For decades, Alzheimer’s disease has been perceived as a natural consequence of aging or linked predominantly to genetic predisposition. We’ve accepted that age, family history, and lifestyle factors like poor sleep, lack of exercise, or even high cholesterol play their roles. But are we looking deeply enough into the real causes? Could there be a potential metabolic explanation behind this devastating condition?
World Alzheimer’s Day: A Time for Awareness and Action
Every year on September 21, the world recognizes World Alzheimer’s Day, a global opportunity to raise awareness, challenge misconceptions, and bring focus to the efforts needed to tackle this progressive illness. Alzheimer’s isn’t just a disease of memory loss; it represents a growing crisis, and one requiring both medical advancements and a deeper understanding of its origins.
What Is Alzheimer’s, and Why Is It Called Type 3 Diabetes?
Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, a neurodegenerative disease that leads to the decline of memory, thinking skills, and ultimately, the ability to carry out basic tasks. While the exact cause remains elusive, Alzheimer’s is often associated with the buildup of amyloid plaques and tau tangles in the brain. But what triggers these destructive processes?
In recent years, scientists and health experts have been investigating a new hypothesis—Alzheimer’s as Type 3 Diabetes. The brain, like the rest of the body, requires a steady supply of glucose to function. When insulin resistance occurs, brain cells are deprived of the energy they need. This energy crisis in the brain may contribute to the development and progression of Alzheimer’s.
This metabolic connection draws parallels between Alzheimer’s and other chronic diseases like diabetes, pointing to insulin dysfunction as a key factor. But here’s the crucial insight: if Alzheimer’s can be linked to insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction, then could lifestyle interventions, especially dietary strategies, play a pivotal role in preventing or even managing this disease?
Keto Diet: A Preventative and Therapeutic Approach?
If Alzheimer’s is partly driven by insulin resistance in the brain, then the ketogenic diet—a low-carb, high-fat approach—could offer a promising solution. The keto diet shifts the body’s metabolism away from burning glucose towards burning fat, resulting in the production of ketones. These ketones serve as an alternative fuel for the brain, bypassing glucose-related insulin pathways.
Growing research suggests that a ketogenic diet might do more than just help people lose weight—it could also help protect cognitive function by providing the brain with a stable, clean fuel source. Moreover, maintaining exogenous ketones in the body through dietary choices or supplementation could potentially reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s and/or slow its progression. By switching the brain’s primary energy source from glucose to ketones, it may be possible to counteract metabolic disturbances contributing to this disease.
A Call to Action: Help Us Further Alzheimer’s Research
At The Noakes Foundation, we are deeply invested in exploring the relationship between diet and health. Alzheimer’s is an area we believe deserves more attention, especially in the context of nutrition and metabolic health. Our mission is to challenge traditional beliefs, ask tough questions, and fund research that can make a meaningful difference in preventing and treating Alzheimer’s.
We need your help. The fight against Alzheimer’s requires not only innovative research but also support from the public. By donating to our foundation, you can play a part in advancing the research into dietary and metabolic approaches to Alzheimer’s. Let’s rethink how we approach this devastating disease and work towards solutions that address its root causes.
Join us in this critical work, and help us uncover the answers that could lead to a healthier future for millions.
References
- Craft, S., Cholerton, B., & Baker, L. D. (2013). Insulin and Alzheimer’s disease: Untangling the web. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 33, S263-S275.
- Cunnane, S. C., et al. (2016). Can ketones compensate for deteriorating brain glucose uptake during aging? Implications for the risk and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1367(1), 12-20.
- Neth, B. J., & Craft, S. (2017). Insulin Resistance and Alzheimer’s Disease: Bioenergetic Linkages. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 9, 345.
- Rusek, M., Pluta, R., Ułamek-Kozioł, M., & Czuczwar, S. J. (2019). Ketogenic diet in Alzheimer’s disease. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 20(16), 3892.
- VanItallie, T. B., & Nufert, T. H. (2003). Ketones: Metabolism’s ugly duckling. Nutrition Reviews, 61(10), 327-341.
