Lunch and Learn Lecture Series

The Benefits of Coconut Oil

Presented by Shannon Hendrix-Buxton, MA

What is Coconut Oil?

•  Coconut flesh (obtained from the inside of the coconut) is the “fruit” of the palm tree

•  The oil of the nut (fruit) is used to make a variety of different products

“Virgin” vs. “Cold-Pressed” •  There is no industry standard

for “virgin” coconut oil –  Generally, this means the oil is

unprocessed (i.e., bleached, deodorized, or refined)

•  Cold-pressed coconut oil is obtained by extracting the oil from the nut in a manner that does not exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit

General Uses for Coconut Oil •  Enter “uses for coconut oil” in to any internet search

engine and you’ll probably find at least 50 websites describing different ways to use this magical oil

•  Are they are all scientifically proven? –  No

•  Do they all have their merits? –  Possibly…but do your research!

•  Keep in mind that MOST uses of coconut oil are in-home remedies and may need some personalized tweaking

Use #1: Conditioning Agent for Skin/Hair

•  Dry skin –  Mix a bit of coconut oil with your regular moisturizer, or simply

rub a bit a raw coconut oil on your skin •  Leave-in hair conditioner

–  Rub a small amount (about the size of a pea of bean) through the ends of your hair while its damp

•  Make-up remover/facial cleanser –  Rub coconut oil gently over skin for about a minute, or until all

make-up is removed. –  Run a washcloth under hot water (but not so hot that it will burn

your skin), wring out the washcloth, then place the washcloth over your entire face until the cloth becomes cool

–  Gently wipe away the coconut oil. No need to moisturize!

Use #2: Other Body Care

•  Heal chapped lips •  Heal open acne wounds/reduce scarring

–  At night, place a bit of coconut oil on the healing skin and cover with a bandage. Repeat until healed.

•  Eye cream/prevent wrinkles/premature aging –  Replace your expensive eye cream with coconut oil (at least at

night) •  Make a body scrub

–  Mix together one cup of brown sugar and ½ cup of coconut oil. Scrub over skin while standing in shower, and rinse (no weird residue!)

•  Use as a shaving cream or aftershave lotion •  Use as toothpaste

–  Mix a teaspoon of coconut oil with baking soda and scrub away

Use #3: Insect repellent

•  Mix 2 tablespoons of coconut oil with 10-25 drops of lemon eucalyptus, regular eucalyptus, or citronella oil

•  Is it as good as Deet products? Probably not, so use your best judgment!

Use #4: Cooking/Baking/Frying

•  Use coconut oil as a substitute for shortening, butter, other oils

•  Add it to sweet beverages (like hot chocolate or smoothies)

•  Coconut oil has a higher smoke point, making it a good choice for frying foods (if you must)

Use #5 Improve Healing From Injury/Trauma

•  Speed recovery time –  Applying a thin layer of coconut oil helps speed the

recovery process and reduce scaring (attributed to the anti-inflammatory properties of coconut oil)

•  Cuts •  Scrapes •  Burns (1st degree) •  Sunburns •  Bee/wasp stings

Use #6 Industrial/Home Uses

•  Use as a leather softener •  Condition wood cutting boards

–  Simply rub a bit on dry wood and let it sit until dry

•  Remove chewing gum from hair, carpet, clothing, or shoes

•  Remove grease/oil from hands –  Rub a tablespoon of coconut oil over your hands for 1-2 minutes,

then washing your hands regularly with soap and water

•  Use as a lubricant for hinges

Why is coconut oil so unique?

•  What gives coconut oil these unique properties? •  Let’s start with a basic review of “FATS” •  Fats are found in vegetable oils , meats, and

dairy products •  The types of fat you typically hear about are:

–  Unsaturated –  Saturated –  Transfats

A Brief Comparison of Saturated and Unsaturated Fats

Saturated Fats Unsaturated Fats

Type of chemical bond Single bond At least 1 double bond

Recommended consumption Not more than 10% of total daily calories

Not more than 30% of total daily calories

Health effects

Excessive consumption linked with atherosclerosis and heart disease

Considered good to eat if you are watching your cholesterol; high in antioxidants

Cholesterol Increase LDL (bad) Increase HDL (good)

Commonly found in

Butter, coconut oil*, peanut butter, fried foods, frozen dinners, whole milk, meat

Avocado, soybean oil, canola, olive oil, fish oil, walnuts, flaxseed

Melting point High Low

Physical state at room temp Solid Liquid

*Just wait for more information!

What are fatty acids? •  All fatty acids are made of

a glycerol molecule and 3 fatty acid chains

•  Saturated fats, unsaturated fats, and transfats differ in structure due to differences in their chemical bonding

•  More compact & rigid •  Solid at room temp •  Produced by animals

(mostly)

•  “Kinked” because of the double bonds (take up more space)

•  Less compact •  Liquid at room temp •  Produced by plants

and fish •  Can be in “cis” or “trans” configuration

Unsaturated bonds can be in Cis- or Trans- configurations

Saturated  

Cis-­‐unsaturated    (the  same  side)  

Trans-­‐unsaturated    (across)  

All natural unsaturated fatty acids are in cis-configuration.

Cis-unsaturated (the same side)

Trans-unsaturated (across)

•  Our bodies produce enzymes (aka., proteins) that naturally break down the double carbon bond in fatty acids that are in the cis configuration; this means that cis-unsaturated fatty acids can be metabolized

•  Trans-unsaturated fatty acids are not found in nature, therefore, our bodies have no enzymes that can break these double bonds; this means they are NOT metabolized

Generally speaking… •  Saturated fatty acids increase

levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and clog arteries –  This occurs because of their “stacked” structure

•  Unsaturated fatty acids increase levels of HDL (good) cholesterol by removing LDL from the body and taking it to the liver to be broken down –  Mono = one double bond –  Poly = multiple double bonds

•  But if coconut oil is a saturated fat…then how could it be healthy?

Why all the fuss? •  Unlike most other saturated fats, coconut oil is made

of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs; 8-10 carbons in their fatty acid chains)

•  Other oils, like olive oil, are made of long chain triglycerides (LCTs; 16-18 carbons in their fatty acid chains)

•  Because of this difference in molecular structure, MCTs work differently in our body

Major Differences for MCTs

•  Compared to LCTs, MCTs are smaller and more water soluble, which means they are – Metabolized more rapidly – Used as an energy source in muscles at a rate

2-3 times faster – Can diffuse into the cerebrospinal fluid* – Are thought to enter the mitochondria of our cells

(mitochondria = energy center of cell) through a different mechanism

*Important implication for Alzheimer’s disease

Empirical Evidence

•  A 27-day study comparing the consumption of MCT oil vs. LCT in obese women found that women with a high MCT diet had greater levels of energy expenditure and fat oxidation compared to those with a high LCT diet – Researchers concluded that substitution of MCT

for LCT in a targeted energy balance diet may prevent long term weight gain

St. Onge (2003)

Empirical Evidence (cont’d)

•  A 12-week, double-blind, controlled study comparing two groups who consumed: –  2100 – 2400 calories per day, 65-73g of fat, and 5g per

day of MCT or LCT margarine –  The group using MCT margarine had significantly lower

body weight (including subcutaneous and visceral fat), but had no differences in other blood measures (e.g., total cholesterol, glucose)

–  Researchers concluded that substitution of MCT for LCT in a targeted energy balance diet may prevent long term weight gain Nosaka(2003)

MCT and Alzheimer’s Disease

•  How is this related to Alzheimer’s Disease?

Alzheimer’s disease •  Most common form of dementia (60-70% of dementia cases) •  Most common neurological disorder in older adults •  Senile dementia of Alzheimer type •  Alois Alzheimer (1864-1915)

•  Associated with decline of neurons in

the cerebral cortex – Neuritic plaques (ß-amyloid) – Neurofibrillary tangles (Tau)

•  Hippocampus (why learning and memory are affected)

Alzheimer’s is “Type 3 Diabetes” Explosion of research into the relationship between AD and

brain glucose metabolism in 1990’s and beyond. De la Monte and Wands (2005) looked at brains of persons

with advanced AD who did not have type 1 or 2 diabetes: •  Levels of insulin and factors related to making and using insulin

are greatly reduced. •  All of the signalling pathways involved in the use of energy are

abnormal. •  The functioning of mitochondria is abnormal. •  Coined term “type 3 diabetes” to describe insulin deficiency and

insulin resistance in AD brain

FDG-PET scans show decreased glucose uptake

NORMAL BRAIN ALZHEIMER’S BRAIN

Alzheimer’s disease – Type III diabetes?

•  Neuritic plaques build up between neurons. –  Causes disrupted communication between the neurons –  Also triggers the immune system which then attacks the neurons

•  Tau helps transport food molecules, cell parts, and other items back and forth in the neuron.

–  Tau protein collapses into twisted stands (causing the Neurofibrillary tangles) and the transport tracks can no longer transport needed items throughout the neuron (like oxygen!)

•  In AD neurons don’t properly metabolize glucose: tend to starve and die! –  Glucose is the primary and preferred fuel for most cells, including brain!

Alternative Fuels for AD •  Humans are programmed by evolution to switch to use of

alternative fuels during starvation when glucose stores have been used up –  Amino acids (Gluconeogenesis) –  Fatty acids –  Ketones (starvation) –  Lactate

•  Supplying an alternative fuel could bypass problem of insulin deficiency and insulin resistance in AD brain –  Coconut oil or other medium-chain-tricylercide oil –  Mild ketosis produced by conversion of medium chain fatty acids to

ketones in liver may be adequate to produce cognitive improvement in insulin resistant Alzheimer’s brain

Diseases With Decreased Glucose Uptake into Brain/Nerve Cells

•  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 in middle age)

•  Acute brain injury, accompanied by lack of oxygen

•  Type I and Type II diabetes

Summary of MCT Therapy for AD * Previous studies using 20 grams of MCT oil have shown improved cognition in nearly half of people with probable Alzheimer’s type dementia and mild cognitive disorder (Reger, 2004; Henderson, 2009).

Similar improvement may occur using an equivalent amount of medium chain fatty acids as coconut oil, more widely available to world populations.

Clinical trials should be conducted to confirm whether coconut oil may be useful in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders that involve decreased glucose uptake. http://health.usf.edu/NR/rdonlyres/869C1700-2471-4BFE-A488-1639B26792CF/45683/CoconutOilStudyFlyer62013.pdf

Clinical Trial at Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute

•  Clinical trail at the Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute at the University of South Florida (one of many current clinical trials)

•  Results TBD!

Sounds Like Great Stuff!

•  What can I do to incorporate it in my diet? –  Remember, all fats should be consumed in

moderation (1tbsp coconut oil = ~100 kcal)! –  Use coconut oil (or MCT oil) instead of your current oil

for cooking –  Add a tablespoon of coconut oil or MCT oil to

smoothies, yogurts, oatmeal, or take a tablespoon just like you would cough medicine.

–  Supplements ARE available, but read the concentration carefully

Foods with Medium Chain FAs

•  Coconut oil is made of ~57-60% MCTs, which equals 8.5 grams MCTs per tablespoon.

•  The following coconut foods contain the equivalent of 1 tablespoon of coconut oil: •  Coconut milk (undiluted): 4½ tablespoons •  Coconut meat: 2-inch x 2-inch x ½-inch piece •  Coconut grated: 1/3 cup •  Coconut oil capsules (1 gram): 14 capsules

Other Foods with Medium Chain FAs

Food Grams Palm kernel oil   8 gm per 15 ml  Goat butter   2.4 gm per 15 ml  Cow butter   1.6 gm per 15 ml  Goat milk   1.7 gm per 240 ml  Infant formula   1 gm per 240 ml  Cow milk (full fat)   0.9 gm per 240 ml  Human breast milk   0.78 gm per 240 ml  Goat cheese   2 gm per ounce  Feta cheese   1.4 gm per ounce  Heavy cream   1.3 gm per ounce  American cheese   0.78 gm per ounce  

According  to  USDA  Na7onal  Nutrient  Database  (www.ars.usda.gov/nutrientdata  )   Available  on  Amazon.com  

Fats with No MCTs • Canola oil • Cod liver oil • Corn oil • Fish oil • Flaxseed oil • Margarine • Olive oil • Peanut oil • Sunflower oil • Soybean oil

References De la Monte SM, JR Wands. (2005). Review of insulin and insulin-like growth factor expression, signaling, and malfunction in the central nervous system: Relevance to Alzheimer’s disease. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 7. 45-61 Jiang, Z. et al. (1993). A comparison of medium-chain and long-chain triglycerides in surgical patients. Annals of Surgery, 217(2). 175-184. St.Onge, MP et al. (2003). Medium- versus long-chain triglycerides for 27 days increases fat oxidation and energy expenditure without resulting in changes in body composition in overweight women. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, 27(1). 95-102. Reger MA, ST Henderson, et al. (2004). Effects of b-Hydroxybutyrate on cognition in memory-impaired adults. Neurobiology of Aging, 25. 311-314 Henderson, S. et al., (2009). Study of the ketogenic agent AC-1202 in mild tomModerate Alzheimer's disease: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial. Nutrition and Metabolism, 31(6). 1-25.

Lunch and Learn Lecture Series

Questions? Email

shendrix-buxton@nifs.org

The slides and recording for this webinar will be available on the Health YOUniversity website: http://s52794.gridserver.com/wellpoint-hyou/