Coconut Oil / High-Fat Diets Delay Brain Aging: NIH

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.

[metacognito]

RP, Does this mean that ketogenic diet (the one that didn't work for you) may get a reprieve?

[Hidden in reply to metacognito]

not in my experience.opinion

[zawy in reply to metacognito]

I have not yet been able to detect benefits from coconut oil, but it was a definite shot of "energy" and better thinking before PD. I do notice benefits of low calorie diet and high fat diet in general, if this results in a keto state or not. Actually, in deficient calorie mode (keto) I do get more "shivers" (more like essential tremors than PD) but this is temporary and I believe it trains my body to use fat calories more than sugar calories. But the danger is that if you go back to carbs, it gets turned into fat more easily. The main thing is to keep up exercise so carb diets have less harm. Carbs after workout help muscle recovery instead of going to fat cells and flooding the PD brain with the sugars that the spreading bad cells need.

[Auddonz]

Have been giving Don coconut oil and MCT oil three times a day. tablespoon of each with meals. Since he was on and then off it for a while while he was in rehab, I can't give you accurate results but have a friend who gives it to her husband feels it is beneficial.

[satwar]

I have been on a ketogenic diet for 1 1/2 years, An integral part of my diet is 8 TBS per day of MCT oil daily (4 doses x 2 TBS). My symptoms (walking gait and hand tremor) have have been reduced beyond my expectations.