Coconut oil can boost brain function by directly feeding the brain energy via ketones created in the liver from coconut oil.
A study published in the Journal of the Neurobiology of Aging discovered that the administration of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), the primary type of fat found within coconut oil, can be a strong supporter of cognitive function.
Coconut Oil Provides Alternative Fuel to Glucose for the Brain (Ketones)
Like other organs in the body, the human brain needs a continuous supply of fuel to function. This fuel comes in the form of glucose. When this supply is interrupted, brain cells begin to die.
As one gets older, the brain’s ability to metabolize glucose for energy wanes. Long-term interruptions in glucose supply is known, often, to result in neurodegenerative diseases. But there is an alternative to glucose: ketone bodies.
What are Ketone Bodies?
Sometimes shorted to “ketones”, ketone bodies are what your body produces in the liver when it converts fat (as opposed to glucose) into energy. Ketones can feed your brain directly without the need for insulin, which can prevent brain atrophy.
Coconut oil contains MCTs which apart from creating ketone bodies are also much easier to absorb than a majority of the dietary fats we consume.