Coconut Oil — Is it the Cure to Alzheimer’s?
The reason why I made Coconut Oil part of my diet.
My Biggest Fear
I think I have always been worried about developing Alzheimer’s someday.
I was so obsessed with this incurable disease, I even chose to write about it in my research paper in college English class.
At such a young age, I was already worried about forgetting about my loved ones someday and living in a world where nothing makes sense and where you live in a sense of constant confusion.
I wasn’t worried about forgetting everything and having to start over. I was worried about being confused in an irrational world and being constantly paranoid.
I was worried about being lonely in my own head while surrounded by my sad loved ones who are as confused as I am.
I was worried about being already dead while I was still alive.
My Own Experience With Confusion
I am not sure what started my obsession with Alzheimer’s disease.
I didn’t have anybody in my family being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
However, growing up, I was raised by a paranoid grandmother who constantly thought the world was against her and that her loved ones weren’t who they were. She was a very strong woman who grew up in tough situations and had been betrayed many times by the people she crossed paths with in life.
Despite all her accomplishments and amazing survival skills, she developed this defense mechanism, where she made the lives of people near her a living hell. She lived with imaginary threats, such as family members being potential threats to her, where she would imagine the worse outcomes of situations, irrelevant of what was presently happening.
So maybe she didn’t have Alzheimer’s but you could tell she wasn’t being present with us at those moments. She wasn’t processing the actual information from her environment about potential threats. She was filling in the blanks to make sense of things based on her perception of the world.
Growing up with her and living with that constant paranoia, I think I subconsciously wowed myself to never go through that again.
I wanted to give myself the best future with my loved ones.
That’s when I came across Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s and Confusion
When I first heard about Alzheimer’s disease and the confusion it causes to the patients, I looked up the symptoms and ways to prevent or cure it. I wanted to understand what causes someone to have Alzheimer’s disease, so I could reduce my risk of developing it someday. Unfortunately, there was no clear cure for this disease and it wasn’t clear what caused it aside from genetics playing an effect.
However, there were steps you could take to make sure you could live a healthy life. Such as exercise and following a healthy diet.
I decided to follow a diverse diet and exercise plan over the years. Then, I came across a video on YouTube about the benefits of adding a tablespoon of coconut oil during an Alzheimer’s beta study.
This is when I fell in love with Coconut Oil…
Why Coconut Oil?
Benefits of Coconut Oil Consumption
- Anti-Bacterial — coconut oil contains lauric acid, which kills viruses, bacteria and fungi, thereby preventing external infections.
- Stress Reduction — pure coconut oil has antioxidant properties that are effective in stress reduction.
- Promotes Heart Health — coconut oil is rich in natural saturated fats that enhances healthy cholesterol (HDL) in your body, which reduces the risk of heart disease.
- Helps in Balancing Hormones — lauric acid in coconut oil assists in maintaining an essential balance of hormones in the body.
- Good Skin and Hair — coconut oil has moisturizing properties, which makes it great for massaging into your skin and scalp. Fatty acids in the coconut oil also reduce inflammation, which in return helps reduce eczema symptoms. It also makes a great natural conditioner for your hair.
- Improves Oral Health and Wound Healing — swishing coconut oil around the mouth can kill bacteria and prevent one from acquiring periodontal disease because the virgin coconut oil has powerful antioxidants that promote wound healing.
- Reduces Abdominal Fats — although coconut oil contains saturated fat, it contains medium-chain triglycerides (MTCs), which are vital in reducing weight by helping the body burn more calories.
- Hunger Reduction — fats in coconut oil are metabolized to produce ketones which have been shown to reduce one’s appetite.
- Boosts Brain Function — dementia reduces the ability of the brain to consume glucose, where ketones can function as alternative energy sources when brain cells malfunction. Coconut oil has MTCs that can increase ketones in the blood and help relieve Alzheimer’s symptoms.
- Reduces Seizures — a ketogenic diet is mainly high in fats and low in carbs. Research has shown that ketones produced during fat metabolism can reduce seizures in drug-resistant epilepsy in kids.
- Treats Inflammation and Arthritis — high levels of antioxidants in coconut oil are effective in reducing inflammation and healing arthritis. Consuming an anti-inflammatory diet is the most natural way to heal your gut, improve overall functions of the digestive system and slow down the signs of aging.
Conclusion
I don’t know if I will ever develop Alzheimer’s disease.
I don’t even know my odds.
I am already confused about life as it is.
All I want is to live a healthy and socially fulfilled life surrounded by my loved ones, friends and family alike. That is why I focus on my diet and exercise.
Diversity in my diet is very important to me. And after reading about the benefits of coconut oil, I am glad I included it in my daily diet.
It is definitely a small step towards a bigger goal, with lots of benefits packed in a spoonful.
Every morning, I add a tablespoon of coconut oil to my coffee, along with a splash of 2% and some honey for taste. I can already feel the energy and it definitely helps keep me full most of the day so I don’t need to feel the need to snack or overeat.
I have been doing this for a week now and I already feel amazing.
You deserve to feel amazing too.
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