Before coconut oil my LDL was 2.84 mmol/L and HDL was 0.99 mmol/L (Cholesterol/HDL = 5.1). Triglycerids 2.74

After coconut oil my LDL was 2.73 and HDL was 1.50 (Cholesterol/HDL = 3.0. Triglycerides o.63

to quote you:
" I was diagnosed 13 years ago, so I'm surprised that I've improved as much as I have. I feared that too much brain cell death had already occurred after 23 years (including 10 years of hand tremor before being diagnosed). "
<you had pd symptoms for 10 years before diagnosis?


" I just upped the dosage to 10-12 tablespoons a day. I also upped the battle plan by eating Terry Wahl's recommendation of lots of vegetables for each meal. I also paid a nutritionist to design a meal plan for me, which cuts back on carbohydrates. Basically she said for my body weight I must eat 100 g of protien per day, which I get from Whey protein, pumpkin seed, sunflower seed, hemp seed, chicken, salmon. She then said I must eat whole vegetables at every meal, which I have 3 cups (at least), comprised of at least two from kale, brocolli, red cabbage, carrots. I also consume berries and large oat flakes every day. "
<So are you attributing all of the above? You seem to be advocating a total lifestyle change rather than just taking coconut oil.

"Hand tremor is my dominant symptom, and still flares up under stress.

Miraculously I now go whole days without any tremor at all, except in between doses of cocunut oil. If I don't take the coconut oil, all the above symptoms start to reappear again, so it's a life time commitment for me. It will be interesting to see how far this will improve, especially since my neurologist says there's nothing she can do, when I was almost disabled by my tremor."
"Meds 3 x 1.5 x 100mg/25mg levocarb and 3 x 1 x 1.5mg mirapex and 2 x 1 x 2mg trihex "
"I am still taking prescription drugs, but have not increased for two years (I've been on coconut oil for 4 1/2 months now)."
<You say you haven't increased your meds in 2 years? And your neuro said there was nothing else she can do? The med regime you describe is awfully low, especially the agonist, even for someone 5 years after diagnosis. I just take C/L and live with being under medicated but when I see my neuro he asks me if i want to try azilect, stalevo, or an agonist, especially neupro.

<so if you stop for 1 day your pd symptoms return? have you considered a before/after youtube video?

sorry, just a naturally born skeptic.

soccertese,

satwar, indeed everyone, is entitled to give as much or as little information as he wants.

John

At the risk of repeating myself, the proof is in your hands. Try it or not is your decision to make. I'm very pleased with my results and although everyone is different, I hope others get at least some relief from this horrible disease.

thanks, i realize that

From Cure Alzheimers fund web page
http://curealz.org/node/2079

Coconut Oil: A Scientific Perspective

Cure Alzheimer’s Fund has received many questions about the value of coconut oil in combatting Alzheimer’s. We’ve asked Rudy Tanzi, Ph.D., to respond to these inquiries generically, knowing that a) there is currently no peer-reviewed clinical research available regarding efficacy of coconut oil in treating or preventing Alzheimer’s, and b) every personal situation and experience is unique. Rudy has agreed to provide his perspective on this, given those two giant caveats. Rudy is chairman of the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund Research Consortium and Joseph P. and Rose F. Kennedy Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School; director, Genetics and Aging Research Unit, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital.



Concerns

Acknowledging that treating patients with any life-threatening and debilitating disease is often a trade-off of risks, we do have some concerns about the use of coconut oil.

First, it must be noted that coconut oil has more saturated fats than lard and can thus be very detrimental for the cardiovascular system. In the absence of exercise, coconut oil could be very dangerous for the heart and brain. Coconut oil is most dangerous for the heart when baked or cooked. Thus, uncooked "virgin" coconut oil would probably be preferable over "refined" coconut oil, which has been subjected to high heat and chemical modification, e.g. bleaching.



Possible Explanations for Potential Benefit in Alzheimer’s Disease

If one wished to try coconut oil as a health supplement, virgin (unrefined) coconut oil would be preferable since it contains higher levels of beneficial “polyphenols” (specifically, ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid). Polyphenols in coconut oil could be potentially useful for Alzheimer’s (and other diseases) since they act as antioxidants. Antioxidants help temper the harmful effects of inflammation, e.g., free radical production, which causes so much damage in Alzheimer’s and other diseases involving tissue degeneration.

Some other virgin oils have also been reported to be useful for lowering Alzheimer’s pathology in animal models. These include extra virgin olive oil and virgin grapeseed oil, both of which are high in polyphenol content as well. So, one benefit of coconut oil in Alzheimer’s could derive from polyphenols acting as antioxidants.

The second possible way coconut oil could be useful for Alzheimer’s is based on the high levels of “ketone bodies” in the oil. Coconut oil produces ketone bodies when the fats in the oil are digested by the body. Ketone bodies serve to provide dearly needed “fuel” and energy to the brain when glucose levels are low, as in the case of Alzheimer’s patients. When brain glucose levels are low, the brain breaks down fats to produce ketone bodies as an alternate source of energy. This energy is needed for nerve cell survival and for synaptic activity that underlies learning and memory. Virgin coconut oil contains the fats that can be converted into ketone bodies, which can serve as an alternate energy source for the brain. The ketone bodies could potentially provide energy to nerve cells and synapses in the glucose-deprived brains of Alzheimer’s patients.

Many caregivers for Alzheimer’s patients report that when they give the patient high sugar snacks like candy and ice cream, they perk up and become more alert, at least temporarily. Ketone bodies can also do this by supplementing the brain's need for glucose by breaking down fats, like those in coconut oil. And, ketone bodies are longer lasting than simply ingesting. So, the results are longer lasting.



In summary, in addition to the polyphenols in coconut oil (acting as antioxidants), it is also possible that the ketone bodies (acting as an alternate energy source for the brain) could underlie the positive effects on Alzheimer’s disease reported by some users of coconut oil. However, it must be emphasized that the use of coconut oil to treat or prevent Alzheimer’s is not supported by any peer-reviewed clinical data; any positive findings are based solely on anecdotal evidence. Finally, since these are fats that can be potentially harmful to the heart, it would be wise to regularly monitor cholesterol and triglyceride levels while taking any form of coconut oil, virgin or refined.

This article certainly underlines the importance of carefully researching this subject before acting. I have read this article numerous times in my research phase and it reminds me of how much our understanding of dietary fats has evolved in the past few decades and continues to evolve.

His words are for the most part carefully chosen (he pulls his punches where he needs to), but this statement really baffles me "uncooked "virgin" coconut oil would PROBABLY be preferable over "refined" coconut oil". "Probably", I thought the "refined oil" horse left the barn years ago.

If anyone needs to break for a cigaret, now would be the time.


The info provided by Tanzi was of some value but still limited. In particular, I am far from convinced that the near - hysteria which comes with any discussion of cholesterol and with PD in particular - is warranted. There is a great deal of assuming going on. For example, why do PWP normally have low levels? How does that relate to our own need for it? Are we chronically deficient in it? If so, what are the symptoms?

The brain is made up of cholesterol - and a lot of it. It is even prudent to consider the posibility that a low level has an effect on the survival of neurons in general and in the SN in particular. Should this potential critical point be addressed before we make up our minds? And, with all due respect, should we not view the omission of the issue as reason to be cautious in our viewing of its remainder?

"We gotta lotta 'splanin' to do here Loos - ee!" <Totally OT, but I don't see how I survived before the "Grinning Like an Idiot" emoticon. It says so little while saying so much. Gosh! I think that I just enlightened my Kundalini or something..... (Now, observe the effect - )

I attach a response a scientist, who shares my interest in coconut oil for PD, recently made to an inquiry about coconut oil therapy. He gave me his permission to post:

I am so sorry to hear of your unfortunate encounter with a Coconut Oil advocate. One of the very attractive things about this forum is that "reamings" are very rare. You make some good points, however there are also other good points to be made. Most of the Coconut Oil work that has been done for the benefit of those with neurological diseases has been led by Dr. Mary Newport, not a lightweight. She has found dedicated scientists from around the world who have added credence to her theories and her findings.

One of the benefits of freedom is the freedom to do and the freedom to do not. Some have chosen to try a therapy, which is counter to traditional medicine, but which has clearly benefited a few Parkinson's patients (Dr. Newport reports nineteen impressive cases, a couple of whom participate in this forum). She has concentrated more on Alzheimer's and has documented evidence on a few hundred improvements from massive doses of Coconut Oil, for those suffering from the disease. The (unproven) hypothesis is that the medium chain triglycerides in Coconut Oil are converted to ketones by the liver (that is a fact, verified by science) and that the ketones more easily cross the blood brain barrier to nourish brain cells that are otherwise undernourished. She hypothesizes that undernourished brain cells are a common factor in several neurological diseases and that the benefits which she has observed for Alzheimer's patients may be more generally available in the neurological disorder community.

I am a professional scientist, who has an interest in history. I have observed many situations where the big advances in the field or made by people who dared to depart from the conventional ways. Imaging is one of the most important tools for the diagnosis of disease available to medical science. The first physicist who discovered that invisible rays could penetrate objects and expose photographic plates discarded that information as an annoyance that exposed his photographic plates. Shortly thereafter another physicist made the same discovery and asked why, became the father of x-rays and received the Nobel Prize in medicine. He followed on as a medical researcher to become the father radiology.

We learn from history that it is foolish to grab desperately because we have lost hope in conventional approaches, but that it is also foolish to discard promising discoveries, just because other experts pooh-pooh them.

We share your concern that there is no organized scientific basis for understanding the process, the measures of success and failure, and the scientific basis for the benefits we have seen from Coconut Oil on a few Parkinson's patients. To that end we are conducting a non-clinical trial based on quarterly reports from people who have dedicated themselves to a regular consistent Coconut Oil treatment. You can find an introduction to our non-clinical trial as a forum topic under Research. Our hope is that we can generate enough evidence to encourage a more conventional medical team to conduct regular clinical trials. We have received encouragement in this effort from several doctors. You may want to consider the fact that there are some dedicated levelheaded people who are trying to lend understanding and to motivate conventional approaches to the understanding of the benefits of Coconut Oil. I

I repeat that we all have the freedom to do and the freedom to don't. The best we can do is to respect the choice that each one of us makes

use baking soda or sodium bicarb in water foe indigestion or acid stomach.. as much as you need. no health problems also alkalinizes body.