Awakening From Alzheimer's Series

This is a very helpful and informative FREE web series currently in progress with a new episode each 24 hours. The entire series will be repeated on October 6 through 9. I am one of the speakers. Other featured speakers are Dr. Dale Bredesen, who has a studied protocol for Alzheimer's that has put some people in the earlier stages back to work, Dr. David Perlmutter, a neurologist whose neurosurgeon father suffered from Alzheimer's, and has written excellent books on the microbiome and effect of gluten on Alzheimer's and other disorders.  Dr. Dominic D'Agostino and Dr. Angela Poff, who study many aspect of ketones including cancer, and many more...

Watch as the world’s leading experts in Alzheimer’s and dementia share their most effective breakthroughs and discoveries after decades of grueling research in this groundbreaking series.

Join hundreds of thousands of people and watch the series trailer here ► https://wr374.isrefer.com/go/trailerfba/marynewport

DO KETONES HAVE ANTI-AGING EFFECTS?

There is a tiny worm that may tell us a big story about ketones. Called Caenorhabditis elegans, or C. elegans for short, this is a transparent free-living nematode (roundworm) less than 1/8 inch long (1 mm) that moves like a snake. The worm lives only about 2 to 3 weeks and emits a blue fluorescence when it dies.  It is one of the simplest organisms that has a nervous system, consisting of 302 neurons (brain cells) and has been used extensively since 1963 in medical research.  Every type of cell in this worm has been thoroughly studied and its entire genome has been mapped out.  C.elegans is a regular passenger on space flights and on the space station and actually survived the space shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003.  It has been used to study conditions like nicotine addiction, effects of zero gravity on muscle atrophy, sleep and aging. 

            

So, what does this have to do with ketones?  A recent research study using C.elegans strongly suggests that ketones extend lifespan and have anti-aging effects.  As we age, our cells deteriorate, often leading to chronic medical conditions and brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Dietary restriction of calories slows the process of aging down and increases the lifespan of many organisms including primates and C.elegans. Dietary restriction is known to increase ketone levels and this could at least partly explain its effects on prolonging life.  Researchers in the anti-aging field look for substances that mimic dietary restriction and lead to longer lifespan and delay the onset of diseases of aging.  It turns out that the ketone betahydroxybutyrate, found in ketone salts (marketed by the Pruvit company), is one of those anti-aging substances. Medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) found in coconut oil, palm kernel oil and MCT oil, partly convert to betahydroxybutyrate as well.

            

In 2015, researchers at the University of South Florida published their study in which they found that high levels of D-betahydroxybutyrate extended the lifespan of C.elegans by 26% and that this effect was likely due, at least in part, to suppressing certain enzymes involved in inflammation and damage from reactive oxygen species. They then studied the effects of betahydroxybutyrate on models of the worm that were engineered to represent Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.  They further found that betahydroxybutyrate delayed the onset of signs of Alzheimer’s in the worm by 15% and also delayed the formation of clumps of the abnormal protein found in Parkinson’s disease by 35%.    The bottom line here is that betahydroxybutyrate prolonged the lifespan and was found to protect brain cells in the worm.

            

In an article published in 2017, Dr. Richard L. Veech and his associates at the National Institutes of Health further explain how these findings in C.elegans might be translated to prolonging human lifespan and delaying effects of aging on the brain.  The likely ketone effects involved include anti-inflammatory effects, reduction of damage from reactive oxygen species, and reducing levels of glucose and insulin.  My summary here is just a simple explanation for the very technical, complicated biochemistry involved.

            

We gigantic humans share many of the same chemical pathways as C. elegans, including those studied in the University of South Florida experiments. Do ketones have anti-aging effects?  Based on the latest information from studying this little worm, the answer to this question appears to be yes!

References:

Edwards C, J Canfield, N Copes, et al. D-beta-hydroxybutyrate extends lifespan in C. elegans. Aging Vol. 6 No. 8 (2014):1-24.

Edwards C, N Copes, PC Bradshaw. D-beta-hydroxybutyrate: an anti-aging ketone body. Oncotarget Vol. 6 No. 6 (2015): 3477-8.

Veech RL, PC Bradshaw, K Clarke, et al. Ketone bodies mimic the life span extending properties of caloric restriction. IUBMB Life Vol. 69 No. 5 (2017):305-314.

ON COCONUT OIL AND THE AHA: RESPONSE BY MARY NEWPORT MD TO THE AHA  ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON DIETARY FATS AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

The media has irresponsibly taken viral a fragment of information purporting that coconut oil may be bad for your heart from an article published in the medical journal "Circulation" 2017, 135:e1-24, as a presidential advisory committee report from the AHA, "Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease". The coconut oil industry on the other side of the world, mainly comprised of small farmers who grow and sell their coconuts, is reeling from the effects of this latest careless media campaign. They have only recently been recovering from the previous advisory put forth by the AHA.

There are some serious problems with the conclusions of the advisory committee. The four "core studies" this committee relied on were all conducted in the 1950s, were relatively small groups of "men only" in three of the four studies, were conducted in populations that almost certainly were not consuming coconut oil on any regular basis, and were studies comparing diets with ANIMAL saturated fats to diets with polyunsaturated fats. Animal and human fat is well known to store hormones, pesticides, antibiotics and other environmental substances, which could be factors in heart disease, whereas vegetable fats such as coconut oil would not be so likely to contain these potentially harmful substances.

The authors do not mention whether age and smoking were controlled for in these studies; smoking, which was very prevalent in the 1950s compared to the 2010's is a major contributor to heart disease. The raw numbers of how many people in each group had cardiac events was not presented, making the summaries difficult to evaluate. The clincher in this article is that they state on page e13, under the section on coconut oil, "Clinical trials that compared direct effects on CVD [cardiovascular disease] of coconut oil and other dietary oils have not been reported." They rely on studies of individual saturated fatty acids that show a miniscule increase in LDL (so called "bad") cholesterol but rationalize away a similar small increase in HDL (so called "good") cholesterol and an improved LDL to HDL ratio. For example, lauric acid (50% of coconut oil) resulted in a less than 1 mg/dl point increase in both LDL and HDL cholesterol, with typical LDL values ranging from less than 100 to 160 mg/dl. Could a change of less than 1 mg/dl really have that much impact?

In addition, the problem here is that natural fats such as coconut oil and even lard do not come as individual fatty acids but rather as combinations of many fatty acids with different properties, which may balance each other out. Completely ignored in this report are the saturated fats in coconut oil known as medium chain triglycerides that could balance out the longer chain fats. Coconut oil also contains some mono- and polyunsaturated fats, tauted as healthy by this committee. One of the most important details that the AHA is missing here is that 70% of the saturated fats in coconut oil are medium chain triglycerides (C6 through C12) which are either converted to ketones or burned immediately as fuel by muscle and other organs and not stored as fat. Lauric acid has some properties of medium chain and longer chain fatty acids. Ketones come from breakdown of fat and provide an alternative fuel to the brain and most other organs during starvation or fasting or to cells that are insulin resistant. In a recent study conducted in Japan, lauric acid was found to potently stimulate ketone production in astrocytes in cultures; astrocytes are brain cells that nourish other brain cells. By comparison, butter, lard and animal fat contain minimal medium chain triglycerides and medium chains are not found in soybean, olive, corn, safflower and most other oils. There are hundreds of studies of potential benefits of coconut oil; for example, lauric acid, which makes up about 50% of coconut oil, is antimicrobial - there are numerous studies showing that lauric acid kills many bacteria, viruses, fungi like candida and protozoa. Lauric acid is not found in any significant amount in soybean, corn, canola and olive oils.

A few small cholesterol studies looking at coconut oil were conducted decades ago in animals or a few men over short term and used hydrogenated coconut oil - any hydrogenated oil will increase cholesterol. Also, the diets were deficient in omega-3 fatty acids which can also increase cholesterol levels. There are studies of entire populations for whom coconut oil provides 1/3 to 2/3 of the diet showing that they were of normal height and weight, had normal blood pressure, triglycerides and cholesterol levels at all ages.

The committee surmises that people who eat saturated fats likely have other bad eating habits without any proof. These days, many, if not most, of the people who embrace coconut oil are likely embracing healthier foods as well and a healthier lifestyle in general and eating fish and/or taking omega-3 fats, which weren’t on the radar in the 1950s when the so-called “core studies” for this report were conducted.

The folks in the AHA and other organizations who perpetuate these myths about coconut oil need to really do their homework and learn more about medium chain triglycerides and study the other beneficial effects of coconut oil, which they choose to ignore. The point that some people may benefit from eating more polyunsaturated fat in place of animal fat may be very valid. However, coconut oil is not animal fat and, nevertheless, the bottom line that came out of their lengthy report is that “coconut oil is bad for your heart”, which has now been perpetuated by media who jumped on this conclusion that is not even based on direct research of coconut oil and heart disease. This message has gone viral worldwide. The impact of this could take a devastating toll on the economies of countries that produce coconut oil, mostly made up of individual farmers and their families trying to make a living. These economies were devastated in the 1960s and have been slowly recovering from the initial similar AHA statement on saturated fats in 1961 based on the same four “core studies". It is irresponsible and unconscionable for this advisory committee to make such sweeping claims without direct proof that coconut oil causes heart disease.

The AHA advisory committee should consider the negative impact their report has already had on the communities on the other side of the world, and issue a clarification that there is no direct proof that coconut oil has a negative effect on the heart. Then the committee needs to figure out how to make the clarification statement go viral.

COMBINING KETONE SALTS WITH A LOW CARB DIET TO LOSE FAT

While my highest priority is to increase awareness of ketones as alternative fuel for the brain for Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases, reducing sugar in the diet can help support that. Also, there are very many people dealing with being overweight to obese and/or with type 2 diabetes, which increases the risk of developing dementia later in life. So embracing a low carb ketogenic lifestyle could go a long way to reducing the risk and improve health overall.

Until about thirty years ago, if you wanted to lose weight, the doctor would likely tell you to cut down on sweets and starchy foods. Then along came the concept of the “low fat diet” based on, what has turned out to be, flawed research.  Rates of obesity and diabetes in the USA and many other countries have been steadily climbing ever since. Added sugar in the diet has increased from about 6 pounds per person per year in the early 1800’s to more than 130 pounds now for the average person in the USA. That is a lot of extra sugar! For most people, eating a low fat diet turns into eating a high carbohydrate (sugar) diet, and eating too much sugar is a big problem for many reasons (which will be the subject of another blog post). When you eat sugary foods, your body will crave more sugar.

So the simplest way to think of a low carb diet is to…cut down on sweets and starchy foods!  These include the obvious sweets like candy, pies and cakes, added sugars (including agave and honey), starchy vegetables like potatoes, corn and peas, rice and other grains, anything made with wheat or rice flour (breads, pasta, pastries, crackers, cookies, cereals, pancakes, muffins), fruit juices and most fruits. Berries such as blueberries and strawberries are relatively low in sugar, so would be good choices in limited amounts.  Aiming for less than 50 grams per day is reasonable and will support ketosis for most people.  Dropping to less than 20 grams per day for the first 2 or 3 weeks can hasten fat burning.  You can accomplish this by getting most of your carbs from vegetables and perhaps choosing ¼ to ½ cup of berries or a slice of whole grain bread or ¼ cup of whole grain rice per day as part of a meal.  See Carb Chart below.

Your body needs a certain amount of protein to maintain muscle and other lean tissues, especially while on a fat losing diet, but if you eat too much protein, some of it may be converted to sugar. Our goal is to lose fat, not muscle.  The best way to accomplish this is to adopt a ketogenic diet, which is a diet that raises levels of ketones.  This is a diet that is low in carbs and higher in fat, with just enough protein to maintain our muscle mass.  With a ketogenic diet, we switch from mainly burning glucose (sugar) for fuel to burning fat, and do not have to tap into muscle so much to compensate for eating fewer calories. 

Supplementing with ketone salts, can enhance fat burning by raising ketone levels even more. Ketones lower glucose levels, which lowers insulin levels (insulin puts and keeps fat on our bodies), and ketones also stimulate fat burning.

A reasonable amount of protein per day for most people is ½ gram for each pound that you weigh. So that would be 75 grams of protein for someone who weighs 150 pounds. 75 grams of protein provides about 300 calories. A couch potato might need less and an athlete or body builder might need up to twice as much.  See Protein Chart below.  Think of 3 ounces of meat or fish as about the size of a deck of cards.

One very important part of ketogenic/low carb dieting often overlooked is eating enough fat, which will help keep ketone levels elevated and promote burning fat as our primary fuel.  Medium chain triglycerides are converted by the liver to ketones, so ketone levels can be enhanced by adding MCT oil and coconut oil, which is 60% MCTs to the diet.  Some other sources of healthy fats include olive oil, olives, avocados, nuts and nut butters or milks.  If you like cow or goat milk and milk products like yogurt or soft cheeses, choose full fat versions, which contain some MCTs, and look for no added sugar.  A reasonable goal is to aim for between 60 and 100 grams of fat per day, which equates to 540 to 900 calories per day – the higher the percent of fat as the total calories in the diet, the higher you can expect your ketone levels to be.  A tablespoon of oil contains about 14 grams of fat, one large avocado has 27 grams of fat and an ounce of nuts (a small handful) has about 10 to 15 grams. Check package labels for milk and milk products.

And don’t forget your vegetables!  Vegetables contain carbohydrates but most are high in important fiber and they are a great source of many vitamins and other important nutrients. Eliminate or minimize the starchy vegetables like white and sweet potatoes, corn and peas. Include at least two cups of leafy green vegetables (1-2 grams of carbs total) and several servings per day of various colors of other fresh veges such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peppers, onions, tomatoes, squash. Most of these vegetables contain 2 to 4 grams of non-fiber carbs per one-half to one cup servings. Frozen veges are nearly as good as fresh as far as providing nutrients. Organic is even better.

Putting It All together -  

                                                                                               

Get rid of tempting high carb foods from your home.  Plan out your meals for several days at a time and shop for the foods you will need. Keep a record of what you are eating to keep you honest and help you find problems and tweak the diet if you aren’t losing weight. Get a good book that will give you total calorie and gram counts for carbs, fat and protein. Find your favorite foods and write them down for easy reference.  There are also great books and websites available now to support ketogenic dieting with tasty recipes for meals, snacks and some amazing desserts.

Consider adding coconut oil and/or MCT oil to coffee or tea in the morning to get off to a ketogenic start. Pruvit KetoKreme is a delicious and easy way to accomplish this.

Use a ketone salt supplement, such as Pruvit KetoMax or Keto//OS, to increase ketone levels. Ketones have been shown in studies to promote fat burning and suppress appetite as well. Drink plenty of water 8 to 10 glasses per day.

Eat only when you are hungry and stop when you begin to feel full. Think mainly protein, vegetables, and oil for your meals.  Consider low carb snacks once or twice a day such as cheese, nuts, coconut milk or almond milk, or veges with cream cheese or high fat dip.

You might not need to count calories to be successful, but if you do, aim for between 1250 and 1600 calories per day depending on how big you are.  If you are starting out at more than 250 to 300 pounds, you might even lose weight on 1800 to 2000 calories per day. As you lose weight you can adjust the calories downward to keep losing.

Aim for 20 to 50 grams of carbs per day, mainly as vegetables, ½ gram of protein per day for each pound that you weigh (or more if you are an active athlete), and 60 to 90 grams of fat per day.

Go one step further and add exercise to your plan.  A recent study by Dr. Stephen Cunnane and associates reported that 30 minutes of walking three days per week can triple ketone uptake in the brain!  

For more information on ketones and a link to research ketone salts, please see my website at www.coconutketones.com.  

# GRAMS PROTEIN PER SERVING	PROTEINS
25	3 ounces of cooked beef,  pork, poultry, lamb or tuna 1 cup cottage cheese or ricotta
21	3 ounces of most fish (except tuna and cod) or lobster 1 cup boiled green soybeans
15	3 ounces cod, crab or shrimp  OR 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
8	2 tablespoons peanut or almond butter
7	1 ounce hard cheese
6	1 egg  OR 8 ounces of milk OR 1 ounce soft cheese, such as brie or blue cheese OR 1 to 1 ½ ounces nuts OR ½ cup most beans
2 or less	½ cup most cooked vegetables or 1 cup leafy green vegetables 1/3 cup undiluted coconut milk or 1 ounce grated coconut 2 slices of bacon
0-1	Nearly all fruits, 1 medium or typical serving

# CARBOHYDRATE  PER SERVING (minus fiber)	SOME FOODS WITH CARBOHYDRATES
25	½  medium white potato (flesh and skin)
20	½ cup cooked whole wheat egg noodles or pasta ½ cup most beans (except green string beans) ½ cup  long grain brown or white rice, cooked
15	½ large (6 ½” diameter) whole wheat pita ½ medium whole grain bagel (3” diameter for whole bagel)
14	3 cups popcorn OR ¼ cup granola OR ½ medium sweet potato
13	½ medium banana OR 4 ounces orange juice ½ cup regular cream of wheat, prepared
12	1 medium orange OR ½ cup baked potato, flesh only 1 x 4” pancake
11	1 slice whole wheat bread (1 oz)
10	1/4 cup long grain brown rice, cooked OR ½ medium pear
9	1/4 cup cooked corn OR 1 medium peach OR ½ medium apple
6	½ cup plain Greek yogurt
4	½ cup halved strawberries
3	½ cup raspberries OR ½ cup ricotta or cottage cheese
2-4	1 medium apricot, ½ cup raspberries, 1 medium avocado 4 asparagus spears 1 ounce almonds, peanuts, Brazil nuts, walnuts, macadamias ½ cup cooked broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, green or string beans, or turnips, chopped bell or sweet peppers 1 cup boiled, chopped kale or other “greens” 1 cup chopped cucumber or celery 1 tablespoon catsup or sweet relish
0-1	1 cup of most lettuces, spinach, other leafy greens and cabbages 1 medium carrot or radish 1 cup cooked yellow or zucchini squash 1 ounce pecans or pistachios 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, mustard, dill relish, vinegar

Dr. Stephanie Seneff of MIT on Cholesterol, ApoE4, Statins, Beta Amyloid and Alzheimer's

Here is a link to a very thorough and highly researched article by Dr. Stephanie Seneff of MIT discussing the importance of fat and cholesterol, how they work in the brain, why statin use may be counterproductive for people at risk for and dealing with Alzheimer's, the function of beta amyloid and why a high fat diet may be beneficial.  I found this especially enlightening in its explanation of how cholesterol is packaged as it is transported throughout the body, and what it is packaged with in LDL particles, for example, may be a surprise.

http://coconutoil.com/the-clue-to-why-low-fat-diet-and-statins-may-cause-alzheimers/

Dr. Seneff has written many other similar articles of great interest to those concerned with cholesterol, statins, Alzheimer's, autism and other neurodegenerative diseases, many of which can be downloaded from her homepage.  http://people.csail.mit.edu/seneff/

Fuel for Thought

Many people ask me to suggest a convenient way that does not involve cooking to provide coconut and MCT oil for their loved ones who are in assisted living, or are looking for a convenient way to take it at home, or carry along while travelling or just out and about.  One such product is called Fuel for Thought and is available directly from Cognate Nutritionals by way of  www.cognatenutritionals.com or by calling  (855) 453-8663.  The company is located in the USA in Connecticut.  In the first edition of my book, the working name of this product was Cocomul but is now called Fuel for Thought.

Steve and I have had the opportunity to try out Fuel for Thought and it is a delicious, creamy vanilla flavored liquid that is easiest taken as is but can also be mixed into other foods and liquids.  Fuel for Thought® has been scientifically designed to provide a high concentration of MCTs which are partly converted in the liver to ketones that act as alternative fuel for brain cells.  In this regard, it has been designed to support cognitive health.  The makers state this product contains NO cholesterol, gluten, transfats, soy, dairy, or fructose, is vegetarian and very low in sodium. 

The beauty of Fuel for Thought is that it is packaged in one ounce single-serving bottles that do not require refrigeration, and are  sold as a case containing 60 doses.  For someone in assisted living, rather than trying to provide food containing coconut oil or getting the staff to give the patient coconut oil, the loved one's physician could order that Fuel for Thought be provided to the patient at set times of day, with meals, for example.

The recommendation from the company is to take one bottle twice a day, beginning with a portion of the bottle initially and increasing as tolerated.  The product is designed such that the amount of ketones produced by taking one ounce is equal to three tablespoons of coconut oil but with only 100 calories, as opposed to about 360 calories from the equivalent amount of coconut oil.

The product is currently being studied in a clinical trial of Alzheimer's and coconut/MCT oil versus placebo at the Byrd Alzheimer's Institute at University of South Florida in Tampa.

It is comparable to my idea of mixing coconut oil and MCT oil to reach higher levels of ketones while retaining the many health benefits of coconut oil.  I am giving Steve this mixture several times a day to try to keep ketones available to his brain 24/7.  For that reason I am involved with the company as a scientific advisor.

 

The concept here is that MCT oil is partly converted in the liver to ketones which act in the brain as an alternative fuel to glucose. People who have insulin deficiency or insulin resistance have difficulty getting glucose, the usual primary fuel for the brain and other organs, into the cells and eventually they malfunction and diet. This product would be useful not only for people who suffer from Alzheimer’s, but also, Parkinson’s, ALS, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, Huntington’s, and most other conditions where there is insulin resistance or decreased glucose uptake into cells.

TED x USF talk link

I have been having trouble getting by drafts to publish on my blog lately but now appear to be okay!

Here is a link to a TED talk I did in February at TEDxUSF in later February - 18 minutes long:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dvh3JhsrQ0w

Tampa Bay Times Article - Byrd Alzheimer's Institute to study coconut oil in people with Alzheimer's!

Here is a link to the story:

http://www.tampabay.com/news/health/spring-hill-couple-inspires-research-into-coconut-oil-for-alzheimers/2124596

This story spawned a similar TV story on ABC Action News that aired in the Tampa Bay area.  I will post a link when I receive it.

Sorry I have not posted here much lately!  I have been more active on Facebook.  Just look up Mary Newport and ask to be friends.

The second edition of my book was released a couple of months ago.  There is a link to order from Amazon on my website www.coconutketones.com.

New Interview Series - Ketones and Alzheimer's

I had the opportunity to give an interview for Scott Peters of iHealth Tube Video while at a conference where I was speaking. Here are links to the various segments:

#1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFYLtFglXHg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqcxVbVTuXg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dfux-5Z4COo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DfZnS4hYBs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkkY4NH8SiU

#6 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKshbKPB2gM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSIWqXBh-cA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5npwXlT0ccc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snCIzrzO7_4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAnWX1DQ5-g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0zKamdNaek

#12 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkDB6UFnI_0

New Important Article on Ketone Ester from Dr. Richard Veech NIH

A groundbreaking research study of a ketone ester in an Alzheimer's mouse model was released for publication January 4, 2012 in Neurobiology of Aging by Yoshira Kashiwaya, M.D. and others in the laboratory of Dr. Richard L. Veech at the NIH in Rockville, Maryland. This study showed that, compared to animals fed a normal control diet, the Alzheimer's model mice who were fed the ketone ester (D-beta-hydroxybutyrate-(R)-1,3-butanediol) had significantly less amyloid and tau protein that form the plaques and tangles in the Alzheimer's brain, and the animals showed reduced anxiety, and improved learning and memory compared to the mice fed the control diet.

The Alzheimer brain in people becomes resistant to insulin beginning at least ten to twenty years before symptoms appear and this affects the ability of the brain cells to use glucose causing them to malfunction and die. It was discovered in the late 1960's in the laboratory of George Cahill, M.D. (now deceased) that the brain easily switches over to using ketone bodies as an alternative fuel during starvation when glucose supplies are used up. This new research is the culmination of decades of research that followed, and, for the first time, shows that ketones could lessen the changes that occur in the brain and also improve cognitive function in this disease. In addition to acting as an alternative fuel, ketones mimic some of the effects of insulin and are also anti-inflammatory. Inflammation is another key feature affecting the Alzheimer's brain.

Toxicity studies have already been conducted of the ketone ester in people showing there are no adverse effects and it has been approved by the FDA as "Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS)". Funding is now urgently needed to mass produce this ketone ester and conduct human clinical trials.

A copy of the entire article may be obtained on my website at the top of the first page www.coconutketones.com.

The 700 Club in the USA and the Daily Mail in London

The 700 Club aired a wonderful follow-up story today about coconut oil and Alzheimer's but this time featuring a man with Parkinson's and another man with ALS (Lou Gehrig's) who have also seen improvement with coconut oil.

Coincidentally, the Daily Mail in London is publishing a story by reporter Jerome Byrne on the subject of Alzheimer's disease and coconut oil on January 8, 2013.  This article will feature Kal Parmar a filmmaker whose father responded to coconut oil rather dramatically.  Mr. Parmar has volunteered to help others in the UK who want further information (kparmar81@gmail.com).

Information about how to use coconut oil is in Diet Guidelines that can be printed from my website at www.coconutketones.com. There are many other materials that can also be printed out there.



The 700 Club story from Jan 7, 2013

http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/healthscience/2013/January/Alzheimers-Doctors-Taking-Note-of-Coconut-Oil-/

Daily Mail Article:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2258665/Alzeimers-Can-coconut-oil-ease-Families-whove-given-loved-ones-swear-it.html

The 700 Club - Upcoming Shows on Coconut Oil, Ketogenic Diets and Diseases

On Thursday morning, November 29, 2012, The 700 Club on CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network) will begin a series of three stories from health reporter Lorie Johnson that relate to the use of ketones as an alternative fuel to treat disease.  The original story on The 700 Club can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZOR-Qd3QSg.

The first story will feature Dr. Vince Tedone, a retired orthopedic surgeon, and his daughter Deanna in Tampa, Florida, USA who have developed what he calls "The Deanna Protocol" for ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease).  His daughter, Deanna, who is in her mid thirties has responded well (improvement and then minimal deterioration over a year) to taking an over the counter supplement called alpha-ketoglutyrate, 18 to 20 grams per day.  They are also massaging her with coconut oil and she is taking some coconut oil at present.  Alpha-ketoglutyrate is several metabolic steps down the pathway in the Kreb's cycle from where ketones enter the cycle.  Another man with ALS who has responded very well is also featured in this story.  Dr. Tedone has a website www.winningthefight.net where more information can be found about The Deanna Protocol.

The second story will feature Dr. Dominic D'Agostino, a researcher at University of South Florida in Tampa who is working with Dr. Tom Seyfried of Boston College to study the use of ketogenic diets, ketone esters alone and in combination with hyperbaric oxygen, and other substances that lower blood sugar to treat cancers (he also is involved with studies of ketones and Alzheimer's, ALS, wound healing, oxygen toxicity and epilepsy).  The concept here is that nearly all cancers require glucose, or the amino acid glutamine to make glucose, to survive and cannot use ketones, however normal cells can use ketones.  Potentially, if a person undertakes a strict ketogenic diet and calories are also restricted to reduce the blood sugar as much as possible, the tumor will shrink over a matter of weeks and metastases may outright die, while the brain and other normal tissues survive.   A large tumor, therefore, could become smaller and more amenable to surgery. This dietary approach can be used in conjunction with other treatments and can be enhanced by starting with a period of fasting (water is still consumed to avoid dehydration, and other supplements can be taken to ensure adwquate electrolytes, minerals and vitamins, for example, are provided).  They have had considerable success with animals and some people have now tested this strategy with success.  Hopefully, more organized studies will follow quickly.

The third story will be a follow-up to our story on coconut oil and Alzheimer's that aired on The 700 Club on January 5, 2012.  This story will feature Butch Machlan, a man with familial ALS (Lou Gehrig's) who has been stable for three years taking 9 tablespoons per day of coconut oil and magnesium chloride, and will also feature a man from Connecticut with Parkinson's who has had considerable improvement since shortly after the first story aired, taking a mixture of coconut oil and MCT oil (new product coming out Fuel for Thought from www.cognatenutritionals.com).


I am thrilled that Lorie Johnson and the Reverend Pat Robertson of The 700 Club have picked up the gauntlet to help spread this important message about ketones.

When I have specific dates for the second and third stories, I will add them to this post.

Alzheimer's Weekly and Dementia Weekly Newsletter

 The Alzheimer's Weekly and Dementia Weekly Newsletter (www.alzheimersweekly.com) has carried information for quite some time about the use of coconut oil and MCT oil for people with Alzheimer's and dementia.  Recently they have nicely organized a considerable body of information on the subject, including some videos of people who have responded, and good information on how to use coconut oil, including recipes for the what they call the "Keto-dementia diet".

Diet and Recovery

 

 

I received this in an email from Dexter who has been sending interesting information to me.  This is an 18 minute long video in which the speaker, a physician, relays her recovery from disabling multiple sclerosis (MS) to walking without a cane within three months and riding her bike eighteen miles within 9 months.  Prior to changing her diet she had taken advantage of the best medical care available but continued to deteriorate. 

 

Like Alzheimer's, MS is a disease that involves defective mitochondria, so this diet would be very helpful to those suffering from Alzheimer's (and Parkinson's and ALS) as well.

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLjgBLwH3Wc

 

We have already made a lot of progress toward this type of diet, but after watching this, we will amp up our intake of vegetables.

Staying Out of Trouble at Night

People with dementia often get into the most trouble at night if they escape from the bedroom while the caregiver is still sleeping. So, here are some ideas that might help.  If you sleep in the same room, you could place a doorstop under the door, which will create a ruckus when he/she tries to open it up. The doorstop we have has an alarm on it that you can turn off and on, depending on how deeply you sleep (less than $10). 

If you go to bed after, or wake up before, your loved one, or if you sleep in a separate room, then the problem is knowing whether he or she is up or not.  To solve this problem, I bought a wireless driveway alert (the one I bought is from Bunker Will and costs $15); it detects motion, so you would position the sensor under the bed or somewhere that won't pick up when he just rolls over, but rather when he gets up out of bed. The monitor can be in another room up to a couple hundred feet away. If the battery dies in one of the pieces, you won't get the alert. The batteries in our deivce need to be replaced every 4-6 weeks or so.

I also recently bought a night vision Infant Optics camera (about $100), so I can see if he is up and what he is doing when I am not in the room. It costs a little more for the night vision, but this works very well, and I decided it is worth it. I didn't know this existed until my niece was having a baby and had one on her registration list. It feels a little like spying but is intended to make sure he is safe and so is very reassuring.

I ordered all of these things at www.amazon.com. It is amazing what you can find on the internet these days!

Fourth Anniversary of Steve's Ketone Rebirth (May 21, 2012)

Yesterday, May 21, 2012, was the fourth anniversary of the day Steve started taking coconut oil to provide ketones as an alternative fuel to glucose for his brain, with very positive results.  He is now 62 years old and in his eleventh years of symptoms related to early onset Alzheimer's disease.  Much has happened in these four years, both setbacks and recoveries. Fortunately, we are in a recovery phase.  We have surprises all of the time that lead me to believe that everything he was is still in there, but he has a problem getting access to it.
I will post a point by point update in the near future.
In the meantime, here is a little bit of my funny old Steve coming out to visit yesterday:

Medications and Alzheimer's: Akathisia and neuroleptic malignant syndromes

When our loved ones with Alzheimer's have a sudden setback, we have to step back and ask, is this a result of the disease process or is something else going on? It is well known that setbacks often to coincide with urinary tract or other infections and, once treated, we may see improvement again.
It may not always be obvious, however, that our loved one is experiencing a setback as the result of an adverse effect from medication. It may take days, weeks or months for the side effects to appear and we might not make the connection. In this case we may assume that the symptoms we are seeing represent worsening of the disease.  The person’s doctor might not even make the connection.  I know this because we had such an experience with Steve and neither I, his doctor/wife/caregiver, nor his physicians made the connection.  As embarrassing as this is for me, I feel it is important to tell this story to prevent others from going through this same nightmare.

I will begin by saying that Steve has almost fully recovered from what happened, but it has taken several months to get to this point.

Steve was doing quite well throughout December 2011 and into the new year.  Overall he seemed quite stable for the remainder of 2011 after he recovered from the previous medication related fiasco, a reaction to prednisone of more than a year ago.  Our story was taped in mid-December for “The 700 Club” (www.cbn.com), which can be viewed on my website at www.coconutketones.com.  The story aired in January but shortly after we saw the first signs of trouble when he broke out in a dripping sweat for no apparent reason and then he began to spend more and more time each day in constant agitated pacing, anxiety, constant talking, and confusion.  He had a runny nose and broke out with a fever blister, which had not occurred for more than a year, so I initially attributed these changes to infection.

He developed problems sleeping (constant chatter and getting up). One night he woke up in a night terror and was so confused that he ended up in the hospital where he was treated by his primary geriatrics doctor and a psychiatrist with Ativan, Haldol, and Zyprexa, and eventually Abilify. In the hospital he gradually developed extreme symptoms with episodes of massive sweating, severe tremor, anxiety, low grade fever and diarrhea. Upon reviewing his medical records, I learned that he did not receive his Alzheimer's medication Exelon on many occasions.  As I became suspicious that he was experiencing some type of toxic reaction rather than infection, and researched the medications he was receiving, I learned that all of these drugs carry warnings against use in people who are elderly, and also those who have dementia or Parkinson’s.    

But what started all of this?  In mid-December, he began to see a new doctor who specializes in geriatrics and has many Alzheimer’s patients.  I mentioned that Steve would occasionally have a problem getting in bed and going to sleep and he prescribed a very small dose of valium for the evening to help him relax. I should know better by now to research any new medication that is prescribed (or even available over the counter) for Steve, but I am guilty of going along with this.  I now know that valium is also on the list of drugs that are not recommended for people who are elderly, because it has a longer half-life as we get older, and it is also not recommended for people with dementia or Parkinson’s disease. It was nearly four weeks before he began to have the first sign of excessive sweating. I have read that it can take as long as three months for side effects to occur.

There is a name for the problem that we were seeing at home – akathisia, or the inability to sit still.  People with this condition have trouble remaining seated even when exhausted and often experience anxiety and confusion as well. While in the hospital, Steve grew worse every day and the man who was spending most of his time up and walking around the house before he entered the hospital, could barely stand now, was stiff and stooped over from weakness, and had a severe tremor.  Several times a day he would become drenched with sweat.  I believe he was developing an even more serious reaction called neuroleptic malignant syndrome that is most commonly caused by Haldol. This syndrome carries a 10-20% mortality. All of the above drugs mentioned (except Exelon) are on the list of drugs that can cause this syndrome.  The Haldol was ordered to be given PRN, or “as needed”.  I discussed my belief with the nursing and physician staff that the new symptoms we were seeing were related to Haldol, but they gave it to him anyway at night when I was not there to prevent it.  In other words, Steve was being treated for side effects of Haldol with more Haldol. 

 decided to ask for his discharge since he was getting worse, not better in the hospital.  The staff discouraged me from taking him home, because they did not believe I could care for him there, but we did anyway.  I felt that if he could become so ill while admitted to the relatively high level of care that a hospital provides, it was very likely he would continue to get worse in a rehabilitation facility. With the help of my daughter Joanna, her fiancé, our helper/friends Sybil, Nemuel and Joe, and after several very difficult weeks with little sleep, we saw steady improvement as the drugs left his system.  He is now sleeping very well, no longer pacing or sweating, back to walking much of the day, as is his custom, back to joking with us; the severe tremor is gone and his anxiety is substantially gone.

I have read that the levels of Haldol in the brain can be twenty times greater than the level in the bloodstream.  It can take forty days or longer for the Haldol to exit the brain completely.  Valium also has a long half-life and can accumulate in the body and brain.  Some people will then experience a paradoxical reaction, the opposite of the intended effect.  Risperidone, and other anti-psychotic drugs, SSRI type anti-depressants, anti-emetics such as Compazine and Reglan, and amphetamines and other stimulants, can cause the syndrome of akathisia.  They can also worsen symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

It is common when people with Alzheimer’s enter assisted living facilities for them to deteriorate rather quickly thereafter. I wonder how often this deterioration is a direct result of drugs they are given to control their behavior, such as Haldol and risperidone, and not due to the disease itself?