Hello, this is Monica Reinagle. Thanks so much for tuning in to the nutrition diva

podcast today. There's a lot of buzz right now about coconut oil being good for your brain.

The primary rationale is that coconut oil is rich in medium chain triglycerides, or

MCTs, which are metabolized a little differently than most types of fat.

The MCTs in coconut oil break down into ketones, which can be used by brain cells for fuel.

And the idea is that supplying the brain with some extra fuel

might make it run better.

Under normal circumstances, brain cells use glucose for energy.

But because your brain is so important to your survival, there is a backup plan.

If you run out of glucose, your body starts to convert stored fats into ketones, which are

transported to the brain. It's a little like having a backup generator for your house.

If you lose power during a storm, the backup generator will kick in to keep the lights on.

Although it's certainly better than being in the dark, most backup generators are designed

to be used only in emergencies until regular power is restored.

Similarly, although they will gladly use ketones when no other energy sources available,

healthy brain cells will preferentially burn glucose if it's available.

So the fact that coconut oil supplies ketones doesn't necessarily mean that the brain will

use them for fuel.

And maybe that's why I can't find any studies showing that simply adding coconut oil to the diet

leads to improvement in cognitive function in people with normal brain

function. People with Alzheimer's disease on the other hand do not have normal

brain function. In Alzheimer's disease, one of the things that happens is that

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