Replied by Annie (Denver, Co) on 07/31/2011

Replied by Rachel (Reinholds, Pa) on 08/01/2011

Read this bit of an article written by a doctor:

"Our cells can use ketone bodies as an alternative fuel when glucose is not available. Brain cells, specifically neurons, are very limited, more limited than other cells, in what kinds of fuel they can use to function and to stay alive. Normally, they require glucose (sugar), but they can also use ketone bodies. Humans do not normally have ketone bodies circulating and available to the brain unless they have been starving for a couple of days or longer, or are consuming a ketogenic (very low carbohydrate) diet, such as Atkins. In Alzheimer's disease, the neurons in certain areas of the brain are unable to take in glucose due to insulin resistance and slowly die off, a process that appears to happen one or more decades before the symptoms become apparent. If these cells had access to ketone bodies, they could potentially stay alive and continue to function. It appears that persons with Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, multiple and ALS9 have a similar defect in utilizing glucose but in different areas of the brain or spinal cord. MCT oil is digested differently by the body than other fats. Instead of storing all MCTs as fat, the liver converts them directly to ketone bodies, which are then available for use as energy. Oral and intravenous administration of MCT oil produces hyperketonemia, or circulating ketone bodies, which are then available to the brain for energy, in the absence of glucose1 and even in the presence of glucose. In addition, hyperketonemia results in a substantial (39%) increase in cerebral blood flow, 18 and appears to reduce cognitive dysfunction associated with systemic hypoglycemia in normal humans."

I have also used larger doses of CoQ10 to help folks with Parkinson symptoms and found it helpful for most of them