How Coconut oil, MCT oil, and ketones can help Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases
The following are peer-reviewed articles that have been published in scientific journals on studies and reviews of coconut oil, MCT oil, and a ketone ester for brain health as well as studies in animals and cell cultures conducted to discover how ketones impact the brain. Ketones have been shown to provide neuroprotection, reduce brain inflammation, reduce plaques and tangles, reduce anxiety, and improve cognition in Alzheimer’s mouse models.
Many studies of MCT oil and several studies of coconut oil separately or combined with a ketogenic diet and a case study of ketone ester in a man with early-onset Alzheimer’s have reported improvement in cognition and other symptoms in people with mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease. Many more studies are in progress.
Reference List for Studies, Reviews, Case Reports on Ketones, MCT Oil, Coconut Oil, and Ketogenic Diets for Alzheimer’s and Mild Cognitive Impairment
NEW REVIEW reports that coconut oil improves cognition in Alzheimer’s disease:
Impact of Coconut Oil and Its Bioactive Metabolites in Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. By Duaa Bafail, Abrar Bafail, Norah Alshehri, Noura Hamdi Alhalees, and Ahmad Bajarwan.Diseases12, 272 (2024)
Many complete articles from this list of references are available to print (free) below.
Ketogenic strategies for Alzheimer’s disease and other memory impairments: History, rationale, and 288 caregiver case reports. By Mary T. Newport, M.D. Medical Research ArchivesApril 30, 2024
A New Way to Produce Hyperketonemia: Use of Ketone Ester in a Case of Alzheimer’s Disease.Newport MT,VanItallie TB,Kashiwaya Y,King MT,Veech RL Alzheimers Dement.2015 Jan;11(1):99-103.
A Ketogenic Drink Improves Brain Energy and Some Measures of Cognition in Mild Cognitive Impairment, Fortier, et al. 2019 Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 2019, online:1-10.
Applications of Medium-Chain Triglycerides in Foods. Watanabe S and Tsujino SFrontiers in Nutrition V. 9 June 2022
Ketone Ester Effects on Biomarkers of Brain Metabolism & Cognitive Performance in Cognitively Intact Adults ≥ 55 Years Old. A Study Protocol for a Double-Blinded Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial. Avgerinos KI, et al. J Prev Alz Dis 2022;1(9):54-66
Beneficial Effects of Exogenous Ketogenic Supplements on Aging Processes and Age-Related Neurodegenerative Diseases. Kovács Z, B Brunner, C Ari. NutrientsV. 13, no. 7 (2021): 2197.
A ketogenic drink improves cognition in mild cognitive impairment: Results of a 6-month RCT. Fortier, et al. Alzheimer’s Dement. 2021;17:543–552.
Brain energy rescue: an emerging therapeutic concept for neurodegenerative disorders of ageing. Cunnane, et al. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery V. 19 No. 9 (2020):609-633.
Fasting and Exercise Therapy for Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease, William Curtis Cells 2022
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Scientific Reference Articles on Coconut Oil for Alzheimer’s
Potential of coconut oil and medium chain triglycerides in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
Chatterjee P, Fernando M, Fernando B, et al. Mechanisms of Aging and Development, 2020; 186:e1-10.
This article was written by a prominent Alzheimer’s research group in Australia headed by Dr. Ralph Martins. The article explains the many mechanisms by which coconut oil benefits the brain and could provide improvement in people with Alzheimer’s disease. Full Article Supplemental Materials
Effect of Virgin Coconut Oil Supplementation on Cognition of Individuals with Mild-to-Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease in Sri Lanka (VCO-AD Study): A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial
Malika G. Fernando et al.,Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, V. 96 (2023)
This study looked for coconut oil benefits for the brain in people with Alzheimer’s disease. There were 2 groups assigned to consume either virgin coconut oil (n=43) or canola oil (n=41) 15 ml (1 tablespoon) twice daily for 24 weeks. The people taking coconut oil who had the ApoE4 gene had greater improvement on cognitive testing than people who had the ApoE3 gene. All people taking virgin coconut oil experienced a decrease in total and LDL-cholesterol levels and an increase in HDL-cholesterol that were significant and greater than the people taking canola oil; the decreases in total and LDL-cholesterol were greatest for the people who had the ApoE4 gene.
Randomized crossover trial of a modified ketogenic diet in Alzheimer’s disease
Matthew C. L. Phillips, et al.Alzheimer’s Research and Therapy, V. 13 No. 51 (2021)
In this study, people with Alzheimer’s disease consumed a ketogenic diet for 12 weeks and a low-fat diet for 12 weeks with a washout period in between. The ketogenic diet used a manual of recipes of which nearly all included coconut oil or coconut milk, which is rich in coconut oil. The While on the ketogenic diet, the people experienced improvements in daily functioning and quality of life compared to when they were eating the low-fat diet. The Ketogenic Way Diet used in the study
Low-fat versus ketogenic diet in Parkinson’s Disease: A pilot randomized controlled trial
Phillips, MCL, et al. Movement Disorders, Vol. 33, No. 8, 2018.
Dr. Matthew Phillips, a neurologist in New Zealand, and associates report 42% improvement in nonmotor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease with a reasonable, healthy-food ketogenic diet compared to healthy-food low-fat diet. The ketogenic diet used a manual of recipes of which nearly all included coconut oil or coconut milk, which is rich in coconut oil. Both diets improved motor symptoms. Printable Journal Article Printable Ketogenic Diet Used in the Study with Recipes
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Ketone Ester Drink Improves Brain Network Stability After an Overnight Fast Compared to a Calorically Equivalent Glucose Drink. Mujica-Parodi, et al. in PNAS March 2020
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Leading Scientists Agree: Current Limits on Saturated Fats No Longer Justified (Feb 25, 2020)
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Safety and Tolerability of sustained exogenous ketosis using ketone monoester drinks for 28 days in healthy people.Soto-Mota, Clarke, et al. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology (October 2019)
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Lifelong Choline Supplementation Ameliorates Alzheimer’s Disease Pathology and Associated Cognitive Defects by Attenuating Microglia Activation, Velazquez, et al.Aging Cell, Online Library, 2019: 1-11
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Ketogenic Medium Chain Triglycerides Increase Brain Energy Metabolism in Alzheimer’s Disease, Croteau, et al. 2018 Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 2018, 64(2):551-561
MCT oil can fill in the “brain energy gap” that occurs with aging–the difference between how much energy the brain needs and how much it receives.
Research by University of Tokyo and Nisshin Oillio shows that lauric acid which is 50% of coconut oil stimulates ketone production in astrocytes, which are cells that nourish other brain cells. Stephen Cunnane, July 2016 The energetic constraint was solved in large measure by the evolution in hominins of a unique and significant layer of body fat on the fetus starting during the third trimester of gestation. By providing fatty acids for ketone production that are needed as brain fuel… Inverse relationship between brain glucose and ketone metabolism in adults during short-term moderate dietary ketosis: A dual tracer quantitative positron emission tomography study… Richard L. Veech, Y Kashiwaya, Neurobiology of Aging, 2012, 1-10 Ketoacids? Good Medicine? George F. Cahill, Jr., Richard L. Veech , Transactions of the American Clinical and Climatological Association , Vol. 114, 2003. The therapeutic implications of ketone bodies: the effects of ketone bodies in pathological conditions: ketosis, ketogenic diet, redox states, and mitochondrial metabolism Richard L. Veech, Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids , 70 (2004) 309-319. Ketones: Metabolism’s Ugly Duckling, TB VanItallie, TH Nufert, Nutrition Reviews , Oct 2003, Vol. 61, No 10, 327-341. Hypothesis Paper: Ketone Bodies, Potential Therapeutic Uses. RL Veech, B Chance,Y Kashiwaya, HA Lardy, GF Cahill, Jr., IUBMB Life 2001, Vol. 51, 241247 D-b-Hydroxybutyrate protects neurons in models of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Y Kashiwaya, T Takeshima, N Mori, K Nakashima, K Clarke , and RL Veech PNAS May 9, 2000, Vol. 97 No. 10, p. 5440-5444 Alternate Fuel Utilization by Brain.GF Cahill, TT Aoki Cerebral Metabolism and Neural Function 1980, Ch.26 Brain Metabolism during Starvation, OE Owen, AP Morgan, HG Kemp, JM Sullivan, MG Herrera, GF Cahill, Jr., J Clin Invest , 1967, Vol. 46, p. 1589-1595 … ketone bodies, and mitochondrial energy transduction. K Sato, Y Kashiwaya, et. al., including Dr. Richard Veech, Research Communications, The FASEB Journal , Vol. 9, May 1995, p. 651-658 Brain metabolism during fasting. OE Owen, AP Morgan, HG Kemp, JM Sullivan, MG Herrera, GF Cahill Jr ., J Clin Invest, 1967, Vol. 46, p. 1589-95 Cerebral metabolic adaptation and ketone metabolism after brain injury , ML Prins, 2008, Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism , Vol. 28, p. 1-16 D, L-3-hydroxybutyrate treatment of multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MADD). J.L.K. Van Hove, et. al., The Lancet Vol. 361, 4/26/2003 p.1433-1435 Treatment of Parkinson disease with diet-induced hyperketonemia: A feasibility study T. VanItallie, C. Nonas, A Di Rocco, K Boyar, K Hyams and SB Heymsfield, Neurology, 2005, Vol. 64, p. 728-730 Brain Fuel Metabolism, Aging, and Alzheimerâs Disease,S. Cunnane, S Nugent, M Roy, et. al, Nutrition, Jan. 2011 Ketone Bodies as a Fuel for the Brain during Starvation OE Owen, Biochemistry And Molecular Biology Education, 2005, Vol. 33 No. 4, p. 246-251 Medium Chain Fatty Acids Improve Cognitive Function in Intensively Treated Type 1 Diabetic Patients and Support in vitro Synaptic Transmission During Acute Hypoglycemia.Kathleen A. Page, et. al., Diabetes, published online 2/17/2009 Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 in Alzheimer’s Disease: The Enemy Within RF Itzhaki and MA Wozniak, 2008, Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease , Vol. 13, p. 393-405 Inactivation of Enveloped Viruses and Killing of Cells by Fatty Acids and MonoglyceridesH Thormar, CE Isaacs, HR Brown, MR Barshatsky, and T Pessolano, Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy , Jan 1987, Vol. 31 No. 1, p. 27-31 Development and Evaluation of Microbicidal Hydrogels Containing Monoglyceride as the Active IngredientT Kristmunsdottir, SG Arnadottir, G Bergsson, and H Thormar, Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences , Oct 1999, Vol. 88 No. 10, p. 1011-1015 White Paper: It’s Time to Find the Alzheimer’s Germ Leslie Norins MD, 2018, previously published on AlzGerm.org Look up online: www.freepatentsonline.com — Combinations of medium chain triglycerides and therapeutic agents for the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease and other diseases resulting from reduced neuronal metabolism,United States Patent 20080009467, Inventor Samuel T. Henderson, Accera, Inc., Broomfield, Colorado (Ketasyn). www.accerapharma.com — Ketone Bodies as a Therapeutic for Alzheimer’s Disease, ST Henderson, Journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics, Vol 5, 470-480, July 2008. FoodData Central (usda.gov) – Find Nutrient analysis for coconut oil and other foods ________________________________________ Lauric acid, which is half of coconut oil, has antimicrobial activity against the COVID-19 coronavirus. VCO also contains antioxidant and anti-inflammatory substances that could help reduce inflammation. Here are two studies showing more rapid reduction in CRP levels, and the second study also showed a marked reduction in symptom recovery: Virgin coconut oil is effective in lowering C-reactive protein levels among Virgin coconut oil (VCO) supplementation relieves symptoms and inflammation (PDF) From the authors: “Here, we provide an overview of ketone body biology relevant to respiratory viral infection, focusing on influenza A and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV-2, and discuss the opportunities, risks, and research gaps in the study of exogenous ketone bodies as novel immunometabolic interventions in these diseases.”Lauric Acid Stimulates Ketone Body Production in the KT-5 Astrocyte Cell Line
Can Ketones Rescue aging brain?, Implications for Cognitive Health during Aging and the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease
Cunnane & Crawford J Human Evol 2014
Courchesne-Loyer et al PET KD JCBFM 2016
A Ketone Ester Diet Exhibits Anxiolytic and Cognition-Sparing Properties and Lessens Amyloid and Tau Pathologies in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Scientific articles about a viral connection to Alzheimer’s disease and coconut oil medium chain triglycerides as potential viricidal agents:
Scientific Reference Articles about Coronavirus (COVID-19/SARSCoV2)
Studies of Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) for COVID-19 Infection:
suspect and probable cases of COVID-19. Angeles-Agdeppa, F Dayrit, et al. J Functional Foods V. 83 (2021)
among COVID-19 positive adults: a single-blind randomized trial. Angeles-Agdeppa, F Dayrit, et al. J Nutritional Science V. 13 (2024)Ketones might help reduce serious inflammation in COVID-19 – Two hypothesis articles:
Investigating Ketone Bodies as Immunometabolic Countermeasures against Respiratory Viral Infections.Stubbs B, et al.Cell Press Online July 2020.
COVID-19: Proposing a Ketone-Based Metabolic Therapy as a Treatment to Blunt the Cytokine Storm, Bradshaw, Curtis, et al. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity 2020
Also on this website:
Coconut, MCT oil, Ketones for Brain Health–Videos/Podcasts – Articles by Dr. Newport – Ketone Research Articles – Ketone Supplements– Books & Keto Monitors– Supplies for Caregivers