for people who have (or who have loved ones) with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, epilepsy, MS, or ALS

[renate]

I read a sad article elsewhere in GD earlier today:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1881390
And on that page there was a link to this story:
http://www.tampabay.com/news/aging/doctor-says-an-oil-lessened-alzheimers-effects-on-her-husband/879333

I posted a comment in that original thread to tell people who have a loved one/family member with Alzheimer’s disease (or Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, multiple sclerosis, or ALS) that it might be worth a read, but then I realized that those people might not click on an OP with a completely unrelated title. So here it is, in a thread of its own. I hope it’s okay that I’m posting it here, because the other forums I thought about posting it in don’t get very much traffic, and if this helps just one person even a little bit I think it’s worth bending the rules.

So here’s what the second article was about: A doctor whose husband was developing Alzheimer’s did some research about the medication being used in a clinical trial, and found that its primary ingredient was a oil made of medium-chain triglycerides. Even before he was accepted into the trial, she gave him coconut oil and his scores on a test used to screen for dementia went up almost immediately. Here’s the link again:
http://www.tampabay.com/news/aging/doctor-says-an-oil-lessened-alzheimers-effects-on-her-husband/879333

Because one family’s experience does not equate to data, I did a little research—not exhaustive, but maybe enough to give people something to talk to their physicians about.

Non-carriers of the apolipoprotein E4 allele with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease responded with changes of about 6 to about 5 points to a ketogenic diet (at 45 and 90 days, respectively):
http://www.docguide.com/induced-mild-ketosis-can-significantly-improve-cognitive-function-patients-alzheimer-s-disease-prese
(you don’t have to register, despite the pop-up)

There are 70 points on the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale, and a decline of 7 points is severe:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17653494
so presumably an improvement of roughly that many is pretty significant.

From the introduction to one article
http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/pdf/1743-7075-6-31.pdf
it looks like the drug AC-1202 is developed mainly because people with Alzheimer’s start to gravitate towards a high-carbohydrate, sugary diet (i.e., not on that promotes ketosis),
Alzheimer's disease patients frequently undergo changes in food preference toward sweet, carbohydrate-rich foods, which would make compliance to a ketogenic diet difficult. Therefore, AC-1202, a form of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), was developed to safely elevate serum ketone bodies even in the presence of carbohydrate in the diet
and AC-1202 is easy to add to foods. So if you can get someone with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease to stick to a ketogenic diet, perhaps it’s not necessary to have them on the drug.

Here are some mouse data I came across, by the way:
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0021788
In this study, beta-amyloid burden was reversible with a ketogenic diet.

Since some people with epilepsy have a reduced incidence of seizures while on a ketogenic diet, I thought this website was probably a good resource for information about a medium-chain triglyceride ketogenic diet:
http://www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/keto_news_august07
which might be more palatable than the traditional ketogenic diet:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19049583

I'm not a biochemist or biomedical researcher and I’m sure there are experts here who will see all kinds of things wrong with the information here, especially since there’s actually not all that much research on it (perhaps because it’s not possible to patent a diet or coconut oil) but I tried to cite good research (with the exception of the anecdotal information in the newspaper article). I don’t have any family members with Alzheimer’s, but it’s one of my greatest concerns as my parents and other relatives (and I) get older, and I will certainly keep this stuff in mind just in case.

[mia]

1. k&r Thanks for gathering all of this information.

I intend to check it out.

[gateley]

2. K&R - very thoughtful of you to do this. My dad had Parkinson's

with the accompanying dementia and I've never experienced anything like that in my life. It's the toughest thing I've ever lived through.

[asjr]

3. Thank you very much for this information.

My mother had Alzheimers disease as well as other members of her family. She started showing symptoms at about age 70. Actually, there were symptoms earlier but I did not live near her and could not see what was going on. I asked my doctor about doing something or taking something to perhaps ward off Alzheimers. Of course there is nothing to stop it but he did recommend coconut oil. Or was it palm oil. I will have to ask him again. I just had my 79th birthday and of course I feel I am getting the disease. Just what I need. I am already on liquid oxygen 24/7 and taking prednisone.

[renate]

5. turmeric is another thing you might want to consider

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1702408/

It's very safe (billions of curry-eating Indians can't be wrong!).

Throw in a little vitamin D3 for good measure:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090715131558.htm

I'm sorry about your mother. It must be scary for you, having seen her go through it, to worry about developing it yourself--even though it's perfectly natural to have brain farts, or go into a room and wonder "now what did I come in here for?" or to look at the clock and think "have I eaten breakfast yet," those episodes must be extra stressful for you. :hug:

[JohnnyLib2]

4. Thank you.

[w8liftinglady]

6. excellent resources- thank you.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

7. LEF Clinical Trial in S. Florida

http://www.lef.org/LEFCMS/aspx/PrintVersionMagic.aspx?CmsID=113875




Curcumin

Ashwagandha. Ashwagandha is a medicinal plant used in India to treat a wide range of age-related disorders. Its most remarkable effect may involve its ability to preserve the health of the aging brain. Research indicates that ashwagandha extract is capable of halting and even repairing damage to brain cells in an experimentally induced model of Alzheimer’s disease (Kuboyama T et al 2005). Scientists in Japan induced Alzheimer’s-type brain cell atrophy and loss of synaptic function in mice by exposing them to the toxic protein beta-amyloid (Kuboyama T et al 2005). In laboratory experiments in India in 2004, researchers discovered that ashwagandha root extract inhibits acetylcholinesterase in much the same way as the prescription drug donepezil, which is currently used in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (Choudhary MI et al 2004).

Breakthroughs with Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Lecithin

Over the past 10 years, scientific studies have revealed the remarkable effects that fish consumption has on neurological function. Fish oils contain eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), both of which are omega-3 oils. DHA is essential to brain health because it constitutes between 30 and 50 percent of the total fatty acid content of the human brain (Young G et al 2005).

Combining DHA with Phosphatidylserine

Scientists have discovered that DHA attaches itself to phosphatidylserine molecules and acts as an important ally in the promotion of brain cell energy production. A number of brain researchers, such as Dr. Norman Salem, head of the Laboratory of Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics at the National Institutes of Health, are convinced that phosphatidylserine with attached DHA is among the most critically important molecules for healthy brain function. Scientists believe that phosphatidylserine supplementation works optimally if DHA levels are kept commensurately high (Kidd P 2005).

The Value of Glycerophosphorylcholine

Like phosphatidylserine, glycerophosphorylcholine (GPC) is a key structural component of brain cell membranes. GPC is approved as a drug in the European Union, where physicians prescribe it to their patients who have dementia and pre-dementia. In the United States, however, GPC is available as a dietary supplement. One of GPC’s cognitive restoring mechanisms is its ability to maintain optimal levels of acetylcholine in the brain.

[renate]

16. wow... how interesting about ashwagandha and glycerophosphorylcholine

Someone else pointed out in this thread that rates of Alzheimer's disease are lowest in India--maybe the ashwagandha has something to do with that. Thank you!

[HysteryDiagnosis]

18. The rest of the article mentions many more items with the research to back them up...

glad someone got something out of it.

[xfundy]

8. India apparently has the lowest rates of ALZ worldwide.

Sorry, didn't read the links again, as I've researched this subject for several years, selfishly concerned I don't end up like my mother or hers. So., If I missed something, forgiveness, please.

Turmeric is thought to play a big part in India's low rate of ALZ. Coconuts have actually been used in blood transfusions, as I recall, as they contain the right balance of electrolytes, etc.

Hungry now for some Chicken Tikka, coconut chutney and okra in green curry.

[renate]

17. the turmeric helps explain the low rate... but I forgot that Indian curries often use coconut milk

Yay! Some of the most delicious food in the world is *extra* good for you!

Thank you!

[sabrina 1]

9. Thank you, that is very thoughtful of you.

Very interesting info on Alzheimers. I spoke to a nurse recently who takes care of elderly patients in their homes, and she told me that Alzheimer's is affecting people earlier and earlier and that some of her patients now are in their early fifties.

Thanks again for the info ~

:kick:

[tpsbmam]

10. Thanks for a great post, renate. This MSer appreciates it. K&R

[Divine Discontent]

14. +1, (for my sibling with MS)

[Raine]

11. THANK YOU for posting this

my father had alzheimers, he died 3 years ago I would've loved info like this. I know it will be a big help for those dealing with it now. :thumbsup:

[Divine Discontent]

15. mine did too, in late 07. I appreciate the efforts of the OP as we all do.

[sad sally]

12. With the number of diagnoised cases of Alzheimer's both in the US

and worldwide, the urgency to find a cause, effective treatment, vaccine and/or cure cannot happen quick enough. By the year 2050 the number of persons with Alzheimer’s disease in the U.S. will increase by almost 3-fold to 13.2 million, from the current levels of around 4.5 million.

Some researcher believe those number could turn out to be even higher if a portion of the 25.8 million adults and children in the US with diabetes are aflicted with AD. Folks with type 2 diabetes have twice the risk of developing Alzheimer’s, and diabetics on insulin therapy have four times the risk.

Having lost two family members to AD, one with type 2 diabetes, I can personally say the emotional, physical and economical costs of the disease are devastating.

In July a worldwide group met to tackle this escalating international crisis. It is under-resourced, under-funded and under-prioritized by governments worldwide.

Latest estimates tell us that more than 35 million people worldwide are living with dementia. Unless we can change the course of this disease, this number is expected to double by 2030 and more than triple by 2050.

Will the White House, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and members of Congress see the need to fund both care and research? I hope so, but have my doubts.

[arikara]

13. Thank you for posting

My dad has dementia which struck at an early age, his father and all his uncles and grandmother also had varying forms of dementia and alzheimers which affected them at different ages. I have never felt that it was only a genetic thing. My feeling is that yes there is a gene but then something important lacking in the diet and/or possibly something environmental which triggers the disease. This may be an important clue.