Fats Found In Coconut Oil Boost Brain Function In Only One Dose

Written by Sayer Ji

Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs), the primary type of fat found within coconut oil, have been found to boost cognitive performance in older adults suffering from memory disorders as serious as Alzheimer’s — and not after months or even days of treatment, but after a single 40 ml dose!

A groundbreaking 2004 study published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging found that the administration of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), the primary fat type found in coconut oil, almost immediately improved cognitive function in older adults with memory disorders.

The study involved 20 subjects with Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment who, on separate days, were given either emulsified MCTs or a placebo.  The researchers observed a significant increase in blood plasma levels of the ketone body beta-hydroxylutyrate (beta-OHB) after only 90 minutes of treatment, and depending on the apolipoprotein E genotype of the subject tested, beta-OHB levels either continued to rise or held constant between the 90 and 120 minute blood draws in the treatment condition. Remarkably, cognitive testing revealed that this brief MCT treatment facilitated improved performance on the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-cog) in 4 subjects within the study group. Moreover, “higher ketone values were associated with greater improvement in paragraph recall with MCT treatment relative to placebo across all subjects (P=0.02).”[i]

The details of the study procedure was described as follows:

The study was conducted with a double-blind placebo controlled design with two study visits. During each visit, subjects received one of two isocaloric conditions (690calories) in a randomized order: emulsified MCTs, or emulsified long chain triglycerides as a placebo. NeoBee 895 (Stepan, Inc.) was used for MCTs. To increase palatability, heavy whipping cream was used as a source of long chain triglycerides and as a source of long chain mono- and di-glycerides for emulsification. MCTs (40ml) were blended with 152ml heavy whipping cream to create the emulsified test sample. Heavy whipping cream alone (232ml) was blended to create the placebo.

Subjects fasted from 8:00 p.m. on the night prior to the study visit. They arrived in the morning and blood was drawn to determine plasma β-OHB levels and APOE genotyping (first visit only). Subjects then consumed the test beverage and rested quietly for 90min, after which blood was drawn and a 30-min cognitive testing session ensued. After testing, a final blood draw was taken.

How Medium Chain Triglycerides Work

How could a single dose of MCTs (40 ml or 2.7 tablespoons) cause an almost immediate improvement in cognitive performance in those suffering from cognitive impairments as serious as Alzheimer’s disease? The explanation is found both in the unique metabolic needs of the brain and in the configuration of MCTs themselves. Whereas the primary fuel source for the energy-hungry brain is glucose, when insulin resistance and suboptimal metabolism (hypometabolism) develops in the brain, both the brain’s structure and function are compromised. Ketone bodies provide a much needed alternative fuel source to glucose that can recharge metabolic processes within the brain, resulting in an almost immediate improvement in cognitive function.

MCTs are not like most fats we consume. For instance, due to their smaller size they do not form micelles and are not stored in adipose tissue. Whereas up to 97% of the dietary fats we ingest are made up of long-chain triglycerides (LCTs) which have been 14 and 18 carbons,[ii] MCTs have relatively shorter chain lengths of 5 to 12 carbons, making them easier to absorb and utilize. They are preferentially oxidized by the liver, and when provided in large enough quantities, they give rise to ketone bodies.[iii]

What is the best way to take MCTs? As we are advocates of whole food nutrition, coconut oil is our preferred source of these triglycerides, containing approximately 2/3rds MCTs by volume. Coconut oil also has a broad spectrum of other health benefits, which we highlighted in our previous article “13 Evidence-Based Medicinal Properties of Coconut Oil.”

Also, instead of treating coconut oil or MCTs as some new nutraceutical “magic bullet,” almost as if we are just loading natural bullets into the same old outdated allopathic gun, try incorporating it into your diet in a way that displaces less healthy fats. For instance, replace that rancid, pro-inflammatory ‘vegetable oil’ (e.g. soy, grape seed, peanut, canola oil) you are using to fry an egg or bake with, with sublimely saturated, rancidity-resistant coconut oil.

Or, enjoy a delicious curry with coconut milk as a base. Because 25% of coconut milk is fat, and about 66% of that fat is MCT, you are still getting a healthy dose. It is always better to eat smaller amounts of truly therapeutic foods, enjoyed in the context of sharing, preparing and enjoying good food, so that you will ideally never have to use the heroic “food as medicine” approach after a serious disease has had the opportunity to set in. Think: use food so that medicine never becomes necessary.   

For additional information view the testimonial of Dr. Mary Newport who discovered the benefits of using coconut oil to treat her husband’s Alzheimer’s Disease.Article Resources

[i] Mark A Reger, Samuel T Henderson, Cathy Hale, Brenna Cholerton, Laura D Baker, G S Watson, Karen Hyde, Darla Chapman, Suzanne Craft. Effects of beta-hydroxybutyrate on cognition in memory-impaired adults. Neurobiol Aging. 2004 Mar;25(3):311-4. PMID: 15123336
[ii] Anonymous: Medium chain triglycerides.  Alt Med Rev 2002, 7:418-420.[iii]  Lauren C Costantini, Linda J Barr, Janet L Vogel, Samuel T Henderson. Hypometabolism as a therapeutic target in Alzheimer’s disease. BMC Neurosci. 2008 ;9 Suppl 2:S16. Epub 2008 Dec 3. PMID: 1909098

About the author

Sayer Ji is the founder and director of GreenMedInfo.com and an advisory board member at the National Health Federation, an international nonprofit, consumer-education, health-freedom organization. He co-authored the book Cancer Killers: The Cause Is The Cure, and is working on another one with Tania Melkonian titled EATomology: An Edible Philosophy of Food.

http://themindunleashed.org/2014/09/fats-found-coconut-oil-boost-brain-function-one-dose.html

Nicotine: An Unlikely Brain Enhancing Drug

New research shows that nicotine, used in isolation, can be effective for brain enhancement and helpful in treating a number of brain-related disorders.

Before we talk about nicotine as a brain enhancing drug, let’s just get the “elephant in the room” out of the way.

Cigarette smoking is “Public Health Enemy Number 1.” (1)

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it causes 480,000 deaths each year in the US or about one in five deaths. (2)

Smoking puts you at increased risk of heart disease, lung disease, numerous kinds of cancer, and death from all causes.

The nicotine in cigarettes is often blamed for the health hazards of smoking and for making cigarettes so addictive.

And yet, quite counterintuitively, nicotine may hold the key for treating a number of brain-related disorders and diseases.

Let’s take an unbiased look at nicotine and the surprising ways it can improve brain function. 

What Is Nicotine? 

Nicotine is a naturally occurring compound found in the family of plants called the nightshades.

The nightshades include common foods like potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and tobacco.

Nicotine is found in small amounts in foods, but is highly concentrated in tobacco.

People like to smoke tobacco largely because of the effects of nicotine.

Nicotine gives smokers pleasure by increasing their “feel good” neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. (3) 

It also enhances memory and learning by increasing the brain chemical acetylcholine.

Paradoxically, nicotine has the potential to act as both a stimulant and a relaxant.

It can make you more alert when you’re tired, and calm you down when you’re anxious.

Cigarette Smoke: More Than Nicotine

Nicotine is often vilified as the source of smoking’s many health hazards, but isolated nicotine exhibits few documented health risks. (4)

According to the American Lung Association, cigarettes contain around 600 ingredients, nicotine is just one of them.

When burned, cigarettes create more than 7,000 chemicals including 70 known carcinogens like cyanide, benzene, formaldehyde, methanol, and ammonia. (5)

When discussing the health implications of smoking, nicotine is often referred to interchangeably with tobacco, but this is an inaccurate oversimplification.

Nicotine Delivery Systems

Cigarette smoke makes an excellent nicotine delivery system.

When inhaled in smoke, nicotine enters the blood stream and crosses the blood-brain barrier in 7 seconds. (6)

Once it enters the brain, nicotine acts on acetylcholine receptors, releasing a slew of mood-altering brain chemicals.

Since the release of the first Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health in 1964, smoking rates in the United States have dropped by more than half. (7)

Once the health hazards of cigarettes became common knowledge, millions of smokers wanted to quit.

But cigarette smoking is one mankind’s most addictive behaviors.

Nicotine is purported to be one of the most addictive substances on earth — right up there with heroin and cocaine. (8)

So an entire new industry arose — nicotine replacement therapy (NRT).

Nicotine replacement therapies such as patches, gum, lozenges, inhalers, nasal sprays, and, most recently, e-cigarettes were created to help smokers stop smoking.

But NRTs have been a dismal failure.

Only 20% of those who use a nicotine replacement product successfully quit smoking. (9)

Smokers who use nicotine replacements are just as likely to relapse as those who don’t. (10)

Oddly, heavy smokers are twice as likely to relapse if they used a nicotine replacement product. (11)

Nicotine — Not as Addictive as Believed

The general belief is that nicotine is one of the most addictive substances on the planet.

But the latest research does not support this. (12)

Animal studies show nicotine to be only mildly addictive. (13) 

Acetaldehyde, another chemical found in tobacco smoke, was found to dramatically reinforce the addictive properties of nicotine. (14)

Other chemicals that keep smokers hooked on tobacco include anabasine, nornicotine, anatabine, cotinine, and myosmine. 

Once again, nicotine is erroneously blamed for smoking’s addictiveness.

Nicotine for Brain Enhancement

The first clue that nicotine might have positive effects on the brain was the discovery that smoking reduces the risk of Parkinsons’ disease (PD) — a progressive neurological disorder that affects movement. (15)

Current smokers have almost half the risk of developing PD than non-smokers. (16) 

This disease is caused by the loss of brain cells that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is responsible for movement.

Investigative journalist Dan Hurley extensively studied the effects of nicotine on the brain while researching his book Smarter: The New Science of Building Brain Power.

He learned that nicotine (distinct from tobacco) is a surprisingly safe and effective brain enhancer and potential treatment for neurological disorders including Parkinson’s, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Tourette’s syndrome, and schizophrenia.

When Hurley interviewed Dr. Jennifer Rusted, professor of experimental psychology, she stated that “nicotine is the most reliable cognitive enhancer that we currently have.”

She’s found that, as a brain booster, nicotine significantly outperforms the popular smart drug Provigil.

An analysis of 41 studies on nicotine and cognitive performance concluded that nicotine safely improved fine motor skills, attention, accuracy, response time, short-term memory, and working memory. (17)

Nicotine Research on Brain Disorders

It’s certainly not a coincidence that 50% of smokers have mental health problems. (18)

People with disorders such as depression, ADHD and schizophrenia often self-medicate with cigarettes to improve mood, focus, concentration, and short-term memory. (19, 20, 21)

A study on nicotine and Parkinson’s is currently being sponsored by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. (22)

It’s believed that nicotine might protect dopamine-producing neurons in the brain to keep them from dying. So far, nicotine used in this way has been shown to be safe and beneficial.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an intermediate stage between “normal” age-related mental decline and the diagnosis of dementia.

Nicotine administered via transdermal patch was shown to improve memory, attention, and mental processing in people with MCI with no side effects. (23)

Nicotine shows promise in treating Alzheimer’s disease.

Studies using nicotine administered via patch or IV show positive results in Alzheimer’s patients including memory improvement, increased attention, learning, accuracy, and reaction time. (24, 25, 26)

Low dose nicotine patches, when used on non-smokers, temporarily reduced signs of depression. (27) 

Depression is linked to neurotransmitter imbalance and nicotine stimulates the release of mood-elevating neurotransmitters including serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. (28)

Can Peppers Prevent Parkinson’s? 

While nicotine has some brain enhancing properties, the experts aren’t recommending we start smoking or chew nicotine gum to protect our brains from disease or boost brain function. 

Researchers will tell you that more studies have to be done.

But meanwhile could eating nicotine-rich foods help?

Here’s a list of foods that naturally contain nicotine: (29)

• cauliflower
• eggplant
• peppers (both chili and bell)
• potatoes
• tea (both green and black) (30)
• tomatoes (especially green tomatoes)

Cooking and processing does not seem to destroy nicotine in food since it was found in tomato paste, ketchup, and french fries. (31)

The amount of nicotine in foods is relatively small.  

In fact, you’d have to eat 20 pounds of eggplant to get the same amount of nicotine as one cigarette!

So it seems unlikely that you could eat enough for a noticeable brain boost.

However a recent study found that eating foods from the nightshade family is protective against Parkinson’s. 

Study participants who ate the most peppers — two to four per week — lowered their risk of PD by 30%. (32)

This was exciting evidence that the nicotine in food can protect against at least one brain disorder. 

The Downside of Smoking and the Brain

Before all this good news about nicotine has you running off to buy a pack of cigarettes, there are downsides of smoking and the brain. 

People exposed to secondhand smoke score 20% lower on memory tests. (33)

Smoking may increase your risk of dementia and cognitive decline by up to 80%. (34)

Interestingly, male smokers are more likely to experience earlier cognitive decline than non-smokers, but no link has been found between smoking and cognitive decline in women. (35)

Smoking creates free radicals which can cause oxidative damage to delicate brain cells. (36)

Women who smoke during pregnancy put their unborn child at greater risk for ADHD. (37)

A non-nicotine compound in cigarettes called NNK increases neuroinflammation which can lead to brain damage and multiple sclerosis. (38)

And lastly, there’s the gloomy statistic that smoking on average takes 10 years off your life. (39)

Scientists and medical professionals agree that more research is needed and do not recommend self-medicating with nicotine replacement therapies to boost cognitive performance or treat brain disease.

Nicotine as a Brain Enhancer in a Nutshell

The negative health hazards of cigarette smoking are widely known. 

Nicotine has been demonized as the reason cigarette smoking is unhealthy and addictive, but recent research shows these connections to be largely untrue.

Nicotine, when examined separately from smoking, is thought to be an excellent and safe brain enhancer.

It boosts brain function in healthy adults and in those with mental health problems. 

It shows promise in treating brain disorders including ADHD, depression, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s.

There’s evidence that eating nicotine-rich foods may be protective against at least one brain disorder. 

While there is no doubt that students, brain hackers, and desperate seniors are using nicotine replacement products to improve brain function, the experts caution against it unless you’re working with a medical professional.

http://bebrainfit.com/lifestyle/mental/nicotine-brain-enhancing-drug/

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How to Use Dark Chocolate as a Medicine

Some medical claims sound too good to be true, but as it turns out – you really can use chocolate dark chocolate as a medicine. Turn out, dark chocolate is full of nutrients and loaded with health benefits.


Dark Chocolate as A Natural Medicine

1. Dark Chocolate Makes You Smarter:
It’s true. Studies have shown that those who consume a nice hot cup of hot chocolate in the evenings before bed have over time improved brain function. It does this by increasing the blood flow in your brain and your heart, which instantly improves your cognitive function.

2. Dark Chocolate Gives You Youth:
High in anti-oxidants, dark chocolate helps combat the radical cell damage caused by toxins and free radical activity through aging. Stay young and healthy by eating chocolate.

3. Dark Chocolate is Excellent for The Heart:
Studies have shown that those who do indulge in eating dark chocolate have lower blood pressure, improved blood flow and have a smaller risk of blood clots. Strengthen your heart by eating dark chocolate 3 times a week.

4. Dark Chocolate Improves Your Mood:
Chocolate has been proven to put you in a better mood, make you calmer and feel more relaxed. Which is just as important as any other health benefit. Now you know why you want chocolate when you’re stressed or in despair.

5. Dark Chocolate is a Vitamin Source:
Chocolate contains some great vitamins and minerals that support good health. This list includes: potassium, copper, magnesium, iron. All of which are in high concentrations to provide you with the protection against such things as: stroke, anemia, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

6. Reduce Your Cholesterol:
Regular consumption of dark chocolate may reduce your cholesterol. Its antioxidants protect oxidation of LDL cholesterol and prevents artery damage.

7. Hot Raw Chocolate For A Cough:
Chocolate contains theobromine which soothes a cough and has a similar effect to codeine. So try a hot cup of almond milk and raw cocoa when you have a cough.

8. Lower Your Blood Pressure:
Flavanols help your arteries to relax, which lowers blood flow and blood pressure.

9. Reduce Stress Levels:
Dark chocolate contains magnesium, which gives us a happy, feel good vibe and lifts our spirit. And there is more – compounds found in dark chocolate lower cortisol levels to relax body and mind.

10. Dark Chocolate Protects Your Skin
Flavonoids in dark chocolate protect your skin from UV damage. But don´t see it as your new sunscreen, you still need that when going out in the sun.

11. Natural Painkiller
Chocolate stimulates our body to produce calming and pain relieving endorphins.

Health coach Amy Goodrich goes on to say, “…don’t get me wrong here… although there are plenty of health benefits, chocolate is unfortunately also high in calories coming from fat and sugar. So don’t swap all your veggie and fruit snacks with chocolate. Like with many things in life, moderation is the key here.”

http://naturalcuresnotmedicine.com/how-to-use-dark-chocolate-as-a-medicine/