Is desiccated coconut any good for dementia?

Hi Marc,

That is a great question.  In her article, Dr. Mary Newport describes other coconut products that can be used to get coconut and medium chain triglyceride oils.  

Below is an excerpt from COCONUT OIL DIETARY GUIDELINES AND SUGGESTIONS By Mary T. Newport, MD which will answer your question: 

WHAT OTHER COCONUT PRODUCTS CONTAIN COCONUT OIL?

• Coconut milk is a combination of the oil and the water from the coconut and most of the calories are from the oil.  Look for brands with 10 to 13 grams of fat in 2 ounces.  Look in the grocery store’s Asian section.  Some brands are less expensive but are diluted with water.
• Coconut cream is mostly coconut milk and sometimes has added sugar. 
• Flaked or grated coconut can be purchase unsweetened or sweetened and is a very good source of coconut oil and fiber and has about 15 grams oil and 3 grams fiber in ¼ cup. 
• Frozen or canned coconut meat usually has a lot of added sugar and not much oil per serving. 
• A fresh coconut can be cut up into pieces and eaten raw.  A 2” x 2” piece has about 160 calories with 15 grams of oil and 4 grams of fiber. 
• MCT Oil (medium chain triglycerides) are part of the coconut oil and can also be purchased in some health food stores or on-line.  This may be useful for people who are on the go and do not have much time to cook.  Also, MCT oil is used as energy and not stored as fat, so it may be useful for someone who wants to lose weight, if substituted for some of the other fats in the diet. 
• Coconut water does not usually contain coconut oil, but has other health benefits.  The electrolyte composition is similar to human plasma and is useful to prevent or treat dehydration.

I hope this is helpful,

Dina