Coconut Oil And Alzheimer's Disease

[Candyman]

Subject: Coconut Oil and Alzheimer's DiseaseCoconut Oil and Alzheimer's Disease!How worried should drug companies be about supplements eating into their monopoly profits?A lot, as this story will show. Please share it with anyone you know who is suffering from Alzheimer's or is worried about it.Of course, just about everyone worries about Alzheimer's. It currently afflicts 5.2 million people in the US and is the seventh leading cause of death. The cost of treating it is estimated at $148 billion. Mary Newport, MD, has been medical director of the neonatal intensive care unit at Spring Hill Regional Hospital in Florida since it opened in 2003. About the same time the unit opened, her husband Steve, then 53, began showing signs of progressive dementia, later diagnosed as Alzheimer's Disease. Many days, often for several days in a row, he was in a fog; couldn't find a spoon or remember how to get water out of the refrigerator, she said.They started him on Alzheimer's drugs--Aricept, Namenda, Exelon--but his disease worsened steadily. (It should be noted that the latest research shows that the various Alzheimer's drugs, like Aricept, have proven disappointing, with little real benefit and often distressing side effects.)When Dr. Newport couldn't get her husband into a drug trial for a new Alzheimer's medication, she started researching the mechanism behind Alzheimer's. She discovered that with Alzheimer's disease, certain brain cells may have difficulty utilizing glucose (made from the carbohydrates we eat), the brain's principal source of energy. Without fuel, these precious neurons may begin to die. There is an alternative energy source for brain cell fats known as ketones. If deprived of carbohydrates, the body produces ketones naturally.But this is the hard way to do it; who wants to cut carbohydrates out of the diet completely? Another way to produce ketones is by consuming oils that have medium-chain triglycerides. When MCT oil is digested, the liver converts it into ketones. In the first few weeks of life, ketones provide about 25% of the energy newborn babies need to survive.Dr. Newport learned that the ingredient in the drug trial which was showing so much promise was simply MCT oil derived from coconut oil or palm kernel oil, and that a dose of 20 grams (about 20 ml or 4 teaspoons) was used to produce these results. When MCT oil is metabolized, the ketones which the body creates may, according to the latest research, not only protect against the incidence of Alzheimer’s, but may actually reverse it.Moreover, this is also a potential treatment for Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease), drug-resistant epilepsy, brittle type I diabetes, and type II (insulin-resistant) diabetes.So Mr. Newport, not being able to get into the drug trial, started taking the coconut oil twice a day. At this point, he could barely remember how to draw a clock. Two weeks after adding coconut oil to his diet, his drawing improved. After 37 days, Steve's drawing gained even more clarity. The oil seemed to lift the fog, and in the first sixty days, Dr. Newport saw remarkable changes in him: every morning he was alert and happy, talkative, making jokes. His gait was still a little weird, but his tremor was no longer very noticeable. He was able to concentrate on things that he wanted to do around the house and in the yard and stay on task, whereas before coconut oil he was easily distracted and rarely accomplished anything unless he was directly supervised.Over the next year, the dementia continued to reverse itself: he is able to run again, his reading comprehension has improved dramatically, and his short-term memory is improving; he often brings up events that happened days to weeks earlier and relays telephone conversations with accurate detail. A recent MRI shows that the brain atrophy has been completely halted.Let's take a moment to consider what actually happened here. Synthetic (patentable) Alzheimer's drugs have failed. A drug company reluctantly decides to put a non-patentable natural substance (medium-chain triglycerides derived from coconut or palm) through an FDA trial. It works. But, darn it, a smart doctor figures out that a natural food can be substituted for the super-expensive drug. Not only that, the ketones from natural coconut oil last in the body longer than the drug version--eighthours instead of three hours. This is enough to make a drug company start worrying about its future. What if this natural health idea really catches on? Goodbye to monopoly profits!Coconut oil can be found in many health food stores and even some grocery stores. One large chain sells a non-hydrogenated (no trans-fat) brand of coconut oil in a one-liter size (nearly 32 ounces) for about $7. It can be purchased in quantities as small as a pint and up to five gallons online. It is important to use coconut oil that is non-hydrogenated and contains no trans-fat. We would also strongly encourage the use of virgin oil (chemicals used to extract non-virgin oil are potentially dangerous, and better still, virgin organic, still quite reasonably priced.)For more information, see Dr. Newport's website. Sadly, you will not find any information on ketones, or the use of coconut oil or MCT oil, on the Alzheimer's Association website.Coconut oil is not the only natural product that has the potential to turn Alzheimer's around. We will cover some other ones, and drug industry efforts to steal some of them, in a future issue.http://www.coconutke.../biography.html

[OnMyWay]

Thanks for posting this! Great information! I really think the world is being scammed by the drug companies and the medical establishment. Certainly there are needs for many of the products and services, but poor nutrition is probably behind most of our ails.

[Curley]

Thanks for posting this! Great information! I really think the world is being scammed by the drug companies and the medical establishment. Certainly there are needs for many of the products and services, but poor nutrition is probably behind most of our ails.

Hear, hear. Anyone know of wheatgrass growers in the Philippines? Of Spirulina?

[Steve & Myrlita]

Is coconut oil the same as palm oil? If so, I'm screwed. I'm allergic to palm oil. I only discovered that 3 yrs ago.

[Jollygoodfellow]

Thanks for posting this! Great information! I really think the world is being scammed by the drug companies and the medical establishment. Certainly there are needs for many of the products and services, but poor nutrition is probably behind most of our ails.

Hear, hear. Anyone know of wheatgrass growers in the Philippines? Of Spirulina?

I did see wheat grass advertised on Sulit not long back so someone is growing it. :rolleyes:

[Bruce]

STOP! LOOK BOTH WAYS BEFORE CROSSING! We have all heard these warnings before. They make common sense. So, in that light, take another look at the coconut oil treatment for Alzheimers. I am not defending drug companies in the least. However, after putting aside the arguments as to why drug companies do what they do in chasing the almighty dollar, I simply took a look at the internet's offerings for this treatment. I see nothing that says it is a cure. Nothing! Is it a treatment? no, not really. Will it hurt the patient? No, in the low doses mentioned, I see no harm, other than false hope and cash loss. As for Dr. Newport... I expect better of her. She is presenting 'evidence' the same way some high school kid would. NOT the way a trained professional should do. The current understanding of Alzheimers is a build up of certain plaques in the brain causing a decrease in brain function and a gradual to more rapid onset of a predictable series of stages to the end result. Death. I have seen nothing that shows the removal of these plaques by taking coconut oil. Also, Alzheimers is a bit harder to diagnose than you may think. This is because there are more than one causes of the symptoms that Alzheimers causes. It is certainly possible that Dr. Newport's husband did not have true Alzheimers. Now, back to the drug companies. Forget about the big boys that make all the high end cardiac et al medications. Focus on the small guys who make things like vitamins and fish oils and related things. IF and I stress the word IF there was more people coming forward with stories about being cured of Alzheimers from coconut oils, these companies would pay for their own studies and try to recreate these results. Then they would, JUST LIKE FISH OIL IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEART ads, they would be hawking their own brands of coconut oils for the treatment of Alzheimers. Lawsuits...... Attorneys... love them or hate them, they too get Alzheimers or their spouses or parents..... BELIEVE ME, that IF treating Alzheimers was as simple as taking coconut oil every day, and it actually produced wide spread, measurable results, attorneys would be filing mass lawsuits against doctors for failing to properly treat, using a less effective treatment due to financial gain, and premature death / missed opportunity to survive type of suits. Seriously (in most cases) penicillin CURES syphilis! (yes, you can get reinfected over and over) You understand what syphilis is, you understand what penicillin is and you know what the word 'cure' means. You can not apply that same logic to coconut oil treatment / cure for Alzheimers. Same for other posters who mentioned wheatgrass or whey products.... No MAGIC BULLET. Just like vitamins, 'they' work only when your body has a deficiency in something that the (wheatgrass , whey product, vitamin-mineral) taken supplies. People that have the deficiency love the product. Those without the defiiciency see no change in their lives. Human nature is exploited every day. Often called 'grasping at straws', it is a way too common thing and I think people actually spend more cash on those 'straws' then they do on mainstream medicinces that may not be effective anyway. If you remember the above statement ' penicillin cures syphilis' and apply that logic to ANY treatment you take for anything, it may keep your feet on the ground and your money in your pocket, before you run off and buy-the-next-best-and-greatest-thing-that-the-doctors-and-drug-companies-are-hiding-from-you-because-they-don't-make-any-money-off-of-it, traps. One more thing..... back in the 1970's, there was a NEW AND WONDERFUL thing called Laetrile, made from peach pits as a CURE FOR CANCER. If you do some research, you will find out that the 'script' Dr. Newport and her followers are following is basically the same sales pitch for Laetrile (evil drug companies don't want you to know about....) with just the details changed. Now that over 30 years have passed since Laetrile was available..... when was the last time YOU heard anything positive about Laetrile curing cancer? THOUSANDS upon THOUSANDS of people followed the Laetrile fairty tale. Entire clinics were opened in Mexico and other 3rd world countries to push this Laetrile on patients and....... (drum roll please)..... where are those patients now??

Edited November 22, 2011 by Bruce

[OnMyWay]

Bruce, good points to consider. I have not done any research into it at all but I find anything new like this interesting to look into. I recently had been reading and watching some documentaries on food and nutrition. There are a lot out there that are eye opening. Food Inc. is one and there are many others. Very interesting even if you don't buy it hook, line and sinker. Another good read is the Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf. I have been following a Paleo diet and my health has improved. Basically it is no dairy and no wheat (gluten) products.

[tgwkreu7]

i am talking about Alzheimer's Disease, Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually even the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. In most people with Alzheimer’s, symptoms first appear after age 60. Estimates vary, but experts suggest that as many as 5.1 million Americans may have Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia among older people.

Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning—thinking, remembering, and reasoning—and behavioral abilities, to such an extent that it interferes with a persons daily life and activities.

Dementia ranges in severity from the mildest stage, when it is just beginning to affect a person’s functioning, to the most severe stage, when the person must depend completely on others for basic activities of daily living.

Edited November 24, 2011 by Bossman
fixed formatting

[OnMyWay]

I'm 55 and I get concerned about about my memory sometimes. From talking to others it seems like it is "normal" for this age, but I certainly hope it is not all downhill from here. I did a little more research on the coconut oil, not much, but it seems like a cheap risk to take, so I bought some. it fits well with my Paleo diet. I'll let you know if I see any changes.

[Mr Lee]

I believe in natural medicines, so what could it hurt, I know I eat coconuts and drink coconut milk all the time when we are in the Philippines and feel better when I do, so I am going to try it as well since I feel my brain slowly but surely going on a vacation of its own. :thumbsup: Lest us not forget how penicillin was made and all it has been found to be good for.

Early on, penicillin was made with traditional dairy equipment. Mold was grown in hospital bedpans, and the liquid beneath the mold was filtered through parachute material (silk) onto bookshelves.