COCONUT OIL & ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

1. COCONUT OIL &ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE Ketones as Fuel for Neurons Dr. Mary Newport November 2009 www.coconutketones.com

2. Steve Newport 2009

3. Steve Newport • BSBA in Accounting from Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio • Worked for 9 years as accountant/office manager for mental health centers until 1980 • 1980’s to 2003 - Worked from home for medical practice – accounting, management, billing, while caring for our children • Computer wiz • Loves landscaping, cooking, reading novels, kayaking • Can fix anything, invents tools

4. Onset Of Alzheimer’s Disease Early clues (retrospective): • Grade School: • Couldn’t remember rules of football • “Fired” as altar boy – couldn’t remember flow of the service • Early adult: • Couldn’t catch on to card games • Did not feel he was functioning as well in accounting/ office manager position by late 20’s • 30’s and 40’s • Hoarding – amasses garage full of “stuff”

5. Onset Of Alzheimer’s Disease • Age 50-51: • Frequently forgets appointments even with 30 minute reminders • Often loses wallet and keys • Age 51-52: • Payroll errors • Procrastinates with tax reports • Misses deadlines • Can’t remember going to bank and post office • Misplaces important mail • Psychiatrist believes it is depression rather than dementia - starts anti-depressants and counseling

6. Mild to Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease • Age 56: • Can no longer follow map – gets lost in New Port Richey • Misses turn and ends up in Jacksonville • Can’t remember how to turn on windshield wiper • Confusion at tollbooth • Gives up driving • Stops reading – can’t explain why • Often walks around house and yard with one shoe • No matching pairs of shoes in the house!

7. Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease • Age 57: • Doesn’t recognize some relatives at family reunion – lost and confused • Loses 10 pounds in 3 weeks – no longer preparing meals for himself • Develops intention tremor and problem with keeping food on fork • Develops jaw tremor when talking • Gait becomes slow, can no longer run • Forgets that he “sired” older daughter • Personality and sense of humor fading • Takes lawn tractor and vacuum cleaner apart • difficulty spelling simple written words, such as “out” and “put,” and trouble recalling many common words when speaking

8. Clinical Trials • Age 58 (May 2008): • Participates in ADRC annual evaluation and screens for vaccine trial at Johnnie Byrd • MRI: “Diffuse involutional change of frontal and parietal lobes and moderate left-sided and severe right-sided amygdala and hippocampal atrophy with no ischemic change, which would support a clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.” • Scores only 12 of 30 on MMSE • Doesn’t qualify for study – told to try again in a couple of weeks

9. Clinical Trials • Scheduled for screenings for 2 different clinical trials May 20 and 21, 2008 • Late night internet research “risks and benefits” • Learn about Accera product, Ketasyn, now called Axona – read patent application • Active ingredient is medium chain triglyceride oil – derived from coconut oil • 47% in pilot study had significant improvement in memory (ADAS-COG,) the rest declined minimally

10. Glucose as Energy • Glucose is the usual source of energy for neurons (brain cells).

11. Glucose as Energy • In certain diseases, neurons and/or other brain and nerve cells have a problem with transporting glucose into the cell and essentially starve and die.

12. “Diabetes of the Brain”

13. PET SCANS FOR GLUCOSE UPTAKE NORMAL BRAIN ALZHEIMER’S BRAIN

14. ALZHEIMER’S VS. NORMAL BRAIN

15. Medium chain triglycerides converted in liver to Ketones

16. Ketone Bodies

17. Ketones: Metabolism’s Ugly Duckling Theodore B. VanItallie, M.D., and Thomas H. Nufert, B.A. Nutrition Reviews , Vol. 61, No. 10

18. KETONES AS FUEL Ketones can be taken up by neurons that cannot use glucose

19. KETONES CONVERT TO ENERGY IN NEURON = +

20. Neuron Can Function And Stay Alive

21. Diagram from: Parkinson disease: primacy of age as a risk factor for mitochondrial dysfunction Theodore B. VanItallie, Metabolism Clinical and Experimental 57 (Suppl 2) (2008) S50–S55

22. Normal neurons can use glucose or ketones but usually use glucose if available

23. For neurons that cannot use glucose, Ketones can serve as an “alternate fuel.”

24. DAY BEFORE COCONUT OIL INTERVENTION • Steve screens for clinical trial in St. Pete • Scores only 14 of 30 on MMSE, needs 16 to qualify • Doctor asks him to draw a clock – consistent with moderately severe Alzheimer’s • We pick up coconut oil on the way home • More internet research, learn about medium chain triglycerides, ketones

25. HOW MUCH? Coconut Oil is 60% MCT oil 4 teaspoons MCT Oilor7 teaspoons Coconut oilprovide same amount of medium chain triglycerides

26. 1st DAY OF COCONUT OIL INTERVENTION • Receives at least 35 grams coconut oil with breakfast • Screens at Johnnie Byrd Center for vaccine clinical trial • Scores 18 of 30 on MMSE • Qualifies for study

27. First Days after Coconut Oil Intervention • Begins daily consumption of coconut oil • Measured dose at breakfast, cooking and other coconut containing foods for dinner • More alert - Personality and sense of humor resurface • Steve says the “light switch came back on” and the “fog lifted” • Facial tremor disappears • Intention tremor infrequent

28. 14 Days After Starting Coconut Oil

29. 37 Days After Starting Coconut Oil

30. Steve’s Clocks DAY BEFORE COCONUT OIL 14 DAYS ON COCONUT OIL 37 DAYS ON COCONUT OIL

31. More Research • Ketones, medium chain triglycerides, fatty acids, coconut oil • Dr. Richard Veech/NIH – Ketone expert • Ketone ester (beta-hydroxybutyrate) • Suggested ketone levels

32. Ketone Ester Dr. Richard Veech – NIH-Rockville, MD • Became interested in studying ketones in early 1990’s • Developed an ester of ketone body beta-hydroxybutyrate – oral or IV • Can achieve levels comparable to starvation – 10 x coconut oil or MCT oil levels • No adverse effects in recent human toxicity testing • Needs funding to mass produce for testing in AD and other diseases

33. 35 grams (7 teaspoons) coconut oil with breakfast and with dinner

34. 20 grams (4 teaspoons) medium chain triglyceride oil (C:8)

35. Expanded Coconut Oil Intake • As a result of levels with coconut oil also used measured amounts at lunch and dinner • Mixing coconut oil and MCT oil • Substituting foods with MCTs for others: • Goat’s milk and cheese for cow’s milk and cheese • Coconut milk for other liquids in cooking

36. Between 2 - 4 months after Intervention • Visual disturbance resolves • Normalization of gait – able to run again • Completes household and gardening tasks with minimal to no supervision and without distraction • Wears both shoes and keeps pairs together • His ability to initiate and continue a course of conversation improves • Recognizes family members that he couldn’t recall one year earlier • Family says he no longer looks lost, conversation makes sense

37. Between 4 -10 Months After Intervention • Conversational skills continue to improve • Reading comprehension improves • Short term and recent memory improves • Stops having episodes of near syncope • No longer depressed – Says, “I have my life back.” • Wants to do more with his life - volunteers in hospital warehouse • Vacuums, cuts grass and weeds gardens again (instead of taking equipment apart!)

38. Getting the Message Out • Family confirms Steve has improved • Article: “What If There Was a Cure for Alzheimer’s Disease and No One Knew?” July 2008 • Sent letters to high profile persons to investigate MCT oil studies and make public aware • Chicago ICAD conference • Grass roots method/internet • St Petersburg Times article October 2008 • Website: www.coconutketones.com • Legislators March 2009

39. Alzheimer’s disease Parkinson’s disease Multiple sclerosis Huntington’s chorea ALS/Lou Gehrig’s disease Duchenne muscular dystrophy Some forms of autism Down’s syndrome –develop Alzheimer’s disease by ages 30-40 Acute brain injury, accompanied by lack of oxygen Type I and Type II diabetes Diseases With Decreased Glucose Uptake into Brain/Nerve Cells

41. Other Reported Improvements • Parkinson’s disease • Multiple sclerosis • Improved blood sugars in type II diabetes • Down’s syndrome • Bipolar disorder • Glaucoma • Macular degeneration • Cognition in elderly dog

42. Foods with Short and Medium Chain Fatty Acids • Fats/Oils: • Coconut oil 59% • Palm Kernel Oil 54% • Babassu Oil 55% (Amazon palm) • Ucuhuba butter 13% (Amazon tree seed) • Butter 11.5% • Nutmeg Butter 3.1% • Sheanut Oil 1.7%

43. Foods with Short and Medium Chain Fatty Acids • Per 8 ounces: • Goat Milk 1.7 grams • Whole Cow Milk 0.9 grams • Human breast milk 0.78 grams • Infant formula 1.0 grams • Cottage Cheese 0.64 grams

44. Foods with Short and Medium Chain Fatty Acids • Per ounce: • Goat cheese 2.0 grams • Feta cheese 1.4 grams • Cream cheese 0.96 grams • American cheese 0.85 grams • Mozarella 0.78 grams

45. Newborns and Ketones • Newborn develops “ketosis” at onset of breastfeeding • Ketones provide 25% of energy requirements during first weeks of life • Even with equivalent amount MCTs in formula, same degree of “ketosis” doesn’t occur – missing factor?

46. Newborn MCFAs Equivalent in Adult • 10 pound breastfeeding baby gets about 3.12 grams MCFAs per quart breast milk = • 47 grams MCFAs for 150 pound adult = • 5.5 tablespoons of coconut oil

47. Coconut Oil Equivalents • Coconut oil - 1 tablespoon = • Coconut Milk (undiluted) – 4 ½ tablespoons • Coconut meat – 2” x 2” x ½” piece • Coconut grated – 1/3 cup • Coconut oil capsules (1 gm) – 14 capsules

48. Use only NON-HYDROGENATED Coconut Oil

49. START SLOW • Common effect – Diarrhea • Begin with 1 teaspoon and increase slowly • Start on a day when you don’t have to go somewhere immediately! • Take with other food • Can take it slowly during meal over 20-30 minutes • Some foods may help retain oil – cottage cheese • Try grated coconut or coconut milk as alternative for part of “dose”

50. Food Ideas • Use coconut oil instead of butter on toast, English muffins, bagels, grits, corn on the cob, potatoes or sweet potatoes. • Add coconut oil or coconut milk to your favorite smoothie recipe. • Mix coconut oil into: • Oatmeal or other hot cereal. • Rice, vegetables, noodles, pasta. • Half and half with salad dressings. • Soup, chili or spaghetti sauce.