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Dr. Mary Newport discusses ketone bodies, and alternative fuel for the brain, that the body makes in digesting coconut and the effective work on memory loss and Alzheimer’s with coconut oil.

 

Dr. Mary Newport recounted a riveting story about her husband who was stricken with Alzheimer’s disease at the young age of 58. Thankfully for us all, Dr. Newport didn’t simply accept that this diagnosis would lead to an inevitable and tragic outcome. She researched any and all available options and decided to try to get her husband enrolled in clinical trials for experimental drugs for dementia.

Both Dr. Newport and her husband encountered huge roadblocks almost immediately. In order to be enrolled in such experimental studies, you generally need to possess a certain level of brain function. The reasoning is that medications are more likely to benefit those in the early stages of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. The sad fact was that Steve wasn’t scoring high enough on tests to qualify him for the trials.

Then Dr. Newport came across some information about the use of a specific class of fats that were showing preliminary promise in the nutritional management of a variety of neurological conditions. These unusual fats go by the name of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). The most concentrated food source of MCTs is coconut oil. With nothing left to lose, Dr. Newport began giving her husband large amounts of coconut oil and incorporating it into their diets. The results were nothing short of amazing. This oil, which most doctors will tell you to avoid like the plague, has halted and even reversed some of the symptoms of Steve Newport’s brain dysfunction!

If you know anything about coconut oil, you know that it’s loaded with saturated fat. Most conventional doctors consider it one of the most damaging types of fat because it’s “bad for the heart”. When something is harmful for the heart, it typically also impedes circulation to other vital body organs, including the brain. But as you’ll see, recent scientific studies do not appear to support this view.

  • A March 2009 study found that adding MCTs to the diet of dogs with “age-related cognitive decline” increased the levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the parietal cortex of the brain – a part of the brain that is severely impacted by Alzheimer’s disease. Omega-3 fatty acids are the types of fats found in fish, but are not present in coconut oil. Researchers theorize that the MCTs liberated omega-3s from fat stores already present in the body and shuttled them to the brain.
  • It’s also interesting to note that the MCTs caused an increase in phospholipid levels in the brain (which can promote healthy cognitive function), and did not raise cholesterol concentrations in the parietal cortex (a theoretical concern).
  • A study from August of 2008 found additional reason for hope. A group of aged dogs were again administered MCTs through their diets for a period of 2 months, after which their brains were analyzed. The scientists conducting the experiment found that the dogs eating MCTs showed greater cell energy in the parietal lobe (like in the first study). There was a decrease in amyloid precursor protein (APP) and a declining trend in amyloid-beta levels in the parietal region. Amyloid-beta is a protein that makes up the plaques found in the brains of those with Alzheimer’s disease and a target of many Alzheimer’s medications.
  • A February 2009 trial conducted at Yale University found that MCTs could serve as a glucose alternative in a group of diabetic rats. The researchers found that MCTs preserved brain function during periods of low blood sugar without generating the risk of high blood sugar. This is an important finding because one current theory is that certain forms of brain dysfunction may be associated with an impaired ability to utilize glucose as a source of energy in the brain.
  • In 2008, a study in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition compared the use of MCTs and olive oil as part of a weight loss diet in a group of people at risk for metabolic syndrome. 31 men and women participated in this 4 month study. They were all overweight and consumed about 12% of their calories from either MCTs or olive oil. At the end of the trial, the scientists concluded that, “MCT oil can be incorporated into a weight loss program without fear of adversely affecting metabolic risk factors.”
  • Another 2008 experiment found that MCTs may actually improve “cardiac dysfunction” in rats with high blood pressure
The human brain needs a continual supply of fuel. When this continual supply is interrupted brain cells begin to die. In the short-term, this can cause symptoms such as headaches, brain fog, & tiredness. Long-term exposure to environments that deplete sources of brain fuel from effectively getting into the cells leads to neurodegenerative diseases. New research is showing that coconut oil can supply the brain with a very clean source of energy that prevents unwanted short-term symptoms and is effective at preventing and treating neurodegenerative disease states.

In many neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s, neurons in certain regions of the brain have become insulin resistant. Insulin is the necessary hormone that brings glucose into cells where it can be used for energy. This is Diabetes in the brain. When brain cells become resistant to insulin they are unable to get glucose and they become malnourished and begin to die.

Because the brain is unable to lower circulating blood sugar levels these levels remain high. High blood sugar is neurotoxic in that it binds with protein molecules to create advanced glycolytic enzymes (AGEs). These AGEs dramatically increase oxidative stress levels in the body and have a particular affinity for damaging neuronal tissue. This combination of high blood sugar and low energy states within the brain cells is the perfect storm for massive brain cell death.

Coconut oil is considered one of the best fuels for healthy brain function. Outside of mother’s milk, coconut oil is nature’s richest source of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). Medium chain triglycerides (MCT) are not processed by your body in the same manner as long chain triglycerides. Normal fat metabolism depends on bile salts that have been released from your gallbladder before it can be broken down in your digestive system.

MCTs bypass bile metabolism and go directly to your liver where they are converted into ketones. The liver then immediately releases the ketones into the bloodstream where they are transported to the brain to be used as fuel. Research has shown that the ketone bodies produced by MCTs provide a stable source of energy for the brain during periods of low blood sugar without the neurological risks associated with high blood sugar.

This is why ketones appear to be the preferred source of brain food in patients affected by diabetes or any neurodegenerative condition such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS, & Multiple Sclerosis, etc. One of the leading authorities on MCT research is Dr. Mary Newport. She has shown that ketone bodies may help the brain recover from lack of oxygen induced brain death in newborns through adults. Additionally, ketones can help the heart patient recover from a heart attack and they can affectively shrink cancerous tumors.

Additional research has shown that regular MCT consumption in dogs with “age-related mental decline” increases the phospholipid and omega-3 fatty acid (EPA & DHA) content in the parietal cortex of the brain. Omega 3 fatty acids are found in fish not coconut oil. The researchers believe that the presence of the MCTs allowed omega 3s to be liberated from fat stores & utilized in the brain where they are most needed to help form solid memory centers.

The average sized adult should consume 3-4 tablespoons of coconut oil daily. This could be taken orally, added to food, or applied onto skin. It can be taken in the form of coconut oil, milk, meat, or flakes. Coconut milk provides approximately 1 Tbsp of coconut oil for every 3 ounces. People with diabetes (type I & II) or neurological disease would benefit from up to 8-10 tablespoons of coconut oil daily.

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