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

After oil pulling whenever I thought of it: a few times a week: more if there was any mouth trouble, buying a Sonic Care toothbrush, eating healthy, I went to the dentist and the deep pockets I used to have were reduced by 50%! It's worth it!!

I apologize my post above has errors - too bad there wasn't an edit function.

The poster just above me is doing what's called oil pulling. I try to do it. When I do to the dentist after doing oil pulling for 1 couple of weeks they have nothing to clean off my teeth. I give coconut oil to my dogs - why am I so daft as not to give it to my husband with dementia - duh! I'm on it!

bookluvr..... oh, I know what you mean... but the tasteless coconut oil is not the better unrefined and virgin oil so won't work as well if at all for oil pulling. I have decided I can get used to anything given enough time.

Judda, sorry, iPad changed your name...

JudeA, I read about using coconut oil to swish the mouth just yesterday. I was planning to just buy a small jar of it. I can't stand the taste of coconut. I love coconut candy. I love grated coconut in my chicken 'salad ' or on top of my chocolate donuts. Other than that, I don't like it, my stomach doesn't like it. I want a small jar of it just in case I hate the taste.

PS: I buy a jar of coconut oil: don't put in refrigerator or you end up with a block. Room temperature is perfect. I take about a cup and put it into a small jar and put that in the bathroom. I use the little jar for oiling my body, any sores, to put shine and health into my brittle hair, put on my face, and I use a teaspoon in my mouth for "oil pulling" swish for 15 minutes, spit out and rinse mouth well. Watch your gum and tooth decay come back to health! Thank God for that coconut plant!!!

Tons of great articles on coconut oil. Here's a great one with a summary of everything you can think of on the subject. Slip a teaspoon of coconut oil in whatever you LO drinks three times a day. That's my take, but here's more. Cut and paste the this link. Best wishes. Your doctor and his drug companies probably won't be interested. No money in it for them.healthimpactnews/2014/new-alzheimers-drugs-continue-to-fail-where-coconut-oil-shines/

One thing I would like to know is could I ask the Doctor to give her Coconut Oil in pill form (so long as it's virgin, unrefined....)? Mom's in a nursing home and thought this would be a good idea. I'm sure I can just ask and see...

There is a book out called If Alzheimers Could Be Cured and it is all about using coconut oil. I enjoyed the book. Anytime possible I buy used books on amazon and save myself some money. I don't care if someone else has read it, it's not different from a library book.

i'm so glad i saved this in my inbox since July! i've ordered it from amazon and cannot wait to try it for Mom, recently dx'd with memory impairment/dementia and is on Namenda. Based on the reviews, i'm going to start taking it for cholesterol and thyroid. Thank you!!!

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.

I might have already mentioned this but my Mom loves ice cream & I found by accident that mixing a little coconut oil with some cocoa powder & a tiny amount of sugar will solidify into a really nice "Magic Shell" type topping for ice cream. I like dark, bitter chocolate so I use coconut oil, Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder & leave the sugar out. The bitter chocolate drizzled over cuts the sweetness of the ice cream & is very tasty.

I wish I would have known to try this. I would have given anything to have a little more time with my mom who passed away from Alzheimer's. I know people who drink this everyday in a cup of cocoa which they say is delicious so for you out there looking for a way to give it to a family member you might want to try that or cookies are great too. Coconut oil has had so many positive results on so many things, just try it!!!

I gave my Mom coconut oil every day. It seemed to help for awhile. She didn't get a lot better but her confusion did seem to clear some and we could communicate better. For her, I made Smoothies. I would melt the coconut oil first, not in the microwave, because in a liquid state it mixed a lot better. I used fresh fruit, coconut milk or almond milk, yougurt and whatever else I thought would make it tasty for her. I would make a full pitcher in juicer, then pour daily helpings in individual freezer containers so all we had to do was thaw one for her daily. You do need to do some figuring on how much oil to use. It depends on the size freezer cups you use. I made 1 C servings and a full batch made 12 so that equaled 24 tablespoons of oil at 2 T per serving. You must use good coconut oil. Virgin, unrefined, cold-pressed is supposed to be the best. It is not cheap but if you have a Trader Joes nearby, they have their brand at a good price. We did start out with a tablespoon at first to make sure her digestive tract could handle it and she tolerated it well. Unfortunately, my Dad and my sister passed away recently and I couldn't take care of her alone. She is now in a nursing home and does not get the oil. She has declined rapidly but she is safe and well taken care. I am still struggling with not beating myself up for having to put her in a home, but I knew I couldn't keep her safe on my own.

The book, "Alzheimers Disease - What if there was a cure?" by Mary Newport talks about how coconut oil helped her husband. The reason is because coconut oil has medium chain triglycerides (MCT) which give the brain clean fuel to burn. There are MCT oils in the market that taste much better than coconut oil. I personally hide coconut oil in my morning coffee. I find that I am sharper during the day. It helps to be consistent with it, and I change it up sometimes with coconut milk in coffee as well. I also use it on my face. It is quite luxurious! I purchase a large jar from Costco, as it can be more expensive if you purchase it from a health food store. Best of luck to you!

I found this description of cold-pressed coconut oil, which indicates that cold-pressed coconut oil is not refined:

"The brown, hairy fruit of the coconut palm tree, coconut has a hard shell covering the white nutmeat inside, which is very rich in fat. Some coconut oil products are labeled "cold pressed." During cold pressing, the oil from the coconut meat is mechanically pressed at temperatures not exceeding 120 degrees Fahrenheit, to preserve its healthful benefits. Pure cold-pressed coconut oil is also not refined, processed or deodorized. Coconut oil has been found to be effective in weight loss and cardiovascular disease, and as an antimicrobial agent, among its many other health benefits."

Source:
healthyeating.sfgate/benefits-pure-coldpressed-coconut-oil-7169.html

What is the extra virgin cold-pressed coconut oil that says it is certified? I hope certified still means unrefined? I did not see the word "unrefined" anywhere on the jar, so I'm guessing I'm okay if it's extra-virgin?

+JTChan , good information!
Just buyer-beware. I've tried many brands of cold-processed, organic virgin coconut oil [and other oils]. Some formerly good companies have become cavalier about the quality of their products.
FDA allows wide range of processing temperatures to qualify as "cold processed"...including up to temps that can scorch the oil.
Spectrum Naturals Company does that. I contacted them to let them know something seemed wrong with their processing, causing it to smell like burnt plastic, it became clear that company didn't care what it tasted like, didn't care if it was scorched.
Virgin coconut oil should smell like coconuts.
IF there is No aroma, it's been heat-processed and filtered to remove the aroma--leaving it as "bomb-shelter" food, and will be cheaper to buy--the actual food-value is ruined.
IF there's a scorched smell, it's been heat-processed, even if it claims cold-processed on the label, also ruining food value.
Check sales for virgin organic coconut oil to find best deals; stick with brands that have consistent quality. It's definitely worth it!

Read this article "Coconut Oil for Alzheimer’s: Miracle Cure or Misguided Myth?"
https://www.agingcare.com/articles/coconut-oil-and-alzheimers-157103.htm

Please note the following:

1) coconut oil: refined and unrefined coconut oil
Refined oils are cheaper, usually from dried (not fresh) meats or kernel of coconuts. It also goes through a number of levels of processing.
Unrefined coconut oil is normally considered virgin. Virgin oil is typically made from fresh coconuts.
Advantage: Virgin (unrefined) but price is higher.

2) Processing Method: (Expeller Pressed or Cold Pressed)
Expeller-pressed is a process that extracts oil from dried coconuts, at high pressure and heat. Usually is for refined coconut oil.
Cold-pressed coconut oils are extraction similar to expeller-pressed but in a temperature controlled environment to keep temperatures below 49ºC or 120ºF degrees.
Advantage: Cold-pressed

Therefore, I always purchase cold-pressed virgin coconut oil in order to maximize the benefits.

So which brand is better? I usually purchase the one that is on sale as the price can be up to 50% off during sale. Personally, I tried the following brand:
Nutiva , Grace, Now, and Natures Way.
please note that some brands has stronger smell and some has stronger taste. So pick the one that fits your taste.

I am 63 and have been using it for a while and can't tell any difference. If there is I would hate to see what I was like without it! :)) I have that CRS disease.....Can't remember sh..... :))) I don't know if it's helping or not but it can't hurt so why not. I don't like Jeopardy because they are too smart. Wheel of Fortune is more my speed. :))

This is so fascinating. I use it for other things and have it available and never knew that this was good for dementia. I am going to start tonight. Thanks for all the great info

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.

mixing it with peanut butter or using for butter on toast. mix it in mayo with tuna or egg salad. mix it with vinegar as a dressing there are many ways to hide it in food.

WomenofGod.....it has no taste and I put it in my oatmeal also. You can still put butter, sugar or whatever on it. Or you might be talking about that she hates oatmeal. Just wanted to let you know that it melts really fast and has no taste.

How often do you visit her? If it's every day or even every other day I would bring it and give it to her without them KNowing it. Sounds terrible to do that but if you want to try it I would do it. We used to take my MIL a bottle of scotch so she could have a drink every afternoon at 4:30(very much against the rules as you can imagine). Nurse would mix it so weak that it was almost all water and she didn't drink all of it, just a few sips but that was what it took to make her happy. At 90 is that so bad?? We had a nurse on our side (we loved her and she even came to both my inlaws funerals). I can only hope my son tries everything for me and I do it for my dad. Just be aware to start out with a small dose like 1 tsp. It can upset a stomach given at high dosages plus maybe diarrhea. I've been using it for my general health in my coffee. Hope it's doing something. :)) Good Luck and God Bless....

I started giving my father, who is 89 and has Alzheimers, coconut oil a little over a year ago. I did not notice any improvement but it could be it slowed down the progression of the disease; hard to tell. I give it to him plain (not so exciting) or on a half soft cookie which is tasty for him. I also give him omega 3 in liquid form as he has trouble swallowing pills.

I just started my mom and dad on coconut oil today! Keeping my fingers crossed that it helps a LOT!!

SondrO, thank you for sharing! I love it when people share things that might be good, and certainly not harmful! I'm so glad it is helping your loved one!

Yes. It changed my mother's life from Alzheimer's to now, only mild cognitive impairment for a now 80, soon to be 81 year young. Folks at Respite Care were so impressed with her change they started asking me. My mother can't do the liquid so she takes it in capsule form, 2 in the morning and 2 in the evening on an empty stomach. It says it take 6 a day. We get ours from BioInnovations. As a side note, like anything, it doesn't work for everyone but we had nothing to lose. That's why we tried it.