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Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Coconut Oil Fuels the Brain, Prevents Neurodegenerative Diseases

The human brain needs a continual supply of fuel. When this continual supply is interrupted brain cells begin to die. In the short-term, this can cause symptoms such as headaches, brain fog, & tiredness.

Long-term exposure to environments that deplete sources of brain fuel from effectively getting into the cells leads to neurodegenerative diseases.

New research is showing that coconut oil can supply the brain with a very clean source of energy that prevents unwanted short-term symptoms and is effective at preventing and treating neurodegenerative disease states.

In many neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's, neurons in certain regions of the brain have become insulin resistant. Insulin is the necessary hormone that brings glucose into cells where it can be used for energy. This is Diabetes in the brain. When brain cells become resistant to insulin they are unable to get glucose and they become malnourished and begin to die.

Because the brain is unable to lower circulating blood sugar levels these levels remain high. High blood sugar is neurotoxic in that it binds with protein molecules to create advanced glycolytic enzymes (AGEs). These AGEs dramatically increase oxidative stress levels in the body and have a particular affinity for damaging neuronal tissue. This combination of high blood sugar and low energy states within the brain cells is the perfect storm for massive brain cell death.

Coconut oil is considered one of the best fuels for healthy brain function. Outside of mother's milk, coconut oil is nature's richest source of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). Medium chain triglycerides (MCT) are not processed by your body in the same manner as long chain triglycerides. Normal fat metabolism depends on bile salts that have been released from your gallbladder before it can be broken down in your digestive system.

MCTs bypass bile metabolism and go directly to your liver where they are converted into ketones. The liver then immediately releases the ketones into the bloodstream where they are transported to the brain to be used as fuel. Research has shown that the ketone bodies produced by MCTs provide a stable source of energy for the brain during periods of low blood sugar without the neurological risks associated with high blood sugar.

This is why ketones appear to be the preferred source of brain food in patients affected by diabetes or any neurodegenerative condition such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ALS, & Multiple Sclerosis, etc. One of the leading authorities on MCT research is Dr. Mary Newport. She has shown that ketone bodies may help the brain recover from lack of oxygen induced brain death in newborns through adults. Additionally, ketones can help the heart patient recover from a heart attack and they can affectively shrink cancerous tumors.

Additional research has shown that regular MCT consumption in dogs with "age-related mental decline" increases the phospholipid and omega-3 fatty acid (EPA & DHA) content in the parietal cortex of the brain. Omega 3 fatty acids are found in fish not coconut oil. The researchers believe that the presence of the MCTs allowed omega 3s to be liberated from fat stores & utilized in the brain where they are most needed to help form solid memory centers.

The average sized adult should consume 3-4 tablespoons of coconut oil daily. This could be taken orally, added to food, or applied onto skin. It can be taken in the form of coconut oil, milk, meat, or flakes. Coconut milk provides approximately 1 Tbsp of coconut oil for every 3 ounces. People with diabetes (type I & II) or neurological disease would benefit from up to 8-10 tablespoons of coconut oil daily.

From our good friends at NaturalNews.com: http://www.naturalnews.com/030971_coconut_brain_function.html

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From: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1344516/Green-tea-fight-dementia-guard-cancer.html

Thursday, January 6, 2011

New Research: Green Tea 'Can Fight Off Dementia’ and ‘Could Guard Against Cancer'

Green tea could protect the brain against Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, say scientists.

The drink, which originated in ancient China, may also play a vital role in guarding against cancer, their study suggests.

Scientists at Newcastle University set out to discover whether the protective properties of the tea – previously shown to be present in the freshly brewed form – are still active once it has been digested.

Dr Ed Okello, from the university, said: ‘What was really exciting was that we found when green tea is digested, the resulting chemicals are actually more effective against key triggers of Alzheimer’s.”

The digested compounds also had anti-cancer properties, significantly slowing down the growth of tumour cells which we were using in our experiments.’

Two compounds are known to play a significant role in the development of Alzheimer’s – hydrogen peroxide and a protein known as beta-amyloid.

Previous studies have shown that polyphenols, present in black and green tea, bind with the toxic compounds and protect brain cells.

When ingested, the polyphenols are broken down to produce a mix of compounds and it was these the team tested in their research, published in the academic journal Phytomedicine.

Dr Okello added: ‘Green tea has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries and what we have here provides the scientific evidence why it may be effective against some of the key diseases we face today.

‘There are obviously many factors which together have an influence on diseases such as cancer and dementia – a good diet, plenty of exercise and a healthy lifestyle are all important.

‘But I think it’s fair to say that at least one cup of green tea a day may be good for you and I would certainly recommend it.’

Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the charity Alzheimer’s Research Trust, said: ‘Diet and lifestyle almost certainly play a part in every person’s Alzheimer’s risk.’

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From: http://www.worldhealth.net/news/antioxidants-may-reduce-inflammation-alzheimers-di/

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Antioxidants May Reduce Inflammation in Alzheimer’s Disease

Previous studies have reported that high levels of homocysteine, a pro-inflammatory protein component, are associated with dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease.

In an effort to determine if antioxidants reduced the inflammation associated with such high homocysteine levels, J.M. Morillas-Ruiz, from Catholic University of San Antonio (Spain), and colleagues enrolled 100 women to participate in a double-blind controlled clinical trial.

Fifty-two of the women were considered generally healthy (no Alzheimer’s) and served as the control group, while the other 48 were diagnosed with Alzeimer’s disease (24 women with early-onset and 24 with moderate Alzheimer’s).

Each of the women was randomly assigned to one of two interventions: Drink an antioxidant beverage rich in polyphenols, or receive a placebo drink, for the eight-month long study. The antioxidant beverage was formulated using apple and lemon concentrate juice, apple and green tea extracts, and vitamins B and C.

The team found that those women who consumed the antioxidant-rich drink experienced an attenuation of homocysteine increase, as compared to the placebo group.

As well, in the subjects with moderate Alzeimer’s disease, the antioxidant beverage was associated with lower average homocysteine level, as compared to the placebo group. The researchers conclude that: “The regular ingestion of polyphenols contained in an antioxidant beverage may decrease [total homocysteine] plasmatic concentrations in Alzheimer's patients.”

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From: http://www.cenegenics.com/pdf_files/newsletter_dec.pdf

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Can Vitamin B12 Help Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease?

An October 2010 issue of Neurology, from the American Academy of Neurology, published findings from a small, preliminary study conducted by the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.

According to researchers, “vitamin B12 and related metabolites may have a role in Alzheimer’s disease”—an important finding since a vitamin B12 deficiency is a “common condition” in the elderly.

Investigating homocysteine levels (if elevated, associated with strokes) and levels of an active protein in B12 (holotranscobalamin) that can reduce homocysteine blood level. Their seven-year follow-up revealed that with every small increase of homocysteine, the risk for Alzheimer’s shot up 16%.

More study is needed, yet a case is being made for a diet rich in vitamin B12 to ward off neurodegenerative disease.

Top Food Sources of Vitamin B-12, Per 100g Serving:

• fish (mackerel, herring, salmon, tuna, cod,sardines, trout, bluefish) - 317% RDA (mackerel)

• beef - 103% RDA (lean, fat-trimmed chuck)

• lamb - 62% RDA (shoulder cut)

• cheese - 56% RDA (swiss cheese), 40% RDA (gjetost), 39% RDA (mozzarella), 38% RDA (parmesan), 35% RDA (tilsit)

• eggs - 33% (chicken, raw yellow), 122% RDA (goose egg), 63% (duck egg)

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Friday, October 8, 2010

Is Coconut Oil the Cure for (and Preventive of) Alzheimer’s Disease?

How worried should drug companies be about supplements eating into their monopoly profits? A lot—as this story will show. Please share it with anyone you know who is suffering from Alzheimer’s or is worried about it.

Of course, just about everyone worries about Alzheimer’s. It currently afflicts 5.2 million people in the US and is the seventh leading cause of death. The cost of treating it is estimated at $148 billion.

Mary Newport, MD, has been medical director of the neonatal intensive care unit at Spring Hill Regional Hospital in Florida since it opened in 2003. About the same time the unit opened, her husband Steve, then 53, began showing signs of progressive dementia, later diagnosed as Alzheimer’s Disease. “Many days, often for several days in a row, he was in a fog; couldn’t find a spoon or remember how to get water out of the refrigerator,” she said.

They started him on Alzheimer’s drugs—Aricept, Namenda, Exelon—but his disease worsened steadily. (It should be noted that the latest research shows that the various Alzheimer’s drugs, like Aricept, have proven disappointing, with little real benefit and often distressing side effects.) When Dr. Newport couldn’t get her husband into a drug trial for a new Alzheimer’s medication, she started researching the mechanism behind Alzheimer’s.

She discovered that with Alzheimer’s disease, certain brain cells may have difficulty utilizing glucose (made from the carbohydrates we eat), the brain’s principal source of energy. Without fuel, these precious neurons may begin to die. There is an alternative energy source for brain cells—fats known as ketones. If deprived of carbohydrates, the body produces ketones naturally.

But this is the hard way to do it—who wants to cut carbohydrates out of the diet completely? Another way to produce ketones is by consuming oils that have medium-chain triglycerides. When MCT oil is digested, the liver converts it into ketones. In the first few weeks of life, ketones provide about 25 percent of the energy newborn babies need to survive.

Dr. Newport learned that the ingredient in the drug trial which was showing so much promise was simply MCT oil derived from coconut oil or palm kernel oil, and that a dose of 20 grams (about 20 ml or 4 teaspoons) was used to produce these results. When MCT oil is metabolized, the ketones which the body creates may, according to the latest research, not only protect against the incidence of Alzheimer’s, but may actually reverse it. Moreover, this is also a potential treatment for Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease), drug-resistant epilepsy, brittle type I diabetes, and type II (insulin-resistant) diabetes.

So Mr. Newport, not being able to get into the drug trial, started taking the coconut oil twice a day. At this point, he could barely remember how to draw a clock. Two weeks after adding coconut oil to his diet, his drawing improved. After 37 days, Steve’s drawing gained even more clarity. The oil seemed to “lift the fog,” and in the first sixty days, Dr. Newport saw remarkable changes in him: every morning he was alert and happy, talkative, making jokes. His gait was “still a little weird,” but his tremor was no longer very noticeable. He was able to concentrate on things that he wanted to do around the house and in the yard and stay on task, whereas before coconut oil he was easily distractible and rarely accomplished anything unless he was directly supervised.

Over the next year, the dementia continued to reverse itself: he is able to run again, his reading comprehension has improved dramatically, and his short-term memory is improving—he often brings up events that happened days to weeks earlier and relays telephone conversations with accurate detail. A recent MRI shows that the brain atrophy has been completely halted.

Let’s take a moment to consider what actually happened here. Synthetic (patentable) Alzheimer’s drugs have failed. A drug company reluctantly decides to put a non-patentable natural substance (medium-chain triglycerides derived from coconut or palm) through an FDA trial. It works. But, darn it, a smart doctor figures out that a natural food can be substituted for the super-expensive drug. Not only that, the ketones from natural coconut oil last in the body longer than the drug version—eight hours instead of three hours. This is enough to make a drug company start worrying about its future. What if this natural health idea really catches on? Goodbye to monopoly profits!

Coconut oil can be found in many health food stores and even some grocery stores. One large chain sells a non-hydrogenated (no trans-fat) brand of coconut oil in a one-liter size (nearly 32 ounces) for about $7. It can be purchased in quantities as small as a pint and up to five gallons online. It is important to use coconut oil that is non-hydrogenated and contains no trans-fat. We would also strongly encourage the use of virgin oil (chemicals used to extract non-virgin oil are potentially dangerous, and better still, virgin organic, still quite reasonably priced.)

For more information, see Dr. Newport’s website. Sadly, you will not find any information on ketones, or the use of coconut oil or MCT oil, on the Alzheimer’s Association website.

Coconut oil is not the only natural product that has the potential to turn Alzheimer’s around. We will cover some other ones, and drug industry efforts to steal some of them, in a future issue.

From our good friends at the Alliance for Natural Health: http://www.anh-usa.org/coconut-oil-and-alzheimer%E2%80%99s-disease/

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Friday, September 17, 2010

Can This Popular Asian Spice Help Prevent and Heal Alzheimer's?

Nature is full of various herbs and spices that protect against disease and even treat and cure it.

And according to Chris Kilham, an ethnobotanist and Fox News' "Medicine Hunter", turmeric root -- also known in its extract form as curcumin -- is one such powerful spice that appears to both prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease and even cure it.

"People who develop Alzheimer's disease get a sticky plaque in the brain called amyloid beta," explained Kilham to Dr. Manny Alvarez in a recent Fox News interview.

Such plaques either develop as a result of Alzheimer's, or they are the direct cause of it. But either way, they are directly related to the degenerative process.

However studies show that turmeric actually eliminates these plaques, both when they are first starting to form and even during the late stages of their advancement.

"What we have in turmeric is something that appears to inhibit the development of Alzheimer's disease…and actually help to reduce the occurrence of plaque in the brain if you have it," noted Kilham.

"We know in animal studies, when animals actually have amyloid beta plaque in their brains and they're given turmeric root…that plaque is reduced."

Observational studies have also shown that people groups who eat large amounts of turmeric virtually never get Alzheimer's.

"In countries where people consume a lot of [turmeric], there's a very low incidence of Alzheimer's disease," emphasized Kilham. "In India and Southeast Asia, it's a rare disease. And [in the U.S.] it's very, very common."

According to Kilham, drug companies are hard at work trying to develop drug versions of turmeric, but he recommends eating real turmeric whenever possible, and taking turmeric extract supplements if eating the spice in food is not an option.

"A challenge that we face is that drug companies…can't patent turmeric root," he said. "So they will continue to try to develop something else. [But] eating turmeric, eating its extracts…appears to be protective against one of the most horrific and debilitating diseases we know."

From our good friends at www.NaturalNews.com

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Thursday, September 9, 2010

New Oxford University Study: High Doses of Folic Acid, Vitamin B6 and B12 Slash Brain Shrinkage By Up To 53%!

It was only a few months ago that the once highly esteemed Reader's Digest came out with its infamous cover report claiming essentially that there is no significant scientific evidence that vitamins do any good at all for people seeking better health and well-being.

Ignoring numerous published studies which have found the exact opposite of what the Reader's Digest reported, the Digest went on to decry vitamin intake as basically worthless.

But in this latest study conducted by pharmacologists at the prestigious Oxford University, it was demonstrated that higher than normal doses of three common B-vitamins -- folic acid, B-6 and B-12 -- slash brain shrinkage associated with memory loss and brain impairment such as Alzheimer's disease by as much as 53%!

It just goes to show that listening to pop culture media dependent upon drug company advertising dollars is simply not the way to go. Reader's Digest ought to be ashamed of themselves. And a great big hooray to Oxford University scientists for undertaking this important new study!

-- Spencer Jones

New Oxford University Study: High Doses of Folic Acid, Vitamin B6 and B12 Slash Brain Shrinkage By Up To 53%!

Vitamin B tablets could slow and even halt the devastating march of Alzheimer's Disease in the elderly, a breakthrough British study suggests.

The research showed that large doses of the supplement could halve the rate of brain shrinkage – a physical symptom associated memory loss and dementia in the elderly.

The effects were so dramatic that the scientists behind the work believe it could revolutionize the treatment of the disease.

Brain shrinkage or atrophy is a natural part of aging but it is known to be accelerated in people with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) – a kind of memory loss and forgetfulness – and Alzheimer's.

Scientists at the University of Oxford conducted a trial on 168 people and found that taking high doses of three vitamin B supplements every day reduced brain shrinkage associated with dementia by up to 53 per cent.

They said the results were so strong that it should open up a debate as to whether the tablets should be prescribed to everyone with MCI – half of whom develop Alzheimer's disease.

MCI affects 16 per cent of people over 70 – 1.5 million people in the UK.

Professor David Smith, a pharmacologist who co-authored the study, said the results were "immensely promising".

"It is a very simple solution: you give someone some vitamins and you protect the brain," he said.

"This is the first trial that has shown a glimmer of hope and success. It is the first one of its kind that has worked so clearly. I think it will change the whole direction of Alzheimer's research.

"500 people a day develop Alzheimer's in the UK. If we can cut that down by just 10 per cent it will have a big impact. I personally believe that it will."

The research, published in the journal Public Library of Science ONE, is controversial because it defies current scientific dogma about the way to tackle Alzheimer's.

It suggests simply taking vitamins can achieve results that have so far evaded pharmaceutical companies, despite millions of pounds being spent on experimental dementia drugs.

The brain naturally shrinks in volume as we get older and when you get to 60, it is shrinking by as much as half a per cent a year.

But in those with MCI it is accelerates to one per cent a year and in Alzheimer's Disease by 2.5 per cent a year. This is accompanied by severe memory problems, slower thoughts and confusion.

Current research centers around tackling so-called tangles in the brain which are thought to "silt up" the brain's thought processes.

The team at the University of Oxford set out in a new direction – targeting the abnormal physical shrinkage of the brain.

They knew that a substance called homocysteine, an amino acid found in the blood, was associated with this shrinkage.

Elderly people with higher levels of homocysteine, had higher levels of brain shrinkage.

They also knew that vitamin B regulated levels of homocysteine and that the more vitamin B in the blood, the lower the levels of the harmful amino acid.

The researchers used an advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique to study brain shrinkage in 168 volunteers over the age of 70 with diagnosed MCI.

Over a period of two years, half were given a daily tablet containing high doses of the B vitamins folic acid, B6 and B12. The rest received a "dummy" placebo pill with no active ingredients.

At the end of the trial the effects of the vitamin treatment were found to be dramatic, and most pronounced in participants who started out with the highest rates of brain shrinkage.

On average, taking B vitamins slowed the rate of brain atrophy by 30 per cent, and in many cases reductions was as high as 53 per cent were seen.

Prof Smith said: "This is a very striking, dramatic result. It's much more than we could have predicted.

"It is our hope that this simple and safe treatment will delay the development of Alzheimer's disease in many people who suffer from mild memory problems."

Although the trial was not designed to measure thinking ability, the researchers found that individuals with the lowest rates of shrinkage had the highest mental test scores.

Prof Smith said it was still early to say exactly how vitamin B worked.

"The treatment lowers homocysteine, lower homocysteine reduces brain shrinkage and that reduces cognitive decline," he said.

The scientists stress that the doses of B vitamins used in the trial are much higher than would be obtained from diets and additives or normal health supplements.

The "TrioBe Plus" pills, prescribed under medical supervision in Sweden but not available in the UK, contain around 300 times the recommended daily intake of B12 and four times recommended folate levels.

However it is possible to copy the dose by buying three separate supplements from health food shops in Britain for as little as 10 pence a day.

The long-term effects of taking big doses of the vitamins were not known, and there was some evidence that high folic acid intake could be linked to cancer, he said.

While Prof Smith said anybody thinking of taking them should consult their doctor first, he personally felt they would be effective.

He said: "These are big doses. Should we take it? The person must be worried about their memory and then I would recommend going to their doctor first. But if I had MCI I would take it."

Professor Helga Refsum, his co-author at University of Oslo who is a visiting academic at Oxford, said more trials were needed but the evidence was strong.

"As a scientist I am not happy with just one trial and there will be a large debate. But as a clinician sitting in front of a patient I would say vitamin B supplements are fairly safe, they are not expensive and what we have found here is extremely convincing. It is very difficult to argue against its use."

The study was cautiously welcomed by other scientists although they said more studies were needed to back up the findings.

Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, which co-funded the study, said: "These are very important results, with B vitamins now showing a prospect of protecting some people from Alzheimer's in old age.

"The strong findings must inspire an expanded trial to follow people expected to develop Alzheimer's, and we hope for further success.

Chris Kennard, chair of the Medical Research Council's Neurosciences and Mental Health Board, which also provided funding, said: "The findings are very encouraging and we look forward to further research that is needed in order to test whether B vitamins can be recommended as a suitable treatment."

Paul Matthews, Professor of Clinical Neurology, Imperial College, London said: “This well-conducted study adds substantial new data to previous information suggesting that dietary B vitamins could have beneficial effects on neurodegeneration with ageing."

A spokesman for the Alzheimer’s Society said:"This is an interesting study which could change the lives of thousands of people at risk of dementia.

"However, previous studies looking at B vitamins have been very disappointing and we wouldn’t want to raise people’s expectations yet, as we have not specifically seen any benefits in preventing the onset of the symptoms of dementia."

From:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7989889/Vitamin-B-is-revolutionary-new-weapon-against-Alzheimers-Disease.html

By Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent

Published: 5:00AM BST 09 Sep 2010

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