A new reason to love Coconut, your brain will thank you.

I saved this article to blog about and then forgot about it.  :)  By Heather Pratt, CNT posted in the Natural Grocers ad in the Gazette.

When you consider the things you are most thankful for, do you put your brain health on the top of the list?  Not many of us probably would, but the truth of the matter is that without a healthy brain, all of those other things you might be thankful for don't matter a whole lot.  Brain impairment can range from simple absent-mindedness (Where are those car keys?), to full on inability to function normally.  Protecting and preserving your brain has been and continues to be the holy grail of aging gracefully and now new research is showing that the fats found in coconut may be one of the best tools we have to help our brains age gracefully.

Coconut has been making waves for some time now because of all of its health benefits.  We know that coconut supports immune system function by helping the body to defend itself against a slew of viruses and bacteria.  It supports overall health and function by helping to protect the fats in the body from oxidation.  It supports thyroid function.  And it may even support weight loss and athletic performance.  But its greatest role is only now being fully researched as new evidence shows us how it supports brain function, keeping it healthy and thriving into our golden years.

Coconut is rich in saturated fats with the majority of those being Medium Chain Triglycerides or MCTs (sometimes referred to as Medium Chain Fatty Acids), and nearly every health benefit we attribute to coconut comes from these fats.  As the liver converts MCTs to energy it also produces compounds called ketones, which are the key to coconut's brain health benefits.  Ketones are special high-energy fuel produced specifically to fuel the brain, that helps brain cells thrive and appears to even restore normal to near normal function in failing ones.  Ketones have long been researched and recognized for their brain benefits, but in order to achieve a state where the brain could have access to more ketones, a very strict low-carbohydrate diet (or a ketogenic diet) had to be used.  Researchers have started looking at the possible effects of ketones from MCTs on many brain disorders, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, ALS, Huntington's disease, traumatic brain injury and stokes; and the initial research look promising.

Our understanding of how MCTs might positively effect brain health is just in its infancy, but it is off to a running start!  to test if the MCTs from coconut might make a difference aim to get about 35 grams of fat from coconut oil daily, and remember that the most drastic changes are more likely to come in conjunction with other dietary changes that protect the brain such as increasing veggies and decreasing processed foods. Protecting and caring for your brain is probably the best retirement investment you can make so start now and you'll be thankful you did.

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