The primary type of fat found within coconut oil (MCT’s) have been found to boost cognitive performance. A groundbreaking 2004 study published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging found that Medium Chain Triglycerides almost immediately improved cognitive function in older adults with memory disorders, and only after a single 40 ml dose!
MCTs are different from most fats we consume.
Due to their smaller size, MCT’s do not form micelles and are not stored in adipose tissue. Whereas up to 97% of the dietary fats we ingest are made up of LCTs (long-chain triglycerides) which have been 14 and 18 carbons, MCTs have relatively shorter chain lengths of 5 to 12 carbons, making them easier to absorb and utilize. They are preferentially oxidized by the liver, and when provided in large enough quantities, they give rise to ketone bodies.
How MCTs work
A single dose of MCTs (40 ml or 3 tablespoons) causes an almost immediate improvement in cognitive performance in those suffering from cognitive impairments as serious as Alzheimer’s disease. How? The explanation is found both in the unique metabolic needs of the brain and in the configuration of MCTs themselves. Whereas the primary fuel source for the energy-hungry brain is glucose, when insulin resistance and suboptimal metabolism (hypometabolism) develops in the brain, both the brain’s structure and function are compromised. Ketone bodies provide a much needed alternative fuel source to glucose that can recharge metabolic processes within the brain, resulting in an almost immediate improvement in cognitive function.
Coconut oil is superfood for your brain
Use coconut oil to prevent your brain from ageing and to reduce oxidative stress. Take 3 tablespoons a day; on your bread, in smoothies, juices or other drinks, in cold or hot meals, … Coconut oil is a real example of food as medicine.
Article resources: – Sayer Ji, Fats Found In Coconut Oil Boost Brain Function In Only One Dose, The Mind Unleashed, 2014 Sept 13 – Mark A Reger, Samuel T Henderson, Cathy Hale, Brenna Cholerton, Laura D Baker, G S Watson, Karen Hyde, Darla Chapman, Suzanne Craft. Effects of beta-hydroxybutyrate on cognition in memory-impaired adults. Neurobiol Aging. 2004 Mar;25(3):311-4. PMID: 15123336 – Anonymous: Medium chain triglycerides. Alt Med Rev 2002, 7:418-420.[iii] Lauren C Costantini, Linda J Barr, Janet L Vogel, Samuel T Henderson. Hypometabolism as a therapeutic target in Alzheimer’s disease. BMC Neurosci. 2008 ;9 Suppl 2:S16. Epub 2008 Dec 3. PMID: 1909098
