Coconut oilhas recently received a great deal of attention in the battle againstAlzheimer’s disease, due to its ability tostimulatecognitive function, balancecholesterol levels, prevent oxidative stress and boost metabolic activity.
This powerful oil has become a common element in many natural health treatments, given its high levels of medium-chain fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, andantioxidantcompounds. This makes the oil a powerful asset formoisturizingtheskin, improving digestion, balancingcholesterollevels, aiding in weight-loss efforts, strengthening thehair, and reducing the negative effects of free radicals throughout the body.
Coconut oilcan also be used in a wide variety of ways, as a topical agent for the skin and hair, a delicious and healthy cooking oil, in supplement form, mixed in with various beverages, includingcoffee,tea, smoothies, and shakes, or simply eaten by the spoonful. With this wide range of potential reasons to include coconut oil in your diet and health regimen, a great deal ofresearch money and attentionhas been poured into this “new” health remedy, even though it has been used for thousands of years in traditional medicine practices around the world.
Coconut oil as a treatment for Alzheimer’s? Photo Credit: Shutterstock
A few years ago, many people looked at coconut oil as yet another health fad, with an overblown level of impact on human health. However, more and more studies are finding that the uniquenutritionalcomposition of coconut oil backs up the impressive claims about what it can do for your health. According to astudypublished in the Aging Journal by Dr. Dale Bredesen, Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer’s Disease Research, Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, USA, one of the most controversial benefits of this oil concerns its impact on degenerative cognitive conditions, namely Alzheimer’s disease.
Can Coconut Oil Treat Alzheimer’s Disease?
Coconut oil does have a number of effects on the body, both direct and secondary, that can improve the cognitive function of those suffering from Alzheimer’s, says astudypublished in the Cambridge University Press. These beneficial impacts are primarily derived from thesaturated fatcontent of coconut oil, and some of the byproducts when it ismetabolizedby the body. As per the美国农业部National Nutrient Database, coconut oil comprisescalcium, saturated,monounsaturatedandpolyunsaturatedfats.
The main characteristic that makes coconut oil so beneficial for us in so many different ways is the composition of fats. Roughly 90% of coconut oil is made up of a type of saturated fat called medium-chaintriglycerides. Thethree maintriglycerides found in this oil are capric acid, caprylic acid, and lauric acid, the last one making up about half of all the fats in coconut oil. While saturated fats are commonly seen as being bad for the body, as they can raise cholesterol levels and lead to weight gain, these medium-chain fatty acids are slightly different.
As opposed to long-chain fatty acids, which are normally stored by the body as fat, medium-chain fatty acids are converted directly into usable energy by the liver. They are also smaller than long-chain fatty acids and can be more easily absorbed by membranes and tissues in the gut. When capric, caprylic and lauric acids are processed in the liver, ketones are given off as a byproduct. Ketones areessentiallyenergy for the brain and are at the core of a popular health trend known as theketogenic diet. According toresearchpublished in the Food Science and Human Wellness Journal, ketones are also known to positively affect mitochondrial activity, which provides an interesting link to research suggesting that Alzheimer’s and other degenerative cognitive diseases are connected to mitochondrial dysfunction.
Furthermore, while there are some health concerns relating to consuming excess saturated fat, the triglycerides found in coconut oil are known to balance cholesterol levels – increasing HDL (“good” cholesterol) and decreasing LDL (“bad” cholesterol). This can reduce oxidative stress in theheart, as well as other areas of the body. According to a research published in the Journal of the American Academy of PAs, oxidative stress and the activity of free radicals are known to increase plaquebuildupin the neural connections of the brain, leading to decreased function and Alzheimer’s disease.
Although studies are still limited on this important subject, one of the breakthrough reports of coconut oil’s effect on the brain comes from Dr. Mary Newport, whose husband was suffering through rapid onset Alzheimer’s disease and seeing very little improvement from prescribed medications and treatments. After beginning her husband on a steady intake ofvirgin coconut oil, however, theprogression of his symptomswas not only slowed down, but his condition actually improved. This anecdotal case study has spurred further research on the role of ketones and cholesterol levels in Alzheimer’s disease, as well as how the use of coconut oil can potentially slow, stop or even reverse the effects of the disease.
