The medium chain triglycerides found in coconut oil are absorbed in a different way by the body. There have been many studies to show that the fatty acid content is beneficial to prevent the symptoms of brain degenerative diseases like Alzheimers and Parkinsons. Coconut oil benefits the brain through its release of ketones. There are further studies underway on the benefits of a low carbohydrate high fat diet to treat disorders like epilepsy. A high fat diet has shown to treat drug resistant children with epilepsy.
The medium chain fatty acids in coconut oil are transported to the liver, which then are then turned into ketone bodies. Any brain degenerative disorder can benefit from a high-fat diet.
Alzheimer’s patients have a diminished ability to use glucose in some parts of the brain. The ketone bodies supply energy to the brain, and this release of energy replaces the glucose in the damaged brain cells. Researches have determined that ketones help to reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer’s. A 2006 study discovered that when patients with a mild form of Alzheimer’s were fed medium chain fatty acids, their symptoms improved almost immediately.
