Article in today's "Daily Mail" about coconut oil and MCT oil.
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There's an old thread about coconut oil:
http://forum.alzheimers.org.uk/show...-Alzheimers-please-read&highlight=coconut+oil
http://forum.alzheimers.org.uk/show...-Alzheimers-please-read&highlight=coconut+oil
My wife did loads of research about coconut oil and now we use it for all our cooking, can't do any more harm, works well with our actifry, and the wife feels like she's helping,which is also good. Win,win
Members who maybe interested in the pros & cons of cooking with coconut oil
maybe interested in this article from Australia
jimbo 111
http://www.watoday.com.au/good-food/cook/the-skinny-on-coconut-oil-20130102-2c578.html
I read it and found this
He stressed that, as yet, there was no evidence —– and warned that coconut oil itself has its own down-side.
‘The fats (found in coconut oil) can be potentially harmful to the heart, so it would be wise to regularly monitor cholesterol and triglyceride levels if you are taking it.’
Jeany x
coconut oil
i have gone out and brought some of the oil. dad has it in coffee, which actually tastes nice, and this morning put it in his porrige, i am also taking it too.
hey it cant do any halm trying it, ok they say it could be bad for your heart but thats long term and i say for a 81 year old whats the problem.?
is rather him be happier in his head, so early days but will get back with results
i have gone out and brought some of the oil. dad has it in coffee, which actually tastes nice, and this morning put it in his porrige, i am also taking it too.
hey it cant do any halm trying it, ok they say it could be bad for your heart but thats long term and i say for a 81 year old whats the problem.?
is rather him be happier in his head, so early days but will get back with results
Alzheimer's UK refuses to fund research?
That myth has apparently been peddled since the 1980s for purely commercial reasons: coconutoilorganic[dot]com[dot]au/did-you-know/the-oils-war .
See here for the medical research which proves the contrary: www[dot]huffingtonpost[dot]com/dr-mercola/coconut-oil-benefits_b_821453[dot]html[/url] .
The bit which struck me was this "The charity Alzheimer’s UK, which has just had its funding boosted by the Government, says while it ‘wouldn’t discourage anyone from taking it . . . there is not enough evidence to suggest that coconut oil or ketones have benefits for people with Alzheimer’s, so we would not consider funding research into it’.
I'd like to know if that was the Alzheimer's Society or Alzheimer's Research UK which made that comment? If it's the Alzheimer's Society, I should cancel my monthly standing order.
Here's the most comprehensive analysis I've found so far in my research on coconut oil and dementia: www[dot]coconutresearchcenter[dot]org/Conquering%20Alzheimers%20with%20Coconut%20Ketones[dot]htm.
That myth has apparently been peddled since the 1980s for purely commercial reasons: coconutoilorganic[dot]com[dot]au/did-you-know/the-oils-war .
See here for the medical research which proves the contrary: www[dot]huffingtonpost[dot]com/dr-mercola/coconut-oil-benefits_b_821453[dot]html[/url] .
The bit which struck me was this "The charity Alzheimer’s UK, which has just had its funding boosted by the Government, says while it ‘wouldn’t discourage anyone from taking it . . . there is not enough evidence to suggest that coconut oil or ketones have benefits for people with Alzheimer’s, so we would not consider funding research into it’.
I'd like to know if that was the Alzheimer's Society or Alzheimer's Research UK which made that comment? If it's the Alzheimer's Society, I should cancel my monthly standing order.
Here's the most comprehensive analysis I've found so far in my research on coconut oil and dementia: www[dot]coconutresearchcenter[dot]org/Conquering%20Alzheimers%20with%20Coconut%20Ketones[dot]htm.
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Take care about the type of coconut oil
Please make sure it's the virgin coconut oil you're using and not hydrogenated coconut oil. We didn't find it quite so easily and ended up buying it online, although it is available for about twice as much from health food shops.
In our experience, it does have an effect. However, we've just increased the quantity per day for my father to 5 tablespoons (from the two we had been using before with his porridge) over three meals. I read the paper on coconutresearchcenter.org last night ... .
And as mentioned above, it isn't bad for the heart - it's the opposite, as evidenced by the low incidence of heart disease in populations (eg, Pacific islanders) which have high levels of coconut oil in their diets.
Please make sure it's the virgin coconut oil you're using and not hydrogenated coconut oil. We didn't find it quite so easily and ended up buying it online, although it is available for about twice as much from health food shops.
In our experience, it does have an effect. However, we've just increased the quantity per day for my father to 5 tablespoons (from the two we had been using before with his porridge) over three meals. I read the paper on coconutresearchcenter.org last night ... .
And as mentioned above, it isn't bad for the heart - it's the opposite, as evidenced by the low incidence of heart disease in populations (eg, Pacific islanders) which have high levels of coconut oil in their diets.
I agree, we have been using it and I have been steady since . No major upsets or downs , like I said be fore ...the wife feels better for helping, it's doing me no harm ( a heart problem because of it makes no difference to me )
a consultant gave it over a time period to her Alzheimer's husband and found an improvement ! I have vascular dementia and a lung problem so side effects don't really come into it un less your heathy .... And I wish Coconut oil user
My wife (Stage 6 Alzheimer's) has been using a coconut oil blend for 5 months now. Five tablespoons a day (or more) in divided doses with food. Not a cure, but I know when the effects kick in, and heaven forbid I forget to give it to her after a meal. Then I really see the effects. I'm also finding that a diabetic low-carb diet is also extremely important, and also very hard to implement with a strong willed wife.
My wife (Stage 6 Alzheimer's) has been using a coconut oil blend for 5 months now. Five tablespoons a day (or more) in divided doses with food. Not a cure, but I know when the effects kick in, and heaven forbid I forget to give it to her after a meal. Then I really see the effects. I'm also finding that a diabetic low-carb diet is also extremely important, and also very hard to implement with a strong willed wife.
I know this is a bit off track! but in giving Coconoil to Mum/MIL, now using it for the rest of us because it's just easier than making two-three lots of things, Coconoil makes fantastic roast/saute potatoes with garlic and rosemary, or pepper, salt and a twist of chilli! If you don't like the taste of coconut (and it's very mild post cooking), try 2/3 coconoil and 1/3 olive oil.
More back to the thread: I would love to up Mum's dose of Coconoil but as soon as we try, it has an explosive effect on her tummy. Don't know if Mum's just too frail now to tolerate any major changes to her diet (v lucky, she eats really well - fresh veg, fruit, light protein, low carb as Maccare suggests, porridge every morning) but we simply can't increase the dose for her. Max is 1 full teaspoon a day. Has anyone else found the same?
More back to the thread: I would love to up Mum's dose of Coconoil but as soon as we try, it has an explosive effect on her tummy. Don't know if Mum's just too frail now to tolerate any major changes to her diet (v lucky, she eats really well - fresh veg, fruit, light protein, low carb as Maccare suggests, porridge every morning) but we simply can't increase the dose for her. Max is 1 full teaspoon a day. Has anyone else found the same?
Ketogenic diet?
From what I have read, this can be the reaction to eating coconut oil all of a sudden - as happened to a friend of ours. There is some advice in the 'Diet guidelines and FAQ' which can be downloaded from www[dot]coconutketones[dot]com - the website of Dr Mary Newport, who wrote the book 'What if there was a cure for Alzheimer's and nobody knew?' based on her experience of giving coconut oil to her husband. She suggests that
"If you take too much oil too fast, you may experience indigestion, cramping or diarrhea. To avoid these symptoms, take with food and start with 1 teaspoon coconut oil or MCT oil per meal, increasing slowly as tolerated over a week or longer. If diarrhea develops drop back to the previous level. For most people, the goal would be to increase gradually to 4-6 tablespoons a day, depending on the size of the person, spread over 2-4 meals. Mixing MCT oil and coconut oil could provide higher levels and a steady level of ketones. One formula is to mix 16 ounces MCT oil plus 12 ounces coconut oil in a quart jar and increase slowly as tolerated, starting with 1 teaspoon."
While checking this, I see that she has posted a detailed medical study on ketone esters published in Neurobiology of Aging. The title is "A ketone ester diet exhibits anxiolytic and cognition-sparing properties, and lessens amyloid and tau pathologies in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease". Its conclusion is "Our preclinical findings suggest that a ketone ester-containing diet has the potential to retard the disease process and improve cognitive function of patients with Alzheimer's Disease."
This seems to correspond to what we have been seeing with my father. What I'm not sure about is what my father's diet should look like. @Maccare mentioned a 'diabetic low-carb diet'. If we're giving my father porridge, fruit juice and an apple for breakfast, I'm wondering what to give him for lunch and dinner, bearing in mind that he has recently been advised to stick to foods with a smooth texture and without bits in it to avoid choking? Ideas welcome.
From what I have read, this can be the reaction to eating coconut oil all of a sudden - as happened to a friend of ours. There is some advice in the 'Diet guidelines and FAQ' which can be downloaded from www[dot]coconutketones[dot]com - the website of Dr Mary Newport, who wrote the book 'What if there was a cure for Alzheimer's and nobody knew?' based on her experience of giving coconut oil to her husband. She suggests that
"If you take too much oil too fast, you may experience indigestion, cramping or diarrhea. To avoid these symptoms, take with food and start with 1 teaspoon coconut oil or MCT oil per meal, increasing slowly as tolerated over a week or longer. If diarrhea develops drop back to the previous level. For most people, the goal would be to increase gradually to 4-6 tablespoons a day, depending on the size of the person, spread over 2-4 meals. Mixing MCT oil and coconut oil could provide higher levels and a steady level of ketones. One formula is to mix 16 ounces MCT oil plus 12 ounces coconut oil in a quart jar and increase slowly as tolerated, starting with 1 teaspoon."
While checking this, I see that she has posted a detailed medical study on ketone esters published in Neurobiology of Aging. The title is "A ketone ester diet exhibits anxiolytic and cognition-sparing properties, and lessens amyloid and tau pathologies in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease". Its conclusion is "Our preclinical findings suggest that a ketone ester-containing diet has the potential to retard the disease process and improve cognitive function of patients with Alzheimer's Disease."
This seems to correspond to what we have been seeing with my father. What I'm not sure about is what my father's diet should look like. @Maccare mentioned a 'diabetic low-carb diet'. If we're giving my father porridge, fruit juice and an apple for breakfast, I'm wondering what to give him for lunch and dinner, bearing in mind that he has recently been advised to stick to foods with a smooth texture and without bits in it to avoid choking? Ideas welcome.
Coconut oil for cooking
For cooking, we are using KTC Coconut oil, which is a 100% pure, refined coconut oil. As a result, it doesn't taste of coconut. We've found it in Indian shops - coconut oil is used a lot for cooking in south India - and in larger branches of Tesco. It's also available from Amazon. It's also about half the price of Coconoil!
Apparently, it isn't a good idea to cook with olive oil. See the 2011 Huffington Post article 'Coconut oil: when fat is good for you' by Dr Joseph Mercola. "Due to its chemical structure, heat makes olive oil susceptible to oxidative damage. ... And polyunsaturated fats, which include common vegetable oils such as corn, soy, safflower, sunflower and canola, are absolutely the worst oils to cook with."
For cooking, we are using KTC Coconut oil, which is a 100% pure, refined coconut oil. As a result, it doesn't taste of coconut. We've found it in Indian shops - coconut oil is used a lot for cooking in south India - and in larger branches of Tesco. It's also available from Amazon. It's also about half the price of Coconoil!
Apparently, it isn't a good idea to cook with olive oil. See the 2011 Huffington Post article 'Coconut oil: when fat is good for you' by Dr Joseph Mercola. "Due to its chemical structure, heat makes olive oil susceptible to oxidative damage. ... And polyunsaturated fats, which include common vegetable oils such as corn, soy, safflower, sunflower and canola, are absolutely the worst oils to cook with."
Mercola is hardly an authoritative source.
9 Reasons to Completely Ignore Joseph Mercola
is just one example.
If you are going to make statements such as "Apparently, it isn't a good idea to cook with olive oil" then please, make sure your source has some legitimate science to back up such claims. Bear in mind that Mercola has a vested interest in promoting coconut oil - he sells it.
I'm sorry - this sort of thing makes me very cross: by all means try things that you think might help and won't do you much harm, but I'm not going to stand by and let people like this particular quack be held up as an authoritative source without making a strong protest.
9 Reasons to Completely Ignore Joseph Mercola
is just one example.
If you are going to make statements such as "Apparently, it isn't a good idea to cook with olive oil" then please, make sure your source has some legitimate science to back up such claims. Bear in mind that Mercola has a vested interest in promoting coconut oil - he sells it.
I'm sorry - this sort of thing makes me very cross: by all means try things that you think might help and won't do you much harm, but I'm not going to stand by and let people like this particular quack be held up as an authoritative source without making a strong protest.
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Actually, I have read many times that olive oil is not good to use for cooking at high temperatures- though I still do so.
I have to say that I have a pot of Coconut oil sitting unopened in my fridge. I bought it from H&B when it was on offer but was still pretty expensive. I'd read it was good for something but couldn't recall just what exactly! If it can cause problems with the heart- I already have one of those and certainly don't need my cholesterol and triglycerides increasing - then I think I will have to take up the advice suggested in reply to my question on TP and use it after a shower.
I have to say that I have a pot of Coconut oil sitting unopened in my fridge. I bought it from H&B when it was on offer but was still pretty expensive. I'd read it was good for something but couldn't recall just what exactly! If it can cause problems with the heart- I already have one of those and certainly don't need my cholesterol and triglycerides increasing - then I think I will have to take up the advice suggested in reply to my question on TP and use it after a shower.
Sorry, just to be clear, I do agree absolutely with what you said Jennifer which is why I haven't used the coconut oil. Like with so many things advertised, if people have a vested interest, no matter what marvellous results are reported, I am always suspicious. It's just that the olive oil thing has been mentioned before on quite authoriised reports in the papers. As I said, I continue to use it though as I can't be doing wth buying different oils for this and that and rarely fry anyway!
It's fine if people reference legitimate sources when making statements, but I do draw the line when it comes to this Mercola person.
Having said that, I went to medscape which is my go to source for legitimate journal articles, and I can't find a single article that addresses this point about olive oil. Now it's possibly true, but in the same way that most of the information about coconut oil and its possible effectiveness against AD comes from a single source, I do wonder if the same thing is happening with olive oil: that is, it's reported in one place and eventually it's accepted as truth even if it may not be.
Having said that, no one should overheat any oil or fat to a point past smoking point. For Olive oil that can be anywhere between 320ºF to 470ºF which is quite a range. Coconut Oil's smoke point is 350ºF (the same as butter).
Having said that, I went to medscape which is my go to source for legitimate journal articles, and I can't find a single article that addresses this point about olive oil. Now it's possibly true, but in the same way that most of the information about coconut oil and its possible effectiveness against AD comes from a single source, I do wonder if the same thing is happening with olive oil: that is, it's reported in one place and eventually it's accepted as truth even if it may not be.
Having said that, no one should overheat any oil or fat to a point past smoking point. For Olive oil that can be anywhere between 320ºF to 470ºF which is quite a range. Coconut Oil's smoke point is 350ºF (the same as butter).
