Coconut oil has been well renowned as a superfood, with the ability to cure everything from skin diseases to Alzheimer’s. In fact, by simply incorporating more coconut oil into your diet, you’ll experience extraordinary health benefits, like lowering your risk of health disease and cancer. Turns out, we can add another benefit to that list: increased brain function!
Coconut Oil for Brain Health
The human brain is made largely of fat, 60% by weight. Your brain quite literally runs on fats and is dependent on the quality fats you eat. Coconut oil’s medium-chain triglycerides have proven to be a great source of energy for the brain. While your brain’s primary source of fuel is glucose, your brain can’t store it, and therefore, it requires a backup source to avoid starvation. But this doesn’t have to be the case! Coconut oil is broken down into ketones and easily feeds your brain cells.
Coconut oil have the potential for treating a wide range of brain issues, such as:
- High-fat content delay’s brain aging
- Helps with memory loss and memory disorders
- Effective alternative to antidepressant medications
Study: Coconut Oil and Alzheimer’s
According to a 2004 study by the Neurobiology of Aging, the administration of just a single 2.7 tablespoon dose of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), immediately improved the cognitive function of older adults with memory disorders, like Alzheimer’s.
MCTs are the primary fat found in coconut oil.
How do MCTs improve cognitive function from those suffering from impairments, like Alzheimer’s disease? MCTs are not any normal fat, they have shorter chain lengths, making them easier for your body to absorb and utilize. These fats fight insulin resistance and give your body a better fuel source that helps your brain metabolize nutrients.
Ketones supply your body with an alternative fuel source to glucose that helps recharge the brains metabolic processes, “higher ketone values were associated with greater improvement in paragraph recall with MCT treatment relative to placebo across all subjects.”
SOURCES:
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/13-evidence-based-medicinal-properties-coconut-oil
http://bebrainfit.com/coconut-oil-benefits-brain/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4247320/
http://bebrainfit.com/memory-loss-causes-and-solutions/
IMAGE SOURCES:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/content/images/articles/282/282857/coconut-oil.jpg
http://www.naturalnootropic.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/CILTEP-brain-health.jpg
https://alzheimersnewstoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/shutterstock_197891156.jpg
Original article and credits: TheHeartySoul.com