New federally funded research suggests eating a high-fat diet may delay age-related declines in brain function.
The findings, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, open the door to potential new treatments for those suffering from premature aging, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's disease.
“Our study suggests that a high-fat diet can postpone aging processes,” said lead researcher Vilhelm Bohr. “A diet high in fat also seems to postpone the aging of the brain. The findings therefore potentially imply that patients with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease in the long term may benefit from the new knowledge.”
...a high-fat diet postponed the aging processes and researchers noted a particularly positive effect from so-called medium chain fatty acids (such as those in coconut oil).
"We therefore hope that a diet with a high content of coconut oil or similar fats will have a beneficial effect, because the brain cells are given extra fuel and thus the strength to repair the damage," said Morten Scheibye-Knudsen from the National Institutes of Health.