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Coconut Oil Takes Alzheimer’s Community by Storm

Announcement posted by Tall Trees Care Communities 14 Nov 2014

Co-founder of alternative to aged care in Brisbane reveals why coconut oil has become an international phenomenon for those with Alzheimer’s.
Australia, 14 November 2014 - On 4 November 2008, the St Petersburg Times, a US Newspaper, published a story about a local doctor who had given her husband coconut oil in a last-ditch effort to stop the rapid escalation of his early onset Alzheimer’s. The story wasn’t noticed much at first, but carers and relatives of Alzheimer’s and dementia patients from across the world kept finding out about it and kept the story alive.

Now, six years later, coconut oil is being used as a preventative for Alzheimer’s by many and is being given to Alzheimer’s patients by relatives and even some carers. Since coconut oil is a natural substance and not a drug, it is not being recommended by a lot of doctors. In addition, no double blind studies have been performed to determine the efficacy of coconut oil for Alzheimer’s patients.

However, the anecdotal evidence is becoming too prolific to ignore. Pharmaceutical companies are now investigating how to isolate, identify and extract the ingredient that may be helping all of these Alzheimer’s patients.

Last year, a double blind study began in the US at the University of South Florida Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute. The study, slated to end in September 2015, will trace 65 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s. It will provide some with coconut oil and some with placebos. The reason that anecdotal evidence is considered scientifically invalid is because of the possibility of the placebo effect. This study will account for the placebo effect.

The Original Story: Dr Newport

Dr Mary Newport, a doctor in the Tampa Bay area, was trying to care for her husband, who had been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s. His condition worsened and nothing was helping. She tried to get him into studies for two Alzheimer’s drugs and was researching them. During her research, she read about a third drug that had been producing anecdotal results.

She tried to get her husband into that trial but was unsuccessful. She had read that the active ingredient that was causing improvement was medium chain triglycerides, also known as MCT oil. She also found out that coconut oil is composed of roughly 60% MCT’s. She decided to bypass the study and feed her husband coconut oil on a daily basis.

Shortly after taking coconut oil, her husband retook the state’s mini-mental exam, on which he had recently scored 14 out of 30. His score improved to 18 out of 30 after only a day of using coconut oil. She has since reported that he has regained his short term memory and that his depression has gone away.

Does it Work?

Phil Usher, co-founder of Tall Trees Care Communities, an alternative to aged care in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast, is cautiously optimistic: “There is no definitive study yet, but you can’t ignore the results.”

Tall Trees Care Communities provide an alternative to traditional aged care. They have five locations in the Brisbane and Gold Coast areas. Their residents own their homes and choose their own level of care. To learn more or arrange a trial visit, call (07) 3442 9378 or visit their website: http://www.talltrees.net.au/.