Carbs - A cautionary Tale

Going back through your food diary, I would not say you eat low carb. You eat over 150 carbs a day, sometimes in the 200's. I'm sorry to hear you have Alzheimer's, but I highly doubt carbohydrates are the cause.......

Yeah, I was looking through his food diary and if anything I would say it was too low in good fats! And since your brain is made of fat... no, no relation there right.

What constitutes a good or bad fat?

I hear trans fats are good for ya! :happy:

Alzheimers, as opposed to other dementias (dementia is an umbrella term covering a number of conditions of cognitive decline and impairment) is marked specifically by the presence of amyloid plaques neurofibrillary tangles. The only way to 'specifically' diagnose Alzheimers in contrast to other dementias is actually post-mortem.

Early onset dementia is particularly marked by gene expression - so attributing diet to this, and specifically low carbohydrate levels seems pretty illogical.

Many things are related to cognitive decline and impairment - even transitory phases of such. I assume your GP as taken into account assessments of stress or depression. Diabetes can also affect cognitive function, so try not to worry too much - there may be a different underlying source.

Good luck and don't worry about carbs

Dr Newports blog:
http://coconutketones.blogspot.com.au/

http://www.coconutketones.com/

http://www.healthy-eating-politics.com/support-files/ejim01.pdf
"Alzheimer's disease is a devastating disease whose recent increase in incidence rates has broad implications for rising health care costs. Huge amounts of research money are currently being invested in seeking the underlying cause, with corresponding progress in understanding the disease progression. In this paper, we highlight how an excess of dietary carbohydrates, particularly fructose, alongside a relative deficiency in dietary fats and cholesterol, may lead to the development of Alzheimer's disease. A first step in the pathophysiology of the disease is represented by advanced glycation end-products in crucial plasma proteins concerned with fat, cholesterol, and oxygen transport. This leads to cholesterol deficiency in neurons, which significantly impairs their ability to function. Over time, a cascade response leads to impaired glutamate signaling, increased oxidative damage, mitochondrial and lysosomal dysfunction, increased risk to microbial infection, and, ultimately, apoptosis. Other neurodegenerative diseases share many properties with Alzheimer's disease, and may also be due in large part to this same underlying cause.
© 2011 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved."

Do try coconut oil. this doctor put her husband on it:
https://talesfromthelou.wordpress.com/2012/02/03/physician-prescribes-coconut-oil-and-successfully-cures-alzheimers-disease-before-its-news/

"Dr. Newport, a physician who runs a neonatology ward in a Florida hospital, became determined to help her husband after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. The report hosted on CBN.com stated that “insulin problems prevent brain cells from accepting glucose, their primary fuel…there is an alternative fuel, ketones which the cells easily accept. Ketones are metabolized in the liver after you eat medium chain triglycerides which are found in coconut oil.”

Ketones are only created when glycogen is depleted. The type of fat you eat doesn't matter, ketones are a byproduct of being in ketosis, they aren't made just by eating coconut oil. Plus the brain doesn't use ketones for energy until after at least 48 hours of being in a ketogenic state.

Coconut oil is different.

Most dietary fat is made of molecules called long-chain triglycerides (LCTs). However, medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs)—made from fatty acids with shorter carbon chains than LCTs—are more ketogenic. A variant of the classic diet known as the MCT ketogenic diet uses a form of coconut oil, which is rich in MCTs, to provide around half the calories. As less overall fat is needed in this variant of the diet, a greater proportion of carbohydrate and protein can be consumed, allowing a greater variety of food choices.[2][3]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketogenic_diet

Not really. It's a healthy oil, but it doesn't change human biology. It doesn't magically put the body into ketosis, and it doesn't magically make the brain start using ketones. That's not how it works. Besides, coconut oil isn't unique in its composition of fatty acids, they are all found in multiple other sources.

Coconut oil is pretty much modern day snake oil. It's good for you, but it isn't a miracle cure.

disagree it's snake oil. Did you read the link above re MCT.

Another link:
http://perfecthealthdiet.com/?p=2479
"So we have three ways to make the diet ketogenic:

1)      Make Wilder’s “ketogenic ratio” high by eating a lot of fat, very few carbs, and not too much protein.

2)      Supplement with the ketogenic amino acids lysine and leucine.

3)      Supplement with coconut oil or another source of short-chain fats.

If we do (2) or (3), then the diet can be ketogenic even if it has a fair number of carbs.

So now we have an arsenal of ways to generate ketones. We have to look at diseases and diet risks to figure out which way of making the diet ketogenic is optimal."

Another link:
http://perfecthealthdiet.com/?p=2479
"So we have three ways to make the diet ketogenic:

1)      Make Wilder’s “ketogenic ratio” high by eating a lot of fat, very few carbs, and not too much protein.

2)      Supplement with the ketogenic amino acids lysine and leucine.

3)      Supplement with coconut oil or another source of short-chain fats.

If we do (2) or (3), then the diet can be ketogenic even if it has a fair number of carbs.

So now we have an arsenal of ways to generate ketones. We have to look at diseases and diet risks to figure out which way of making the diet ketogenic is optimal."

If you're eating a fair number of carbs, your brain is running on glucose, not ketones, even if the rest of your body is ketogenic. Ketogenic means you have no stored glycogen (that is what causes ketosis.) You have no stored glycogen because all the glucose you are eating is being used by the brain.

Where do you think those carbs go? Do they magically disappear? Does the coconut oil magically erase them?

How about a link to a scientifically controlled study?

Alright everyone, for the time being, this thread is being locked. I will be reviewing it. Please remember that disagreeing with someone's opinions is fine, but do so respectfully. Warnings, blocks, and other disciplinary actions will be taken if necessary