Thursday, March 12, 2009

CAN COCONUT OIL HELP ALZHEIMER'S?

According to an article in the October 29, 2008, issue of the St. Petersburg (Florida) Times, it may be able to help. Possibly quite a lot.

Times correspondent, Eve Hosley-Moore, writes about Dr. Mary Newport's husband Steve, whose results in an early Alzheimer's test improved after adding coconut oil to his diet.

As her husband's condition deteriorated, Dr. Newport (a neonatologist) learned about a new medication undergoing clinical trials. Its primary ingredient is an oil composed of medium chain triglycerides known as MCT oil. She also learned that this medication derived its MCT oil from non-hydrogenated coconut oil.

When Steve Newport was not accepted for a clinical trial using MCT oils, Mary Newport went to a health food store and purchased commercially available non-hydrogenated coconut oil. The next morning she stirred two tablespoons of coconut oil into her husband's oatmeal. The results for Steve were amazing. To find out more about how Steve Newport improved I recommend reading the entire article which can be found at the following URL at Tampabay.com:

http://www.tampabay.com/news/aging/article879333.ece

Would coconut oil help every dementia sufferer? That's what the clinical trials are trying to determine.

The article also stresses the importance of consulting a physician before trying coconut oil at home. One expert pointed out that eating too much of one type of fat can actually be dangerous.

Everyone involved, including Dr. Newport, understands the need for additional research. Nevertheless, she is happy with the way her husband has responded so far, and she wants to share the good news.

Bob Tell
Author, "Dementia-Diary, A Caregiver's Journal"
http://www.dementia-diary.com