Coconut Oil and Alzheimer's Treatment: Does It Really Work?

Alzheimer’s disease is truly scary. Once it affects a person, they slowly disappear in front of you. What many people don’t realize is just how common it is. This tragic disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the US. So, this leads people to wonder if there are ways to prevent it.We know that maintaining poor health and genetic predisposition are leading causes to the disease. It's prevention that leaves doctors at a loss. Similar to cancer, Alzheimer’s disease cannot be directly prevented, however, a person’s risk of developing it can be reduced significantly by practicing good overall health and exercising the mind.One interesting claim that has been made is that coconut oil can slow the progression of this disease. Of course, this leaves people stunned and questioning if this is true or not. This intrigued Dr. Mary Newport of Florida and sent her on a mission to prove the claim. Her husband was suffering from dementia, so she began regularly applying coconut oil. Two weeks after the treatment began she noticed her husband had significantly improved on the clock drawing test. A few weeks after that she noticed his overall mental status was greatly improved. He even uttered the words, “I’m back” to her.Of course, this study alone is by no means tangible proof that coconut oil will work for every patient suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s, but it has encouraged others to start undergoing the treatment as well. Dr. Newport and her husband were featured on numerous news outlets and their story had swept the Internet. From there, other anecdotes were told to back up her claim.Unfortunately, even if thousands of people all did the treatment and it was successful, this isn’t scientific evidence. What needs to be done in order to verify this claim is a double-blind study. This means that a select few patients will receive the actual treatment and others will receive a placebo. Without doing this, the halt in dementia progression could be attributed to the patient’s hope the treatment will work.Though scientific evidence has yet to prove this claim, coconut has been proven beneficial in other health matters. Research has shown that coconut oil increases our good (HDL) cholesterol. Some fear that it could raise it to unhealthy levels, but this has yet to be found.Though we may not be able to officially stop the progression of Alzheimer’s, we do have the science to catch it early on. Patients who receive an annual MRI Las Vegas will be able to detect signs of dying brain tissue almost immediately as it occurs. This allows Las Vegas radiology experts to take steps in stopping progression through means of medication. The professionals at Steinberg Diagnostic will provide quality care and make you feel at ease during the procedure. To schedule an appointment for an MRI Las Vegas at one of their six locations, call 702.732.6000.