It is estimated that in 2013 alone, Alzheimer's disease will cost Americans more than $200 billion. With its prevalence appearing to be at an all time high, it appears that the medical world and the public should be looking for better alternatives in regard to preventing its takeover. The Westernized approach to treating such a condition has some upsides, but many crucial factors seem to be left out of the overall equation - food (like coconuts) being one of these major areas to assess.
The effects of coconut oil on the brain
Coconut oil is an amazing food, and luckily, science has shown that it is among one of the most healing in nature. In regard to helping Alzheimer's patients, the ketone bodies, which are given off when coconut oil's fatty acids are metabolized by the liver, can be a perfect fuel source for the brain - a trait that can surely help Alzheimer's patients.
A brain that has been impacted by Alzheimer's disease cannot efficiently use glucose for fuel as it once did. Ketones help to solve this problem by providing a different fuel source that the brain can use instead.
Think of this "fuel swapping" arrangement much like how a hybrid car switches between gas an electricity - carbohydrates being the gas, and ketone bodies acting as the much cleaner, more efficient electricity.
The research behind the utilization of ketones for mental health is very promising. From speeding up the body's metabolism, to keeping the brain functioning optimally; science has proven that coconut oil can truly help those who suffer from Alzheimer's disease.
The chemistry of coconut oil
Coconut oil is mainly composed of saturated fat, and as bad as that sounds, it's really not. The human body is perfectly capable of utilizing saturated fat in many aspects, as it is a requirement for countless internal functions. Hormone production, brain function, cellular health, bone health, and even immunity - the list is quite extensive.
A frustrating fact is that for the past sixty or so years, the public has been told to avoid saturated fat in order to maintain adequate levels of health. Unfortunately, avoiding saturated fat is not the needed key to better health - it's quite the opposite.
Coconut oil is also loaded with medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs), a type of fatty acid that is sent directly to the liver where it gets used as energy almost immediately!
Once these MCFAs are metabolized, their by-products (the ketones) are then sent up to the brain where they can be used as fuel, and this is how something as simple as coconut oil can help those who are suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
In some cases, better fuel can equate to a better functioning brain on many different levels.
The end message with coconut oil and Alzheimer's disease
Coconut oil provides an alternative fuel source that the brain can use to work optimally once again.
With mental health and varying degrees of dementia being major issues among aging seniors today, it seems as though more people should be assessing their diets, rather than managing their pill regimens.
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