MIND YOUR MITOCHONDRIA - CAN THIS APPLY TO ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE?

I came across this TEDx video by Dr. Terry Wahls, who has radically turned around her MS with the hunter/gatherer eating lifestyle.  Yes, the video is a little long - over 17 minutes - but I think that anyone who is following this blog is motivated to take the time to listen and consider the impact this way of eating could have on other neurodegenerative disease, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and ALS.

ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE - WHAT IF THERE WAS A CURE? - BOOK EXCERPT

Here is a short excerpt from the book, where the author, Dr. Mary T. Newport (whose husband suffers from early-onset AD), finds out about a promising drug trial:

PATENT APPLICATION #20080009467

The first item to pop up was a 2008 patent application... on www.freepatentsonline.com.  This was a continuation of a patent application that was originally submitted by Samuel Henderson, Ph.D., executive director of research at Accera, in May 2000.  I printed out the seventy-five-page document and began to read it.  After several pages of legalese, there was a well-written summary of what was known about Alzheimer's Disease at that time in relation to their invention.  It talked about beta-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, but also about a problem with glucose transport into neurons.  It said that researchers have discovered that neurons in certain areas of the brain in Alzheimer's Disease are unable to use glucose and that this same problem occurs in other neorodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's Disease, Huntington's Disease and Lou Gehrig's Disease (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS), but in different parts of the brain.

This rang a bell because I had previously come across research about the problem of glucose transport in Alzheimer's patients by William Klein, Ph.D., and others (Klein, 2008).  Researchers described a problem with the location of insulin receptors, which would normally be found on the surface of the cell membranes but are not.  The hormone insulin is needed for glucose to enter cells.  Insulin attaches to the receptor on the cell membrane, initiating a chain of metabolic events that allows glucose into the cell where it is converted eventually into the energy molecule adenosine triphosphate (ATP).  ATP is necessary for the cell to function and maintains its very life.  Some scientists had even begun to call Alzheimer's Disease a "type 3" diabetes (de la Monte, 2005), a concept that will be discussed at length in Chapter 13.

The patent application then described the "invention," which was based on the known fact that neurons can use a type of fuel other than glucose called ketones or ketone bodies.  Ketones are transported into the cell by a different mechanism than glucose and therefore, if available in the bloodstream, can bypass the glucose/insulin transport problem and provide fuel for neurons and other brain cells, potentially keeping them alive.

You can order the book here, or check it out at your local library.

The book I have been quoting from was published in 2011.  The new addition is being released on April 15, 2013.  The first edition of Alzheimer's Disease: What if There Was a Cure?, which details Dr. Newport's discovery and use of medium-chain fatty acids (which act like alternative fuel in the Alzheimer's brain), had such a strong reception in 2011 that a second edition is now in demand. In this updated and expanded version, Dr. Newport, a neonatal practitioner, continues the story of her husband Steve's progress and provides the most recent research on the possible connection between Alzheimer's disease and the herpes simplex virus and nitrosamine substances, as well as how infection, inflammation, and genetic makeup may affect an individual's response to fatty acid therapy. Among many other updates, Dr. Newport details the latest clinical trials aimed at removing beta-amyloid, which accumulates in the Alzheimer's brain.

I pre-ordered the book a few weeks ago and expect to receive it in a few days.  

80 USES FOR COCONUT OIL - HEALTH IMPACT NEWS

 So what’s the deal with coconut oil, and how much should you take daily for general health and disease prevention?


Offering a myriad of health benefits, coconut oil is affordable, readily available and completely natural. I have completely fallen in love with coconut oil and use it for EVERYTHING. Literally. I buy it in 5 gallon increments and keep it all over my house. I even have some in the car. So here is a little information to inspire you to check out this amazing oil including 80 uses for it!


General information about Coconut Oil
Coconut Oil Is:
·       Anti-inflammatory
·       Antimicrobial
·       Antifungal
·       Antiviral
·       Improves nutrient absorption

Daily Dosage:

Here is a chart outlining the recommended daily dosage of virgin coconut oil for persons over the age of 12. Coconut oil may be consumed by children under 12 but it is advisable to check with a healthcare practitioner on the proper dosage. Any good naturopath will have the information at the ready.

(Editor’s note: the amounts below are for “general” health and maintenance. Depending on why one is taking coconut oil, and what they hope to accomplish, the amount can be much greater. For example, many people seeing positive results for neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s are reporting that they are consuming up to 9 tablespoons a day or more to see positive results. For those just starting, amounts much less than these below should be started until the body is used to consuming high amounts of fat. The most common side effect of taking too much coconut oil is diarrhea.)

Weight in pounds/kilograms	Number of tablespoons of coconut oil daily
175+/79+	4
150+ /68+	3 1/2
125+ / 57+	3
100+/ 45+	2 1/2
75+ / 34+	2
50+ / 23+	1 1/2
25+ / 11+	1

Type to use:

·       Expeller pressed coconut oil can be used for anything. It does not have a coconutty smell of taste.
·       Virgin coconut oil tastes coconutty and is great for cooking and baking where you want that flavor.
·       Food grade should always be used.

To read the rest of the article, including the 80 uses for coconut oil, click here.