I’m new so I apologize if I’m posting this incorrectly. I’m trying to have my dad eat keto and take in about 2 tbsp of coconut oil a day to see if it helps his dementia. The hard part is he lives at a retirement facility (independent though) and eats in their dining room. While he often eats fairly keto anyway (doesn’t like rice or potatoes much), I’ve been trying to figure an easy way for him to get Coconut oil. I have made some fat bombs for him, and he likes them, but I don’t always have time to make them. I saw some powdered MCT oil from coconut and was thinking to try that for him, maybe for him to add to his coffee. But is this not the same thing? After reading another post on MCT oils, I’m not sure that is the best route. Thoughts or experiences? Thanks!
Coconut oil for dementia
It’s going to be difficult to get him taking coconut oil regularly if you don’t have on control of his meals. The easiest ways are to add it warm drinks like coffee, cook foods in it and you can also include it in dips like guacamole or maybe even sour cream. Several articles and videos that I’ve watched on this subject also suggest to make sure people suffering from dementia and Alzheimers get plenty of omega 3s. Fish and fish oils are the best source.
If he likes the tastes of it, he can just eat a spoonful or two a day of coconut oil. Trying to avoid the seed oils in everything that is made would be really helpful but harder. They fry in it. It’s in aii the salad dressings, ect. I’ve stopped eating commercial salad dressings and avoid store bought mayo. Sour cream is what I use for substitute.
My mother was drinking a tablespoon of MCT from the spoon 2 times a day. I travelled to give it to her and when I couldn’t I called the facility and spoke to the nurse and asked that they ensure she got it with meals.
I did notice an improvement in her cognition quite quickly. Staff noticed too and now they are all taking it.
Fortunately my mother enjoyed coconut oil, she used to live in Fiji for a year, when she was younger and rubbed it on her skin there so it was a small leap to eating it.
I hope it may be helpful for your father.
The tricky bit is to implement the protocol in stages - as some people get bad diarrhea with concentrated MCT oil - and with huge doses of Coconut oil.
Maybe try a easy-to-implement routine with just 1 tblsp added to his morning drink for a few days, then if that all goes well, add an additional tblsp in morning drink or meal. This means caregivers/medical director will need to be on board and/or instructed (and caregivers encouraged by tips or gifts) to implement the routine, I imagine. Fortunately, Coconut oil goes really well with lots of foods!
Then, if the whole form Coconut oil regimen is going well, and you want to - you could try to switch to 2 tsps MCT oil (Cocounut oil is 60% MCTs, but only 30% are the two most brain-effective MCTs. So, 30% of one tablespoon of Coconut oil is a teaspoon - 1 tsp of concentrated MCT oil is equivalant to three teaspoons/one tablesppon of whole form Coconut oil). 
(Coconut oil is MUCH cheaper than MCT oil, and seems to be gentler on the gut. Someone on a Coconut oil regimen will likely have very soft/fatty stools - but that’s no big deal compared to MCT oil diarrhea imho).
If you add EPAs/fish oil, the lemon flavored liquid form is best according the Drs. Eades - for two reasons. One, you can tell if it’s fresh (capsules hide rancidity), and Two, the lemon flavoring truly works and no fishy taste happens! Lemon flavored liquid EPAs may go well over many meat dishes as well as on regular fare like toast or pancakes or in porridge.
Thank you; I have started him on fish oil pills and he likes fish. Other than the coconut fat bombs it’s a bit harder to get him to just eat the coconut oil, but I may try again!
Agree! I try to avoid all seed oils and told him to as well, but it’s harder as he has less control. I also thought perhaps coconut butter might be more palatable and he can just take more.
Wonderful! Thanks! I was a bit confused about the MCT and coconut oil and that helps a lot.
I will share this with my dad. Maybe he’ll just take it if he considers it medicine. He’s a good pill taker when he needs to be.
My mother was on massive doses of pain medications and morphine in her last week. That was this week.
She got through with no laxatives, despite them being continually prescribed. Even on a morphine pump and injections the last four days.The MCT oil was excellent.
Karen, We used coconut oil on her body as well.
Most elderly people in any care are on medications that constipate them. MCT or coconut oil both are helpful.I don’t know what particular medications or issues your father is dealing with, but the MCT was particularly easy for my mother by the desertspoon and she was shrivelling from lack of healthy fats. For many elderly people, targetted MCT is very helpful and they are in a different nutritional status and health situation than most people on this forum.
I believe the MCT is more useful if you are wishing to address dementia, research for yourself, there are different short chain fatty acids you can use, check out the particular targetting MCTs for whatever your dad’s specific issues are. My mother regained her mind in her last months and no-one could believe it…except me…I was feeding her the MCTs.
If your dad has access to a microwave oven or most any heating/cooking device making hot cocoa with coconut milk and or coconut cream is easy. I find it almost too tasty, very easy to over indulge.
Thank you; I suppose I can try some in small amounts and see how he tolerates them.
That is something I NEVER considered and it would curb his sweet tooth! And he does have a microwave! Thanks!
My son is 24 and autistic. He’s been keto since February and to a lesser degree (low carb Paleo) for more than a year. Since keto started he’s been getting MCT in the mornings at his mom’s house. He has shown some improvements in some of mental functions, specifically behavioral and speech improvements. I don’t know if it’s just keto or the MCT oil too but it is known to be the ideal high octane brain fuel. If he likes salads you can make a bottle of salad dressing with MCT oil in it. I would try to figure out a way for him to have small doses a few times daily, maybe a couple of teaspoons with each meal 
Happy to hear that it is helping your son. And a great idea to make a salad dressing for him. Do you have a particular brand of MCT oil that you like?
I worked up from a teaspoon MCT 2x a day to 2 desertspoons a day for my mother at 93yo.
I’m sorry I don’t have a brand recommendation. We try to keep things clean and organic for him if possible
His mom has bought it a couple of times at a local health food store. Centrifuge cold extraction I believe, we avoid the solvent processed cheaper brands. Look for one high in MCT8 and MCT10, they are the easiest for most people to tolerate digestion wise.
Hi Karen –
My mother in law recently passed from a serious case of dementia she endured over the past several years, so it is a disease I’ve become familiar with.
I’ve read about coconut oil and dementia, but I don’t get the sense that is an effective treatment for dementia as some want to believe. The argument is that MCTs are better sources of fuel and more easily converted fuel source for the brain for people with dementia. I can agree on that – but does that drive effective treatment?
I won’t say stop taking coconut oil, I believe it is a healthy fat, and may in fact play a secondary role in brain health and dementia
However, my sense is that vitamin K2 might be more effective for patients with dementia in terms of slowing down progression, and perhaps preventing onset of dementia for those at risk (prior heart attack or stroke + diabetes + family history). With dementia you don’t have enough blood going to the brain because of damaged vessels and brain plaques. K2 can help stabilize and reduce arterial calcification.
I take K2, D3 and magnesium daily, as they work together to help proper vitamin absorption, as well as get calcium to go to the places it needs to be (teeth and bones) rather than staying and building up in arteries and soft tissues and creating conditions for heart attacks, strokes, dementia, Alzheimers and others.
Good luck,