Coconut oil and Alzheimer's?

[Evisju7]

I don't know if I'm allowed to ask this here, but I'll try.

I'm writing a paper about the possible benefits of coconut oil on Alzheimer's. Can you just check my logic:

Coconut oil contains medium chain triglycerides. Consuming MCT can induce ketosis. Ketosis is where the body begins to use ketone bodies instead of glucose for metabolism. Ketosis in the brain can slow cognitive deterioration (I need to identify how significant this is).

The idea is that fasting, which also causes ketosis, is potentially dangerous for elderly patients. Therefore, adding coconut oil (and other sources of MTC) would be a more reasonable solution.


Is there any flaws in this? Critics welcome. Im not an expert

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[Evisju7]

Also if anyone could explain why ketones are "good" for the brain, or provide a website.. that would be super helpful to me

 

[neglect]

No. First of all, this is highly implausible. Dying cells do not need energy, regardless of the type of energy source. Taking oils without starving the body of glucose does not induce ketosis. Also, ketosis doesn't work in AD, at least there are no good RCT trials. Furthermore, the trials in AD with fatty acids have all been negative (although if you ignore logic, then the company can dig into subgroup analysis to show it is good for APOE4 neg people).

Such is the quackery surrounding this, the FDA had to write a letter to the drug company telling it to chill out: http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/2013/ucm381320.htm

AD is a plague. Most of us see it as a hard hurdle which demands our dignity as humans to develop disease modifying meds and fight it head on. Quacks see it as a business opportunity. Let's not reward them.

 

[Evisju7]

No. First of all, this is highly implausible. Dying cells do not need energy, regardless of the type of energy source. Taking oils without starving the body of glucose does not induce ketosis. Also, ketosis doesn't work in AD, at least there are no good RCT trials. Furthermore, the trials in AD with fatty acids have all been negative (although if you ignore logic, then the company can dig into subgroup analysis to show it is good for APOE4 neg people).

Such is the quackery surrounding this, the FDA had to write a letter to the drug company telling it to chill out: http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/2013/ucm381320.htm

AD is a plague. Most of us see it as a hard hurdle which demands our dignity as humans to develop disease modifying meds and fight it head on. Quacks see it as a business opportunity. Let's not reward them.

Could it be possible that some cells are actually dying because of the lack of nutrition? I read some sources (I can provide them if you'd like) saying that AD caused a decrease in glucose metabolism in the brain.

http://www.hopkinschildrens.org/High-Fat-Ketogenic-Diet-Misunderstood-Underused.aspx

"Medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) induce ketosis in several mammalian species including man.... By 1 hour after MCT feeding, plasma levels of total ketone bodies had increased 18-fold, with a maximum value reached 1 hour later."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1245892 (sorry, just the abstract)

 

[Evisju7]

That's actually an interesting point though. Why increase nutrient availability if the cells are already dying from other causes (but is that true?).

 

[neglect]

That's actually an interesting point though. Why increase nutrient availability if the cells are already dying from other causes (but is that true?).

The message got to cortex!

How many calories does a dead kidney need?