Just One Serving Of This Simple Ingredient Will Boost Your Brain Power!
A groundbreaking study published in the Journal Neurobiology of Aging, Medium Chain Triglycerides, the primary fat found in coconut oil, has been found to boost a person’s cognitive performance, particularly in older adults who suffer Alzheimer’s. They found that a single 40 mL dose was enough to make a remarkable difference.
This study was small but insightful. It studied 20 subjects with mild congenital impairment. They were given emulsified MCT’s or a placebo on separate days. The researchers observed significant increase in blood plasma levels and beta-hydroxylutyrate, a ketone. according to the study: “Higher ketone values were associated with greater improvement in paragraph recall with MCT treatment relative to placebo across all subjects.”
The study was conducted with a double-blind placebo-controlled design with two study visits. During each visit, subjects received one of two isocaloric conditions, 690 cal, in a randomized order: emulsified MCT’s, or emulsified long chain triglycerides as a placebo. NeoBee (Stepan, Inc) was used for MCT’s. To increase palatability, heavy whipping cream was used as a source of long chain triglycerides and as a source of long chain mono- and di- glycerides. MCT’s, 40 mL, were blended with 152 mL of heavy whipping cream to create the emulsified test sample. Heavy whipping cream alone, 232 mL, was blended to create the placebo.
Subjects fasted from 8 PM on the night prior to the study visit. They arrived in the morning and blood was drawn to determine plasma levels and APOE genotyping. Subjects then consumed the test beverage and rested quietly for 90 minutes, after which blood was drawn and a 30 minute cognitive testing session ensued. After testing, a final blood draw was taken.
So what’s the deal with MCT’s? Aren’t fats bad for us? Not exactly, and MCT’s aren’t like most of the facts we consume. They are smaller and are not stored as adipose tissue, where most fats are. They are oxidized by the liver and in high enough quantities are able to increase the quality of ketones in the body. You can take a supplement if you can stand eating coconut oil, or you can incorporate it into foods that you would otherwise use other vegetable oils to cook.