Alzheimers Disease Care

Researchers at Brown University in Rhode Island have coined the term "Type 3 Diabetes" in relation to the structural changes found in the brains of Alzheimers patients.

Several studies have demonstrated that the "neurofibrillary tangles" of proteins found in the brains of Alzheimers patients are in part caused by a lack of insulin sensitivity in the brain, and just as in Type 2 Diabetic patients, the disease begins as a sort of insulin resistance.

The difference is that instead of the insulin resistance being in the liver, the resistance is in the brain cells.

This insulin resistance results in a reduced ability to metabolize glucose in the brain, which sets up a scenario where brain cells begin to malfunction due to lack of cellular fuel.

How a Ketogenic Diet Helps

The ketogenic diet helps in several ways:

• First, cutting carbs and increasing fat intake results in the development of ketone bodies in the blood. The brain can use these ketones as fuel when the brain cells are having trouble metabolizing glucose.

  In a study designed to demonstrate this, volunteers were given an injection of insulin designed to drop blood sugar to levels which would deprive the brain of glucose, and cause a hypoglycemic reaction. Sure enough, the volunteers developed the nausea, wooziness and brain fog associated with low blood sugar.

  In the second part of the experiment, the researchers repeated the experiment, but this time, they gave one of the groups an infusion of ketone bodies just before the insulin. Blood sugar dropped to a level that should have caused a hypoglycemic reaction, but these volunteers showed no signs of low blood sugar, proving that the ketone bodies were being used as fuel in the brain instead.

  In addition, ketone production is why coconut oil is now being used to treat Alzheimer's disease.

  Coconut oil is full of medium chain fatty acids. These fatty acids can't be stored in the body, so they are immediately burned for fuel when consumed. This produces lots of ketones in the body, and the extra ketones then provide fuel for the glucose starved brain. The link above has information about this protocol and the doctor who discovered how to use it.

• Secondly, the ketogenic diet reduces insulin resistance and inflammation, which can help protect brain cells from further damage associated with insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism.

The latest information on treating Alzheimers disease can be found in the resources listed below.

Resources for Further Reading

• Ketone bodies as a therapeutic for Alzheimer's disease.
• The Neuropharmacology of the Ketogenic Diet
• Neuroprotective and disease-modifying effects of the ketogenic diet
• The Brain Trust Program: by Larry McCleary, M.D.
  
• Alzheimer's Solved: Condensed Edition by Henry Lorin

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