Coconut Oil: medicinal and cosmetic uses!

As many of our readers know, my mother was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and believe it or not the doctors suggested that I read up about it on the internet so that I know what I am dealing with though I am not sure I need much educating as all of us know someone with Alzheimer’s. However, whilst researching, I came across this very interesting article in the Daily Mail, about a possible link between taking a dose of coconut oil everyday and an improvement in Alzheimer’s. Coconut oil is an edible oil extracted from the kernel or meat of matured coconuts harvested from the coconut palm. It has various applications in food, medicine, and industry and it was this medicinal use that I was most interested in.

As Professor Clarke explains in the article: ‘Coconut oil contains a lot of a particular sort of fat that our bodies can use to make more of the ketone “brain food”.  Just as diabetics have problems with glucose and insulin, Alzheimer’s patients can’t get enough glucose into brain cells to give them the energy they need to lay down new memories and think.

If you read the article you will see that the theory behind using Coconut Oil is anecdotal and is not supported by any scientific evidence but anything is worth a try! Meanwhile I do understand that scientists are looking into it as the circumstantial evidence is so strong that it should not be ignored.

Then this morning Ellie called me to say that she had been using coconut oil as a body moisturiser as recommended by a friend and it was working brilliantly – “my crepey chest has disappeared!”

So if the coconut oil does not work for my mother I can always smother it on my dry skin!!

Coconut Oil can be bought in store or online at HOLLAND & BARRETT.