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

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.

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.

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.

ALS Patient two year update on coconut oil and magnesium chloride

This is an email I received from Butch Machlan who has familial ALS.  He has given me permission to post this in my blog:

April 13, 2012

To whom it may concern:

From: C. (Butch) Machlan

Subject: Coconut Oil and Magnesium Chloride Personal, Social Clinical Trial

Purpose: To Update June 5, 2011 status

Background:  On March 9^th 2008 I started a journal to track my ALS symptoms.  It was also when I started the diagnosis process, which ended in September 2008 with the official diagnosis of FALS.  In late 2009 I started taking coconut oil and magnesium chloride to see if they would have any affect on my symptoms.  After a little over one year of taking these two things, and having some positive changes I decided I needed to do a better job of tracking my symptoms.  So in February 2011 I started tracking my symptoms each month on a special form created from several ALS Web-pages and related sources. 

The original motivation for tracking my progression was to be able to compare my ALS progression with that of my mother’s so I could be prepared for each step in the process.  Mother died of ALS in 1986 after 8 years and the loss of all muscle functions including her ability speak.  For over a year her breathing was done by a respirator.  The last 2 to 3 months of her life her only method of communicating was by blinking and moving her eyes.  At the time of her death the doctors were adamant ALS could not be inherited.  Now we know they were wrong!

After having some positive changes due to adding coconut oil (CO) and magnesium chloride (MgCl) to my diet my motivation changed.  It is now to see if I can continue to get more improvements, and to continue recording my status in what one doctor called “a Personal, Social Clinical Trial.”   “Personal” and “Social” because it’s similar to a conventional clinical trial even though it is not sanctioned or requested by any medical or research professional, nor is it done for any company or organization.  It is done just for me to help document the “before CO & MgCl” and “during CO & MgCl” for myself, the doctors, and others who may be interested.  Unfortunately, my experience has confused the doctors because they, like many others, “know” there is currently nothing available anywhere to help people with ALS.  This includes approved medicines, supplements, voodoo medicines, etc.

Since some of my symptoms have improved the doctors have been saying I have a “form” of ALS called Benigh Monomelic Amyotrophy.  This form is very rare, only affects one area or muscle group, and normally affects younger people.  I’m a 64 year old American!  After doing some research I went back to the doctors and asked a few questions, such as What about my muscle’s increased size and strength?  and What about my age, race, etc.  They had no response.  So my conclusion is; this disease is the closest they can find to match my current symptoms, and they’ve ignored the changes listed below.  However, they do say “Keep doing whatever you’re doing,” and “See you next year.”  I plan to do both! 

Diet Details:  I started taking 4 oz’s of magnesium chloride on Sept. 15, 2009, and started taking 3 tbsp of coconut oil on Oct. 31, 2009.  On Dec. 4, 2009 I increased my daily intake of coconut oil to 6 tbsp.  On February 8, 2010 I increased it to 8 tbsp per day.  From January 28, 2011 until now I’ve been taking 9 tbsp of coconut oil, (with my meals) and 2 oz’s (1/8 cup) of magnesium chloride/water twice daily (100 gms MgCl per 3 liters pure water).  I’m not had any problems taking the coconut oil because I started slowly.  From some research I’ve found it is important to start with 1 to 3 tbsp per day.  The reason is most people’s digestive systems cannot tolerate more in the beginning, and coconut oil is anti-viral, anti-fugal, and anti-bacterial, among other things.  Some people will have terrible “die-off” reactions as the coconut oil begins to kill these micro-organisms.  They might mistakenly think they are allergic to coconut oil, but they need to just start a LOT more slowly.  Sometime even start with only 1 teaspoon a day with meals.  It is very important to mix the coconut oil with food, and not try to take it straight!!!

Coconut oil Massage:  On Dec. 16, 2010 I started massaging coconut oil on my legs, feet, etc. because I read body builders and weight lifters use it to take the soreness out of their muscles.  It worked so good I now massage it on twice a day, once after my morning shower and just before bed.  It does stain the sheets, but the wash. 

Symptoms:  Following is a list of the “Before” and “Current” symptoms recorded on my journal and monthly status reports.  Not listed are the results of my March 2012 EMG which the doctors say shows no change from last year’s EMG.  Thus the doctors say there has not been any noticeable progression in the disease.  This is another reason why I think they say I have Benign Monomelic Amyotrophy, but they still can’t explain the muscle improvements, and all the other criteria I don’t fit.  The good thing is they now say I can live another 5, 10 or more years!

Before:  As of Sept. 15, 2009	Current:  As of April 3, 2012
1. Difficulty walking due to weakness in right leg; had to use canes to walk.	1. Still have difficulty walking due to weakness in right leg, and use canes or crutches to walk.
2. Right leg felt asleep and non-responsive when walking or trying to move it.	2. Normal feelings in right leg, and somewhat more responsive when walking, etc.
3. Right thigh muscles shrunken so bones could be easily felt through muscles on underside.	3. Increased strength and size in both legs, and can no longer feel bones through muscles.
4. RH thigh @ 14 1/4” & LH @ 15 3/8”	4. RH thigh @15 5/8” & LH @ 16 7/8”
5. Weight @ 148 lbs	5. Weight @ 152.9 lbs
6. ALS Functional Measurements @ 18%	6. ALS Functional Measurements @ 13%
7. Drop-foot	7. Slight drop-foot due to weak ankle muscles.
8. Can not tip right foot up or down, nor pivot it side to side as much as left.	8. Can tip right foot up and down, and side to side, but not as much as left.
9. Cannot move toes much at all.	9. Can move toes up and down
10. When sitting cannot raise right thigh upward to put on pants.	10. When sitting am able to raise right thigh upward to put on pants.
11. Extreme difficulty putting on right shoe.	11. Less difficulty putting on right shoe.
12. Right ankle very purple and bruised almost all the way around it.	12. Right ankle no longer has bruised appearance anywhere on it.
13. Unable to raise right foot when laying face down on stomach with legs outstretched.	13. Can slightly raise right foot when laying face down with legs outstretched.
14. Extreme difficulty rolling over in bed because right leg cannot move on its own.	14. Can roll over in bed with a minimum of difficulty.
15. Right leg cannot push downward at all.	15. Right leg can push down with some force.
16. Excess and thick saliva primarily at night.	16. No problems anytime with saliva.
17. Excessive yawning.	17. Normal yawning.
18. Cannot walk on toes of right foot.	18. Still cannot walk on toes on right foot.
19. Cannot stand on right leg at all because the knee will give way.	19. Can stand on right leg a while because it has gained some strength.
20. When sitting cannot pull right foot backwards at all.	20. When sitting can pull right foot backwards, although not yet as far as the left.
21. Mild insomnia	21. No insomnia
22. Moderate stiffness in right leg and foot.	22. Mild stiffness in right leg and foot.
23. Cramps in different areas of both legs	23. No cramps in either leg
24. Spasms in different areas of both legs	24. No spasms in either leg
25. Weakness in right buttocks, thigh, calf, ankle, foot, and toes	25. Still have slight weakness in right buttocks, thigh, calf, ankle, foot, and toes.
26. Weakness starting in both hands.	26. No more weakness in either hand.

My Book

I am very pleased to announce that my book is now available. The title is Alzheimer's Disease: What If There Was a Cure? The Story of Ketones. The book contains three parts: Our story; the science of ketones; and how to incorporate medium chain fatty acids into the diet.

To order, you can call the publisher directly at 1-800-575-8890, or you can order at a discount through www.amazon.com or www.barnesandnoble.com. There will also be electronic versions available soon.

Dr. Suzanne de la Monte and Dr. Oz Show: Nitrites and nitrates in food may cause Alzheimer's

On April 7, 2011, a former surgeon general and Dr. Suzanne de la Monte appeared on the Dr. Oz Show entitled, "A Revolutionary Breakthrough in Alzheimer's Disease," (can be watched on his website) where she presented her important research. She is the doctor who coined the term "type 3 diabetes" in reference to Alzheimer's disease.She found by accident that giving a nitrosamine compound called streptozotocin, used to deliberately produce diabetes, caused Alzheimer's in her lab mice. She learned that the brain produces its own insulin. She further found that this compound causes production of toxic lipids in the liver that cross the blood brain barrier and damage certain cells such that the brain develops insulin deficiency and insulin resistance. Nitrites and nitrates, found in very many processed foods, are nitrosamine compounds and could very well explain the epidemics of Alzheimer's, autism, diabetes, MS, Parkinson's and ALS, along with other neurodegenerative diseases that have insulin resistance, decreased glucose uptake as part of the process. These diseases have all been on the increase as processed foods have taken over our diets. I will add Dr. de la Monte's references to the website http://www.coconutketones.com/, in the very near future. These nitrites and nitrates are in most bacon, ham and other meats, deli meats, whether pre-packaged or cut at the counter, processed cheeses, cereals, breads, pretzels, crackers, white flour and anything that contains white flour, certain beers, scotch and some other whiskeys. Now something that has caught my attention for newborns and children: I found one of these offending compounds, thiamine mononitrate, in the Carnation infant formulas, some of the jarred baby foods, especially the junior combinations, cereals and other infant prepared foods such as macaroni and cheese. The government requires that certain vitamins such as thiamine are added to enrich foods that have been stripped of these nutrients by processing, most notably white flour and other grains. Thiamine mononitrate is a synthetic source of vitamin B1, rather than a naturally occurring vitamin, and is added to very many foods. Just look at the ingredients labels. Most people eat something with thiamine mononitrate in it for nearly every meal. Naturally occurring Vitamin B1 (thiamine) is usually water soluble, meaning that if you eat an excess of it, you will pass it out in the urine; however, thiamine mononitrate is fat soluble and the excess accumulates in the liver and fat cells. The FDA regulations (21 CFR 184.1878) say that thiamine mononitrate may be used in food "with no limitation other than good manufacturing practice" and that it "may be used in infant formula". These compounds could slowly kill off insulin producing cells in the brain and other organs, and when enough cells have been effected symptoms will begin to emerge. This could explain the classic development of autism in children at 1 1/2 to 2 years of age who were previously thought to be normal. And in Alzheimers' it is believed that the disease process begins at least 10-20 years before symptoms appear. Animal studies need to be done to determine if thiamine mononitrate produces Alzheimer's disease, autism, type 2 diabetes and the other diseases mentioned above. In the meantime, it would behoove us to read the labels and eliminate anything from the diet that includes nitrosamines, nitrites, nitrates; look for these words alone or in combination with other words, such as thiamine mononitrate. What is left for us to eat? Stay away from packaged and other processed foods and eat whole foods: organic whenever possible, vegetables, fruits, eggs, dairy, goat milk and cheeses, nuts, legumes, whole grains (without added nitrates) grass fed beef, free range chicken, "natural" deli meats that have nothing added (they can be frozen to prolong use). I thought we were adhering very closely to a whole food diet until learning that many of the foods we were eating, such as deli meats and some "whole grain" breads and cereals, contain nitrites or nitrates. this could explain some of the deterioration we have seen in spite of everything else we are doing. Most important to our newest generation, mothers can avoid this problem by breastfeeding their babies for as long as possible. Nitrites and nitrates are just one group of compounds we need to worry about for our newborns and toddlers. Also, consuming foods with medium chain fatty acids, such as coconut oil and MCT oil, can at least partly bypass the problem of insulin resistance by providing an alternative fuel to glucose for brain cells. And how could this possibly be related to the herpes simplex issue that I have written about? I found a 1977 article from the lab of Dr. George Cahill, Jr. ("Studies of Streptozotocin-induced insulitis and diabetes", Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 74(6): 2485-2489, June 1977), in which he used streptozotocin to produce diabetes in mice by destroying the beta cells of the pancreas-- an unexpected finding was an increased production of a type C virus in the beta cells that survived. Could it be that the virus is involved as part of the process that destroys the cell after exposure to nitrosamines, or is an opportunistic infection that takes over the damaged cells, which further complicates the Alzheimer’s disease process? The bottom line is to avoid any foods that contain nitrites or nitrates or any ingredient in which one of the words appears.

ALS and Coconut Oil - A one year experience

I was very pleased to receive this email from a person with ALS who wanted to share his experience with coconut oil of more than a year duration. This person gave me permission to post about this so that it may benefit others:

"ALS started in early 2007, and officially diagnosed with FALS September 2008.

My age is 62. I started taking 4 tablespoons of coconut oil daily on November 4th, 2009. I increased it to 6 tablespoons on December 4th, 2009, and increase that to 8 tablespoons per day the first of January, 2010. I have also been taking 3 ounces (2 shot glasses) of a magnesium/water solution each day, which I started on Sept. 15th, 2009, which was before I found information about coconut oil and ketones. Following are the details of my current and previous status before taking coconut oil.

A. Current symptoms:
1. Weakness in my right leg, primarily in the gluteus maximus and related muscles affecting the knee.
2. Slight twitching in upper right leg and buttocks.
3. Excessive pain in leg knee. But, this is due to the increased workload caused by the weakness in the right one. In my younger days both knees were injured by some accidents, since then both have given me problems.
4. Poor circulation in my right leg and foot at least during these months
5. With my toes on the floor I cannot raise the rear of the right foot and leg upward.

B. Current physical limitations:
1. Walking without pain and the use of two canes.
2. Unable to pivot the right foot as far outward as with the left.
3. When sitting, am unable to raise my right upper leg up off the chair as much as the left
4. When laying face down on my stomach and my legs outstretched, am unable to bend my right knee to raise my foot upwards.

C. Changes since taking coconut oil:
1. Have normal feelings back in my right leg much like the left one.
2. Have increased muscles strength and size in the upper right leg. Also the muscles in the left leg have increased in size and strength.
3. If I place my right foot flat on the floor I can now raise my toes and the front of my foot upward. I can now tap my right foot to the music
4. When sitting I can now pull my right foot and calf backwards.
5. When sitting, am able to raise my right leg upward.
6. There is reduced bruising in my right ankle.
7. I can pivot my right foot inward and outward.
8. I can stand on my right leg a little more because it has more strength.
9. I can roll over in bed with a minimum of difficulty.
10. I can push downward with my right leg.
Page 2 of 2
D. Before taking coconut oil: (Nov. 4, 2009)
1. Difficulty walking due to weakness in my right leg.
2. My right leg felt asleep and non-responsive when walking or trying to move it
3. The muscles in the upper right leg had reduced in size to the point I could reach upward on the underside of my leg and easily feel the leg bones.
4. I had “drop-foot,” and could not pivot my right foot side to side nor raise it at all.
5. When sitting I could not raise my right leg off the chair.
6. My right ankle was very purple and bruised
7. I had extreme difficulty rolling over in bed because my right leg would not move on its own.
8. I could not push downward with my right leg at all.
9. Had very thick saliva at night.
10. Muscle vibrations in the left leg, some in the upper right arm.

In conclusion:
So far I have only experienced improvements taking the coconut oil and magnesium chloride solution. I plan to continue with both, and track my progress monthly with more detail just in case it could be of value to someone later."

Direct link to 6 part interview series

Instead of going to YouTube, the six part series of Steve and I with Ken Lightburn can now be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iScs0uzQZFk