An Alzheimer’s Remedy In Your Kitchen Cupboard?

At present, some 5.4 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2011 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures. In the next 20 years it is projected that Alzheimer’s will affect one in four Americans, rivaling the current prevalence of obesity and diabetes. Since treatments are few and rarely effective, early diagnosis and prevention become all the more important.

Having had the work experience that I’ve had running a therapy clinic in an assisted living facility and having worked with many senior citizens personally, I’ve seen the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s disease first hand on both the patient and the family. It was extremely encouraging to see evidence recently that showed a positive effect on Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological diseases with the supplementation of a special type of fat called Medium Chain Triglycerides or MCT’s.

Alzheimer’s disease is a deterioration of brain cells that is primarily caused by the cells progressive inability to absorb and process glucose, which is the main fuel of brain cells. Without the necessary amount of glucose, brain cells begin to function poorly and they eventually die. Although the absorption of glucose is a difficult problem to correct, there has been substantial evidence to show that you can actually circumvent this problem by consuming MCT’s.

MCT’s create a release of ketones in the brain that can fuel the brain cells in the same way glucose can, thereby keeping brain cells energized, functioning better and living longer. The work to uncover the full effects of MCT’s on Alzheimer’s was pioneered by Dr. Mary Newport M.D. She first discovered the effect this had when she began supplementing her husband with coconut oil, which is very high in MCT’s, shortly after he failed a cognitive brain test that showed he had moderate Alzheimer’s disease.

Once he supplemented with coconut oil for just a few weeks, an improvement was very noticeable. Dr. Newport has since published a book about her findings and had many reports from readers that their Alzheimer’s disease has improved as well. She has also found there to be positive effects on other brain diseases like Parkinson’s disease.

Dr. Newport was recently interviewed on a national news program and the video was archived online. I have put this video below for you to view.