I am getting so tired of reading about coconut oil. The more I read the more confused I get. Any how: I got permission to bring some in to Bill's facility and they have agreed to give it to him. I spoke to his hospice nurse today and as she is very interested she will monitor him for me. Does it matter if it is extra virgin or with a bit of experience? :-))
Dr Newport did state in the class that I attended yesterday that back in the 70s , I believe, they were giving babies coconut oil before the baby formulas even put these types of oils in their formula. So she knew the benefit of coconut oil in babies way back when.
Dr Newport did not state the brand, but did state she used the extra virgin ones.
bluedaze, there isn't really such a thing as "extra virgin" coconut oil, the way there is with olive oil. "Virgin" will apparently do fine (and the "purist" companies only use the term "virgin" since they refuse to recognize a term that isn't applicable), so will "organic". What you don't want is hydrogenated, or anything that's so processed it loses its stability. There are at least a dozen brands that appear to be roughly equal. I lean toward the ones that use only a single pressing, because you tend to get a higher percentage of the MCTs. Olympian Labs looked the best to me, Berlean looks good, Nature's Way EfaGold ... but since none of us know what we're talking about, you're probably good to go with anything that's easy for you to buy. Or get one of the MCT oil products, there are quite a few of those, too. The thing that's closest to Accera's product is Twinlab MCT Fuel ... orange-flavored.
Thank you Sunshyne. I wound up with Jarrow expeller pressed and not hydrogenated. The cost difference between that product and the extra virgin was huge. The saleswoman wasn't very helpful. Teaches me not to go to "commercial" health food stores. The one I usually go to is wonderful=but out of the way. By the way-how did you arrive at the spelling of your name? Been meaning to ask you that since Hector was a pup.
...you mean that isn't the way it's normally spelled? :-)
Actually, I wanted to use Sunshine on another board, several eons ago, partly because I live in San Diego, and partly because several people have come up with that as a nickname for me (in my pre-AD days!) Some other thoughtless, inconsiderate person had already taken Sunshine ... so ... that was the closest I could think of. And I'd have an identity crisis if I had too many different names in too many places. (I do like your name, so clever!)
Imohr-I'm not Sunshyne-she's out looking for her alterego. Most of the coconut oils I found are liquid but harden when cold. In Florida that's not a problem. I had liked the idea of spreading it on crackers but the oil just soaks in. Don't forget-it is very high in calories.
lmohr, any of the coconut oils will be solid below ~ 78˚F and liquid above that. Coconut oil has a very narrow and sharp melting point.
If you want something liquid at "room temperature", you might try one of the MCT oils. They're sold to body builders and athletes, and are actually closer to the med that Accera is developing. Scifit, NOW Foods, Ultimate Nutrition, iherb.com, etc, sell them.
"Twinlab MCT Fuel" is an MCT oil emulsion in water, and it's orange-flavored. It's the closest thing I've found to the Accera med. It ends up being fairly pricey, since you'd need to give 5 Tbsp per day to get roughly the same dose Accera tested. Although, compared to conventional AD meds, ANY of the coconut or MCT oils are dirt cheap!
Whole Foods carries the Twinlab MCT Fuel (orange flavor). It is about $14 per bottle. If you don't have a Whole Foods near you, I know you can order from them on-line.
Thank you. I will check it out. Don't want orange flavor because I am looking for oil to use on salad in place of olive oil. I put a tsp of cocanut oil on my corn for dinner and too much cocanut flavor. For some things that is good but not corn. I know about the calories but figure to exchange it for another fat.
Tanya, I'm just going by what Dr Newport herself wrote. She wrote that she had read about the Accera clinical trial results, was very impressed (the results ARE impressive), and started reading up on MCT oil and coconut oil. She said that she "learned" that after coconut, palm and palm kernel oils, the food that MCTs are most concentrated in is human breast milk, and that in the past, MCT oils were added to premature formulas to add calories, and MCT, coconut and palm oils are currently added to premature and full term infant formulas, along with essential fatty acids, to mimic breast milk. (This information is widely available in the literature, if you just look for it.)
Daughter and son in law visited a while this evening and we had some lively unusual discussions. Husband quipped short antidotes and he laughed and Smiled. This behavior is so rare and unusual I have trouble wrapping my thoughts about it. Until recently he hadn't laughed for months. Did not "get" the joke, etc.
Have any of you had similar personality improvements like this? I keep watching for the "reverting back to the sleep all the time, no smiles or expression stage.
This disease is certainly a roller coaster, but I hope the current stage remains.
I'm trying it on myself before seeing if I can persuade my husband (age 63, early stage LBD) to try it. Mostly I've mixed it with nut butter and put it on an apple or mixed it with yogurt. But I just tried a smoothie, figuring that would emulsify it more. I only had frozen strawberries but I think it would be particularly good with banana. I'm 53 but have type 2 diabetes controlled by diet and exercise and a lot of Alzheimer's (though late onset) in my mother's family so there is reason to think my glucose system could use help. But it is so hard to draw conclusions when self-experimenting with cognitive things--maybe I am a little sharper.
Mine finally arrived, and it is solid, Of course is is considerably below 78degrees here, even in my home. I mixed it with pasta last night, but I'm afraid I might have used too much, becasue although my DH kept saying how good it was, he had several helpings, and then he was felling a little nausaus last night when we went to bed. I'll try again today, but with a smaller dose. However, when i reminded him that I was going to the doctor this morning, he already knew, and remembered from last night, or else he was faking it. (grin). We shall see.
I think our preferred way of using it is like butter and jelly or peanut butter on top and you can better tell how much you are using. I am daily noting improvements in husband and am almost afraid to say anything. This morning he made the comment his eyes were feeling better. I asked him how better and he said not as dry, clearer, less foggy (could this be from the flaxseed oil). Don't know. He realizes he is doing better. After we came home this morning he asked my if his walking looked any better..(He has severe spinal stenosis and his walking is the same, however, he is walking faster).
He went in the laundry room and stocked up toilet tissue in each of the bathrooms. Never, ever did that. Didn't put it away but set it on the counter.
Just can hardly believe only 2 tsp a day would account for his improvements.
I tried him counting backward yesterday, still couldn't do it. He can count backward from 10 - 9 - 8 etc, but adjoining numbers.
I am still having a problem with the MCT oil. Can someone give me a part number on a particular web site? I must be getting senile myself. I checked the web sites some posted and still having problems. Thanks.
Going to try some card things today. At his first long testing the Doctor had him take a pack of cards and lay them out in different sequence. I am having trouble remembering exactly how, but husband could not do it. I think put a black card on a red card, etc. Anyone remember this?
i missed a couple of days here being out with grandaughters, but will be back on course with oil 1tpsx2/day tomorrow at breakfast! i will be taking again as well. divvi
well, I had a doctor's appt at 10:30 this AM, and got back at 12:30 after stopping at the store. Usually, he'd still be in bed. He was up, and had made the bd (not to my standards, but he had tried, and he was cleaning the garage, he had had a piece of cake for breakfast without me, I brought him dunkin donuts, he had his ensure, and both donuts, and his pills, now still awake , he is in his den, moving furniture. I've gotten so used to him sleeping all the tie, I don't know what to do with him. (grin)
Some news from Accera (web site has been updated.)
http://www.accerapharma.com/
Accera, Inc. Completes $35 Million Series C Financing
Broomfield, Colo., November 11, 2008 – Accera, Inc., a biotechnology company delivering breakthrough therapies in central nervous system diseases, announced it has recently closed a Series C financing round of $35 million (€ 27 million), led by Inventages Venture Capital SA. Proceeds of this financing will be used to begin sales and marketing of the company’s lead product, Axona™ (previously known as Ketasyn), which is scheduled to launch in the United States in the first quarter of 2009.
Inventages was joined in this round by San Diego-based POSCO BioVentures and other previous private investors. Inventages and POSCO participated in the Company’s Series A and B rounds.
Steve Orndorff, Ph.D., Accera’s founder and CEO, said, “Closing this transaction in the current difficult financial environment is a testament to the confidence of our investors in the Accera organization and the potential of Axona”.
Wolfgang Reichenberger, Ph.D., general partner, Inventages WHealth Management Inc. and IVC Americas SA and a member of Accera’s Board of Directors, expressed enthusiasm about the commercial direction of the company and the upcoming launch of Axona. “Metabolic intervention is a new approach to neurodegenerative diseases, and Accera is a clear leader. We are pleased to support the commercialization of Axona as the lead product from this novel technology platform,” Reichenberger said.
About Accera, Inc. Accera, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company, discovers and develops breakthroughs in central nervous systems disorders. Accera’s novel approaches positively impact patients with neurodegenerative disorders who are in need of effective, well-tolerated therapies. Through its proprietary scientific platform, Accera is developing products that address metabolic deficiencies by providing an alternative energy source for the brain.
Hildann So sorry you have not noticed improvement but I guess we cannot expect improvement accross the board. Just keep on plugging along trying new things that come up. I think many of our diseases/ailments are caused by our food additivies or forms thereof.
My daughter has had severe leg and foot cramping and went to a Naturalpathic Dr. who after testing, etc. told her she was drinking too much soda pop and something in the pop was leaching the potassium and magnesium out of her body. She was to stop drinking this and she should feel better in a month. She did so and told me last night she barely had the cramping now.
they over process our food, add tons of salt and sugar plus preservatives and its no wonder we have so much illness.
And we are eagerly awaiting the launching of Axona in the first quarter of 2009!
We're still doing the coconut oil at 1teaspoon twice a day. The directions on my jar says 3 Tablespoons a day but Sunshyne has me scared to start with that much. Don't want to make him sick or go to the bathroom all day. Going to increase gradually.
I don't know exactly what to look for in the way of improvements. DH's main problem is short term memory and being disoriented occasionally. He is still asking what day it is every morning. If he ever knows the day when wakes up, I will know he's better.
Is using the MCT OIL more effective then using the Coconut oil? And how are you going to dose this?
And how is everyone doing the dosage with the Coconut Oil? Start with 1 tea spoon a day. Then ramp up to two in a week, or two weeks? How soon would you ramp up to the dosage that Dr. Newport recommends? I know that this is going to be based on how the person handles it, but just looking for an average.
Thanks Sunshyne I finally got it ordered. Ordered 2 bottles for my daughters and also another jar for me. Sure is a confusing web site for me to negotiate.
Well, again, my DH got up this morning, instead of at noon, had his ensure and a big danish (can't get him to eat much else. Last night I put the coconut oil in his port and beans, and heated the left over chicken with some sprinkled on top. No complaints about the stomach after dinner, and he ate those beans ravenously, so either it doesn't change the taste, or he likes it. We'll just have to keep watching.
Guy, that is wonderful news about Accera! I've been out there pitching to VCs myself, in the past, and you have no idea how hard it is to even get them to acknowledge your existence, let alone get all the way to a major investment. And with today's financial situation, wow, what an amazing accomplishment!
I'm going to do a little of this and a little of that. It seems to be easier to control the dosage with MCT, especially the emulsified (Twinlab) MCT Fuel product, but I think both my husband and I would get sick of coconut (or artificial orange) flavor sooner or later. The regular MCT oil is supposed to be flavorless, so it would be particularly easy to cook with.
Dosages: I haven't tried adjusting for molecular weight -- that probably won't have as big an impact on efficacy as the kinetics of digestion, absorption, and metabolism, all of which are pretty much unknown for the different MCTs. So, assuming that a gram of an MCT is a gram of any MCT ... and knowing that Accera was giving 20g of their caprylic acid per patient, one dose in the morning, during the clinical trial:
Coconut oil: these oils contain roughly 8.86 grams MCT per Tablespoon, so a "full dose" would be roughly 2.25 Tbsp. (That's about the same as 7 teaspoons.)
MCT oil: these are pure MCT, usually about 2/3 caprylic acid and 1/3 capric acid. They contain 14 grams per Tablespoon, so you'd have a "full dose" in 1.5 Tbsp.
MCT Fuel (the emulsified product in water, orange-flavored) is about 4g MCT per Tbsp, so a full dose would be 5 Tablespoons.
As for ramping up, Accera gave a half dose daily for the first week, and then went to full dose. I'm being more cautious than that (I scared myself, Dazed ...!) and am starting off with a teaspoon each morning for a few days, then I'll go to another teaspoon in the evening, etc. (It just makes more sense to me to try to keep a steady supply of ketone bodies in the bloodstream, so I'm going to be spreading the doses over two to three times per day.)
I have been giving 2 t. of coconut oil now for a couple weeks or so and have noticed remarkable improvement in energy level, staying awake, clock drawing and signing his name but this weekend he crashed. The last 2 days he has slept virtually around the clock. He is continuing sleeping today. I missed dosing the oil on Friday but continued Saturday. Do you think it possible his renewed energy, being awake during the day "finally caught up with him?" I am not that surprised at the decline but I hope things will reverse again. When he is again more alert I am going to renew some of the testing. He is ok with that because he knew he had been doing better. The improvement before this decline was the best he had had in 6 months.
I hope some others among you are noticing improvements.
Re: coconut oil. I do not endorse or recommend it, nor do I NOT endorse or recommend it. I remain neutral, but for those who are interested, I put an Amazon link to it just above my most recent blog.
Thanks, Sandy. No problem for DH but guess I'd better leave it alone. I'm taking Lipator for high cholesterol.
I'm giving DH 3 teaspoons a day now. Sunday evening he said he feels like he can think better the last few days....that he doesn't feel so foggy. Could it possibly be the coconut oil? I know with AD they can have good days and bad days. Guess we'll just have to wait and see.
i started back up slowly with 1-2tsp daily for DH a few days ago. i am surprised today i had no issues at all giving his meds including the swallow pills. (see pill taking, i was complaining):)...today he just seems more 'alert' and in tune and able to follow commands more and took all the pills the first try without issue...maybe its coincidence...Divvi
Sandy - Is the coconut oil worse on cholestral than Olive Oil or Canola Oil and margerine? I have been trying to substiture with the coconut oil. Husband doesn't have cholestral problems but I do.
Sandy, it is my understanding that MCTs do NOT induce cholesterol formation. It's the longer-chain saturated fats and fatty acids that are a problem.
MCTs are digested by a different route than long-chain triglycerides. Unlike LCTs, MCTs are not transported via the lymph system, stored in body tissues, or packaged into lipoproteins. Instead they are quickly absorbed directly into the portal vein, and transported to the liver via the blood. There, they are quickly oxidized for use as energy. For more information than you ever wanted to know about MCT digestion, absorption, and metabolism, see:
Odle J. 1997. New Insights into the Utilization of Medium-Chain Triglycerides by the Neonate: Observations from a Piglet Model. J Nutrition 127(6):1061-1067. You can read this at:
Clinical studies on humans have shown that when consumed in normal amounts, MCTs have little/no impact on serum cholesterol levels. In fact, they can help improve the LDL to HDL ratio, especially in women.
on my bottle of COil it clearly says that its a great misunderstanding that it raises colesterol and actually can help lower it..like Sunshyne i think its better probably than some of the oils currently on the market we use to fry foods in... you can google Coconut oil benefits and it says the same thing. divvi
Sunshyne, your resources are different than mine. One key is the normal dose for coconut oil is less than what the recommended dose is for AD. My husband's cardiologist gave us information which listed it as an oil to avoid due to the effects on the heart but he has had 2 MI's already. Also the olive oil and canola oil are not bad oils and we all should be using them. Margerine is another story.
sandy D, is the danger just for heart patients or should coconut oil never be given according to your DH's cardiologist? Sunshyne, I haven't read the articles about coconut oil but seemingly seeing some improvement in DH, I'm confused about whether to keep giving it or not.
Gee, I've been using it instead of oil or butter for cooking. Like last night I pan seared some chicken I was cooking, and usually would have added olive oil, but used coconut oil half with EVOO. and then I added a tspn to his mashed potatoes instead of butter. Last night he suddenly realized I'm doing all the driving and had a fit when I told him he wasn't to drive anymore (see my not in driving issue). I don't know, maybe it was better when he was foggier.
Dr. Newport has posted on the alz.org message boards. It's been 6 months since her DH started taking coconut oil and she has increased the amount he's taking. She's continuing to see additional improvements. They are asking her to report on her husband's cholesterol.
I copied her post but didn't know if it was appropriate to paste it here.
She did answer on the forum about cholesteral and said her DH's stayed normal. It went up some once because the HDL had improved. That was good. This may affect people differently.
I am still giving DH coconut oil because I can see some improvement. He actually remembered that today is Sunday. Remembering what day of the week has been an ongoing problem for him. I will make sure his cholesteral is checked regularly, though.
I thought I read somewhere that nutrition but not medicine can get through the blood brain barrier. Is this true?
Dazed, it depends on the type of molecule -- the size (larger molecules don't cross readily) and the chemistry. Some meds can easily cross the barrier.
Re Newport's husband's cholesterol ... it's a little hard to tell what happened, from the way she wrote her answer. It appears that her husband is blessed with naturally low cholesterol, and it might have gone up some. Things might be different in someone who starts out hypercholesterolemic.
I have been digging into this more, since sandy D continued to express concerns. I'm not finding any clear answers. I think that, ultimately, the conclusion I will reach is that the overall diet affects whether or not the coconut oil and/or MCT oil can raise serum cholesterol and/or can change the HDL/LDL ratio. The whole area of lipid metabolism is not as clear-cut and simple as coconut oil proponents claim ... and I'm having trouble finding some of the epidemiology studies that are frequently mentioned (but references are never given.)
I have found references that discuss, in detail, the different metabolic routes that the coconut oil proponents talk about, true. But it turns out that ingesting high levels of a particular fat can turn all sorts of genes on and off, and that this can really change overall metabolism. Ergo, the particular route that a particular fat takes can be determined by what else the mammal ingests.
I've found a couple of studies in which olive oil was as bad as lard. (!) And what is good for the cardiovascular system can be bad for potential disorders in other systems (cancer, diabetes, etc.)
Also, we are learning that there's a whole lot we still don't know about cholesterol. For example, the size of the LDL and HDL particles can be much more strongly associated with risk than the overall concentration. And there are at least five different types of HDL particles, which have very different biological properties.
It is possible that phytosterols will help (I need to look at that more), definitely that we need to ensure our spouses get enough fiber (but some types of fiber are better than others).
And I'm finding more and more clues that the different MCTs (caprylic, capric, lauric, myristic, etc) can meet very different fates, so I need to dig more into that subject.
Bottom line, as far as I'm concerned, my husband's brain is a much more serious problem than his cardiovascular system, so I will continue to give MCTs to him and simply do what I can to ensure he has the right diet. But I may not be taking the MCTs myself -- certainly will want to have my own cholesterols tested if I do.
Also, from what little I know about the Accera product, it may have been developed with many of these concerns in mind. I know that the last clinical trial evaluated different formulations with different amounts/types of carbohydrates (fiber) and protein. Perhaps they looked at cholesterol, etc, during that trial. Certainly, Dr Henderson is light-years ahead of me (and of Dr Newport) when it comes to understanding lipid metabolism.
A report written for the general reader that reinforces the significance of mitochondia: http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/11/two-mice-on-tre.html
Sunshyne, the more I know, the more confused I get. I will keep giving this to DH though. because he does seem less foggy. However, I have quit using it myself after reading Sandy D's post.
Basically, there may be a problem with coconut oil if you don't eat enough fiber and maybe a few other things like the phytosterols. (I need to read some more papers to see which phytosterols might be best.) It appears that some of the epidemiological studies that the coconut oil proponents talk about considered coconut oil, coconut meat, and coconut milk to be pretty much the same. They're not, and coconut meat contains some things that, apparently, help control blood cholesterol and minimize cardiovascular problems.
Also, I'm finding that some lipid researchers (especially recently) consider lauric and myristic acids (C12:0 and C14:0) to belong to the long-chain triglyceride group because of their overall biological behavior, and coconut oil is ~50% lauric acid. So some papers talk about MCT and mean fatty acids with 10 carbons or less in their chains, and others mean fatty acids with 12 carbons or less, and still others mean 14 carbons or less. And then there are the ones who put anything with 6 carbons or less into the "short-chain" category. Also, some call caprylic acid "octanoate" for the eight carbons, capric acid "decanoate" for the ten carbons, and so forth. And some work with hydrogenated coconut oil. Hydrogenation won't affect the saturated fatty acids, but it will affected the mono- and polyunsaturated fats in the coconut oil, and it's entirely possible that the hydrogenated fats have caused a problem which was (unfairly) blamed on the saturated fatty acids.
One has to read the VERY fine print to find out what they're talking about.
While I was posting, one of the more active researchers in this area was emailing me a copy of a very recent paper on the results from a clinical trial she just conducted. This compared MCT oil (this is a mixture of the lower-weight fats, caprylic and capric, C8:0 and C10:0) versus olive oil. Now, this was a weight loss diet, so the total calories consumed was low (1500-1800 calories per day, depending on original body weight), which might have affected results (because high-fat diets do change fat metabolism). However, in this study under their study conditions, neither the MCT oil nor the olive oil, consumed at 18-24 grams per day, had any significant adverse effect on any of the cardiovascular disease biomarkers, including cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and total serum triglycerides. MCT was better at helping lose weight.
I did find one review which said that the FDA found that "the only saturated fatty acid that has been consistently reported as cholesterol-raising is myristic acid.” Also, the FDA defines "saturated fatty acids" to be the "sum of lauric, myristic, palmitic and stearic acids."
So, assuming that doctors and researchers are following FDA guidelines, the MCTs in MCT oil are NOT considered to be "saturated fatty acids" for the purposes of establishing dietary guidelines for cardiovascular health.
...I am pleased to have been able to clarify things for you, Dazed. <grin>