Have any of you tried coconut oil for your loved one with dementia?

Why aren't people shouting this from the rooftops?? Why knows or cares about the whys and wherefores. That is a wonderful thing and thank you for sharing.

Here on this board, I will never fail to mention it on any dementia post to which I respond. It is most definitely one of those "can't hurt, might help" ideas. I'm THRILLED for you!!

How do you give it? I can't imagine putting a tablespoon of coconut oil in someone's mouth. That sounds unpleasant.

Yes, I found it helps my mom. Here's how I knew it made some difference anyway. She takes at least 1 sometimes 2 tablespoons a day. In March she had eye surgery and we got off track with her taking it. I should add she takes a few other supplements such as omega 3s. During that time her memory further eroded, her moods and general functioning declined to a point where I had to talk to her every morning to remind her she was at home, wasn't lost, calm her down and walk through starting her day. So I arranged to start her back to taking a least one big tablespoon of the coconut oil and added back the omega 3 and she got better pretty fast. She was at least back to the point of understanding what she needed to do herself in the mornings, like take her blood sugar since she is diabetic and only asked me to confirm her meds and wrote notes herself. Her short term memory is still bad but not as bad as it was when she wasn't taking it. She can still function fairly well given all the problems and her undiagnosed dementia which I'm pretty certain she has. She can still dress, follow her instructions to take meds, prepare meals, wash clothes, etc. I am trying to get in home help a few days a week which I think will help her and my dad for support and increased socialization. If nothing else, it does reduce the caregiver burden so far. I'll take that any day!

Johnjoe, like the poster above she's right we're all gonna die but there is something to how and quality of life in the meantime. Almost three years ago my mom's foot doc said she's very sick and probably not much time left. My heart doc said she has multiple blockages but her walking and nutrition have given her more quality time as she grew new blood vessels around her heart that was giving life and blood to where it's needed. She couldn't believe it and said well it's not her time yet and keep doing what you are for her. Only God knows and when he says it's time, okay it's time. If she were at death's door and not responsive I'm not sure how much effort I would continue at the pace I am doing now, but I would do everything I could to make her life count and be comfortable for however long that is. We don't know the day or hour and when the time comes, in my pain and tears, I'll know I did the best I could for her. It's not to imply you won't or haven't, just saying even until the end when her time is up, I will be okay. If you are at peace with it then I think that's what counts ultimately.

Coconut oil is naturally in a very soft solid form. As soon as it hits your mouth it melts. It is not gross either. Its very bland and can be added to hot tea or anything warm.
My Mom took it for a while. She does not have dimentia but has some memory loss. I need to start having her take it again. My sister inlww's 98 yr old Mom takes it for mouth sores and has noticed a big difference in her memory too.
Since coconut oil is all natural pharmacuetical companies cannot patten it. The doctors knly recommend the drugs as they are taught to do in med school. Only holistic doctors will recommend natural cures.
Olive oil is another good thing to use on the skin. It is a natural exfoliant has vit A and E in it and helps keep moisture in. Great for acne, aging and other skin problems.

Hi. Thank you so much for sharing. I swish my mouth with a teaspoon of coconut oil at least a few times a week and then spit it out in the garbage. This is for healthy gums. Then I brush my teeth or rinse the mouth. My deep pockets in my gums were reduced to half!

For other healthy reasons I cook with coconut oil and do not use vegetable oil at all any more. You can add coconut oil in tea or cofee but it makes your veggies taste great.

I have been recommending and taking Coconut soft gels for over 2 years. As an eldercare advisor I have encouraged everyone to try it. It is cheap and will not hurt you, so see if it helps your brain. Many of us have lower colesterol numbers because of our taking coconut oil. There will never be scientific research for doctors to say yes it works because it is cheap and drug companies cannot make a profit. I know it gives me clarity and creativity. Many with Dementia do improve. How I can tell if it really works? If miss several days of not taking I become very forgetful and cannot organize my thoughts. Interesting thing about it is coconut oil is a good saturated fat that nourish the brain. Remember about 25 years ago when it was decided that saturated fat was bad for us and we should eat lo fat diets. Dementia has been on the rise the past 20 years. Gee, maybe there is a connection. You may regain some of your memory! Take it twice a day for a couple of weeks. I take one with a morning meal and 1 at night with dinner. Sams and Walmart and Vita Cost sell the soft gels. You can purchase it in jars for skin and hair and baking.

I definitely believe coconut oil can be beneficial for brain function, I use it all the time, and at 62 I'm as sharp as I was in my twenties. I get the answers on Jeopardy faster than people half my age. I don't mean to blow my own horn, but there is definitely something to this coconut oil.

What you can do if you don't like taking oil by itself is to put it in some kind of food. You can put oil in something like pasta. I do this with any kind of oil that I take into my diet and I still see benefits.

What all of us who are trying Coconut Oil must remember--it works until it doesn't. As we are all too well aware of, there is no cure for Alzheimer's. But, if it buys us some quality time, that's all we can ask.