Almost everyone in America knows someone with Alzheimer’s disease. In 2012, information about the use of coconut oil for Alzheimer patients began to appear in the news media. The attempts by drug companies to develop new drugs for AD have largely failed and the role of diet and prevention in AD is now taking on new significance.

All kinds of theories exist about the cause of AD, and some have even pointed to the large number of seniors on statin drugs, which block the production of cholesterol in the liver. Since the brain is 25% cholesterol, such action by the statin drugs could be a factor. Liver production of cholesterol is critical to good health! But do we need to eat foods rich in cholesterol in order to provide the body with enough cholesterol? Some physicians like John McDougall, Caldwell Esselstyn and others think not, especially since oxidized cholesterol from extrinsic sources seems to be a potent driver of damage to our arteries.

Some of the latest research is pointing in the direction of a faulty diet, especially one that is high in refined carbohydrates. In a recent study in the European Journal of Internal Medicine, several researchers have pointed out that there is a strong connection between insulin resistance in the brain and AD, especially in the early stages. In fact some researchers are now referring to AD as “type III diabetes!” Dysfunction of the mitochondria (energy system) seems also to accompany AD, Parkinson’s and ALS.

There seems to be a connection in this research between cholesterol transport to the brain and some kind of cholesterol metabolism dysfunction in the brain. That may also be connected to the mitochondria dysfunction mentioned before. And the brain uses cholesterol in several ways: as an electrical insulator, as an antioxidant, for neural network structure, and for cell membranes in general. The cholesterol research evidence however, seems to be in favor of HDL cholesterol, and not LDL cholesterol. A recent study in the American Journal of Cardiology showed that the higher the HDL levels in seniors, the longer they lived.

Coconut oil appears to be one plant-base saturated fat that contributes to higher HDL levels. It also is a source of medium chain triglycerides that serve as a ketonic high energy source of fuel for the brain. Dr. Russell Blaylock also points out in his book Excitotoxins that the artificial flavor enhancers (commonly found in processed foods) seem to precipitate the energy crisis in the brain, which leads to apoptosis or programmed cell death.

Another source of damage to the brain is the free use of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and polyunsaturated oils like corn, canola, sesame etc. HCFS is ten times more reactive than just plain glucose in terms of binding to proteins in the blood, a process called glycation. Some researchers posit that this tying up of serum proteins leads to a depletion of HDL cholesterol in the brain. The unsaturated oils are also very reactive in terms of their ability to oxidize and become rancid, and create free radical damage. The trans-fat form of these oils (rich in omega 6 fats) is extremely toxic in terms of free radical damage.

Here is Dr. Raymond Peat’s comment on the damage potential of these polyunsaturated oils:

“Brain tissue is very rich in complex forms of fats. The experiment (around 1978) in which pregnant mice were given diets containing either coconut oil or unsaturated oil showed that brain development was superior in the young mice whose mothers ate coconut oil. Because coconut oil supports thyroid function, and thyroid governs brain development, including myelination, the result might simply reflect the difference between normal and hypothyroid individuals. However, in 1980, experimenters demonstrated that young rats fed milk containing soy oil incorporated the oil directly into their brain cells, and had structurally abnormal brain cells as a result. Lipid peroxidation occurs during seizures, and antioxidants such as vitamin E have some anti-seizure activity. Currently, lipid peroxidation is being found to be involved in the nerve cell degeneration of Alzheimer’s disease.”

Stable plant-based saturated fats like coconut oil are not only a good source of fuel for the brain, but helps in the production of HDL cholesterol that is so necessary for brain health. The story of Dr. Mary Newport and her husband’s bout with stain drugs and Alzheimer’s has gotten much publicity on the Internet. In reading the literature on coconut oil, she decided to administer it to her husband for his AD condition. In a very short time, he was doing normal things again, with positive personality changes, and the lifting of his “brain fog.”

Make coconut oil and coconut milk a part of your dietary. It has the potential to not only prevent brain damage, but maintain a healthy brain.