrote a letter to key individuals imploring them to “study the research and make the findings public knowledge so that everyone who suffers from this disease can potentially benefit.” In addition to Justice O’Conner and myself, letters were sent to Senator Hillary Clinton, Dr. Steven K. Galson, acting Surgeon General of the U.S., Dr. Mehmet Oz at NBC studios, the medical editors of the New York Times and Washington Post, and many other influential individuals. Will Dr. Newport’s campaign bring about greater awareness of the health benefits of coconut oil? Only time will tell.