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Coconut oil for dementia?
Posted: Jan 3, 2013
Well, my MIL just got back from the specialist who told her the results from her radiologic tests. No, her carotids are not all clogged this time, ruling out that as the cause for her short-term memory loss. The problem is probably within her brain, possibly early Alzheimer's. He basically told her there is nothing she can really do at this point except take good care of herself. Well, I had stumbled onto something on the Internet when researching something else and had found that quite a few regular people are trying "good" coconut oil as a remedy for this and a lot of them are really happy with the results. It has to be "pure," "virgin," not heated or hydrolyzed, etc. and may be pricy, but when taking a few tablespoonsful daily, they have become much sharper over maybe six months. All this I gleaned when I was logged in to my job, so did not really spend a lot of time at it. Anyway, we are going to try it. She says she is game. Coconut is a natural substance, not man-made, and I do not think it could hurt her. At the least, there could be a placebo effect, right? There are not enough long-term studies done to "prove" that it works, but on the other hand, the drug companies would not make money off it, so would not want to do the studies. I know, a regular doctor would not recommend it because it is not "proven." Anyway, will try it as soon as we have time to drive to a store that would carry it, as we live in a rural-type area. I see that Costco has it, Trader Joe's and big chains like that. If anyone has first-hand knowledge of this working, please respond. Otherwise, will let you know in six months how she is doing.
;
Sad, but very true - Alice
[ In Reply To ..]There are a ton of things we can do for our health that we will not find out about in a doctor's office. I personally feel that I would be dead if I had relied on doctors for the last 25 years of my life. I'm sad that I listened to them so intently for the first 40 years. Long story.
I'm also very sad that I thought being an RN would give me great opportunities to have a paying career that would really help people. I feel that all I ever did there was support the pharmaceutical industry and help the hospital and doctors to profit, even if I didn't believe in their methods. I've done much more to help others as a volunteer outside of the job.
I congratulate you on doing this research to find more options for your MIL and sharing your findings with us.
Coconut oil is very promising. A full cellular nutrition program is good as well, as our foods are often missing in essential nutrients.
Coconut oil for dementia? - GrateMT
[ In Reply To ..]Thanks for caring. I talked to my brother about it, who happens to have a degree in chemistry and seems to know a lot. He did not know about the coconut oil per se, but did tell me about a lot of other substances that could be harmful to our bodies. (artificial sugars, MSG, coffee, smoking, etc. etc. etc.) And even dehydration can cause confusion and maybe dementia. If I can just get MIL to cut back on her coffee and drink some pure water every day it couldn't hurt.
Something a little more drastic, but worth a shot - is a whole foods diet
[ In Reply To ..]By whole foods, I mean nothing with an ingredient list. NOTHING. Also, if you can, eliminate any and all grain - wheat, corn, barley, oats, etc. Get rid of them. All they do is cause inflammation in your body.
Focus on the best meat and animal protein you can afford in your budget. Get a variety of veggies and some fruit. That should be the focus of your diet. Ignore that man behind the curtain aka the FDA who says whole grains are good for you. Grain is not designed to be digested by the human body and it is not good for us.
You will be going against conventional wisdom and people will tell you you're nuts, but I believe that the inflammation caused by the wheat products can also impact our neurologic function.
Coffee bad for you? - P
[ In Reply To ..]That was what we were told a few years ago. I think it is back in our good graces now and supposedly very good for us. Better check that one out.
coffee - GrateMT
[ In Reply To ..]It's just that I had always heard that caffeine dehydrates us, and a dehydrated brain cannot be a good thing.
everything has good and bad effects, just like drugs - sm anon2
[ In Reply To ..]Heard coffee also dissolves a good deal of dental plaque aside from staining teeth.
oranges good source of vitamin C to boost fighting germs - and the acid will do stomach damage eventually, and strip your teeth of enamel.
I'd take these natural tradeoffs over those gleaned from pharmaceuticals any day.
Coconut oil - mt1347
[ In Reply To ..]Has your MIL been tested by an endocrinologist for metabolic disorders? I recently had a workup, think that my thyroid treatment was insufficient - I was having some of the same symptoms as low thyroid but also experiencing word finding difficulty and very minor short-term memory lapses. Turns out my thyroid was fine, but I had a severe Vitamin D deficiency and Vit B12 deficit. Vit B12 deficiencies are found in a high percentage of people age 50 and over - some of whom who were in the processing of being worked up for Alzheimer's. It can cause anemia, irregularities of the heart, etc. - MIL might ask her MD to do a workup for that or she could see an endocrinologist on her own. I live in Florida, wear sunblock when I'm out, don't eat dairy, and spend most of my time indoors - thus the Vit D deficiency. Don't know how I got the Vit B12 deficiency, but knowing that both are common made me concerned - no other doctor has ever mentioned checking on these things - they just told me to lose weight. Like that's the magic cure for everything, taking off some pounds.
It's been about a month since I started replacement therapy and by the end of week 2, I noticed I was a little peppier, also felt calmer and more like my old self. I'm also able to remember things faster, like I used to - names of people were eluding me, now I remember them almost instantly.
Our American food is so processed that our bodies and our brains are literally being starved of nutrients. I took an MVI, supposed to have 250% of the MDR for Vit D - it was a mere fraction of what we really need. I thought I was well informed about vitamins and nutrition, but after my diagnosis, I learned a lot more.
You might want to consider a second opinion... - Bindi
[ In Reply To ..]Be sure to have problems with your MIL's thyroid ruled out. When my mom first started exhibiting signs of dementia, we went to internal med doc. One of the very first things he did was to test her thyroid. What seemingly is dementia might simply be an undiagnosed thyroid disorder (according to this doc) which can be fixed. Best of luck.
coconut oil for dementia - you r correct.
[ In Reply To ..]Yup, 2 tbsp coconut oil daily to prevent and 4 tbsp oil daily if you have onset of issues. Many friends of mine are well educated on healthcare via vitamins, supplements and whole food dietary needs. Eat food from plant sources, not out of a box as they are loaded with chemicals ie preservatives and the like. Feel free to take her off MSG products too - they are hidden in many places. the more you read, the less you will eat ;) (of the bad stuff)
All posts were great advice for your MIL. off to take my vit D and B12 right now!
Wonderful for skin, too - me
[ In Reply To ..]I don't use lotion or face moisturizer anymore. The coconut oil is so much nicer, not greasy or oily. The only problem is it is solid at less than 70 or so degrees and liquid if the temp is higher. So it is liquid in the summer and solid the rest of the year.
I just cannot tolerate it by the spoonful. I either put it in coffee or tea or make candy or frozen chocolate bark, put some cocoa powder, chopped nuts, flaked coconut, and stevia, and it's like Almond Joy or Mounds, YUMMY!
Coconut oil for dementia? - GrateMT
[ In Reply To ..]Thank you all for your help. Now I have another decision to make!!! I was told that Dr. Oz had a show regarding this already in 2013, just a few days ago, and he has recommended red palm oil, stating it works even better. Any firsthand knowledge on this or input would be appreciated. Thanks.
red palm oil - radMT
[ In Reply To ..]well i dont know about this 'red' palm oil without researching it, but what i do know is the controversy behind palm oil. The country in where its grown, their slave labor, and the destruction and killing of community to build more fields for their trees. think i saw documentary from LinkTV.org
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