A study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease titled, “Coconut Oil Attenuates the Effects of Amyloid-ë_ on Cortical Neurons In Vitro.” adds to an accumulating body of anecdotal reports that coconut oil may alleviate and/or regress cognitive deficits associated with aging and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s.
Medical researchers from the Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada, investigated the effects of coconut oil supplementation directly on cortical neurons treated with amyloid-ë peptide, the main component of certain deposits found in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease believed to contribute to the disease. The researchers noted that coconut treated cultured neurons appeared “healthier,” and that coconut oil “rescued” treated neurons from mitochondrial damage caused by their toxicity. The researchers observed coconut oil preventing induced changes in mitochondrial size and circularity. These findings have great significance, as mitochondria function is often compromised in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients. According to the researchers, “The rationale for using coconut oil as a potential AD [Alzheimer’s Disease] therapy is related to the possibility that it could be metabolized to ketone bodies that would provide an alternative energy source for neurons, and thus compensate for mitochondrial dysfunction.” I wonder if my coconut suntan oil applies here!