Ketones as Alternative Fuel for Parkinsons

My guest Dr. Mary Newport, MD, author of Alzheimers, What if There was a Cure?, discusses the potential support that coconut oil and MCT oil can provide for persons who currently experience symptoms of Parkinsons, especially those involving dementia.

Plaques and tangles are known to be hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease, but another important aspect of Alzheimer’s is decreased glucose uptake into cells due to decreased production of insulin and resistance to insulin. 

In 1967 it was first reported that the brain can use ketone bodies or ketones as an alternative fuel to glucose; this normally occurs during starvation for more than 48 hours or when adhering to a strict ketogenic diet, one that is high in fat and low in carbohydrate and protein.  

Levels of ketones produced from consuming MCT oil have been shown to produce cognitive improvement in nearly half of people with Alzheimer’s and mild cognitive impairment after one dose and also after three months of treatment.  Coconut oil contains about 60% of medium chain fatty acids and is the richest natural source, and MCT oil is extracted from coconut oil or palm kernel oil and is 100% medium chain fatty acids.

Glucose PET scans in persons with Parkinson’s disease and certain other neurodegenerative diseases also show decreased glucose uptake in certain parts of the brain.  In addition, many people with Parkinson’s will go on to develop Alzheimer’s type dementia, therefore this dietary intervention could be beneficial both to treat Parkinson’s and also to prevent and treat the related dementia. 

Dr. Newport's website: www.coconutketones.com