I’ve got a lovely bunch of coconuts by Jerry Brainum

 

 

 

For a few years, ads have ubiquitously appeared on numerous Internet sites proclaiming the "The cure for Alzheimer's disease is here now!" If you click on the ad that makes this bold claim, you are shown the story of Dr.Mary Newport and her husband, Steve. Mary, a pediatrician, helplessly watched Steve progress through the early stages of Alzheimer's disease for eight years. One day, she came across an article in a medical journal that explained how ketones, which are metabolic byproduct acids of fat metabolism, can be used as a fuel by neurons in the brain. This was significant since one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD) was the inability of the brain to use its usual primary fuel, glucose. The study that Newport read mentioned a patented drink that boosted ketones in the brain, and could improve memory and thinking in people in the early to moderate stages of AD.Another study that Newport read identified the active ingredient in the drink as medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil. Since the patented drink was not yet available, Newport researched natural sources of MCT and found that coconut oil turned out to be the richest natural source. She began giving it to her husband using the following formula: Dr. Newport's Personal Treatment for Her Husband:

1. Start by using one teaspoon of coconut oil in each meal.
2. If available, use a mixture of 1/2 coconut oil and 1/2 MCT oil.
3. Increase the amount gradually to prevent side effects.
4. Try for 3 tablespoons per meal, and 2 tablespoons at bedtime.

Soon after starting this regime, Steve's recovery was remarkable. His constant depression lifted, and he was able to resume his daily jog, while before the treatment, he could barely walk. An MRI scan of his brain showed that the rapid shrinking of his brain (common in dementia, such as AD), had completely ceased. In short, the raging effects of AD in Steve had appeared to be blunted, and in many ways, reversed. Newport gives Steve a combination of coconut oil and MCT because the MCT is rapidly metabolized within three hours, while the coconut oil gradually releases ketones over an 8-hour time span. Dr.Newport later wrote a book about the use of coconut oil in treating her husband. As a scientist, she correctly notes that while the physical and mental improvement shown by Steve is nothing short of remarkable, it is nonetheless anecdotal in the sense that it involved only one case. It's also true, however, as I've pointed out in past articles in Applied Metabolics, that there is currently no effective standard medical treatment for AD. The drugs that are prescribed are merely palliatives . . .