Alzheimer's Disease

Description

Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder driven primarily by metabolic dysfunction, inflammation, and impaired fuel delivery to the brain. Chronic high-carbohydrate intake and repeated insulin spikes create insulin resistance not only in the body but also in the brain—often referred to as Type 3 Diabetes. Neurons lose their ability to transport and utilize glucose, leading to an energy crisis in the hippocampus and cortex. This triggers compensatory mechanisms including amyloid-beta production (an antimicrobial and protective protein) and tau phosphorylation, both of which accumulate when metabolism fails.

Systemic inflammation and leaky gut worsen the condition. Endotoxins (LPS) and inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α) cross the blood-brain barrier and cause neuroinflammation, damaging synapses, impairing neurotransmission, and accelerating neuronal death. The HPA axis becomes chronically dysregulated, with elevated cortisol worsening hippocampal atrophy, memory loss, and sleep disruption. Nutrient deficiencies—especially omega-3s, zinc, B vitamins, choline, magnesium—impair mitochondrial function and reduce the brain's ability to repair itself.

Amyloid plaques and tau tangles are not the root cause of Alzheimer's; they are downstream markers of a brain that can no longer metabolize fuel correctly. The core issue is metabolic failure, inflammation, and impaired autophagy.

Ketosis (from fasting, ketogenic diet, or carnivore diet) directly alleviates the metabolic crisis of Alzheimer's by supplying ketones as an alternative fuel source that bypasses defective glucose pathways. Ketones stabilize neuronal firing, reduce oxidative stress, and suppress neuroinflammation. They also lower insulin and increase insulin sensitivity, reversing ‘Type 3 Diabetes' at the brain level. Fasting and ketosis activate autophagy, which clears damaged proteins, reduces amyloid and tau accumulation, restores mitochondrial function, and improves synaptic plasticity. By reducing inflammation, stabilizing blood sugar, restoring mitochondrial energy production, and reactivating cellular cleanup, ketosis creates a neuroprotective environment that slows cognitive decline and can significantly improve memory and mental clarity in Alzheimer's disease.

Root Causes

Carbohydrate consumption

[ 1 ] Mélissa Gentreau et al. (2020) DOI PMID [ 2 ] Rosebud O Roberts et al. (2012) DOI PMCID PMID [ 3 ] Matthew K Taylor et al. (2017) DOI PMCID PMID [ 4 ] Nil Novau-Ferré et al. (2025) DOI PMCID PMID [ 5 ] Sirui Zhang et al. (2024) DOI PMCID PMID [ 5 ] Sirui Zhang et al. (2024) DOI PMCID PMID [ 6 ] Chris Moran et al. (2023) DOI PMCID PMID [ 7 ] Jin Yu et al. (2023) DOI PMCID PMID [ 8 ] Vicente Javier Clemente-Suárez et al. (2022) DOI PMCID PMID

Leaky Gut (Intestinal Permeability)

[ 9 ] Tatjana Rundek et al. (2021) DOI PMCID PMID [ 10 ] Tatjana Rundek et al. (2024) DOI PMCID PMID [ 11 ] Margo B Heston et al. (2023) DOI PMCID PMID [ 12 ] Li Niu et al. (2025) DOI PMCID PMID [ 13 ] Robertina Giacconi et al. (2022) DOI PMCID PMID [ 14 ] Xinhua Zhan et al. (2016) DOI PMCID PMID

Systemic Inflammation

[ 9 ] Tatjana Rundek et al. (2021) DOI PMCID PMID [ 15 ] Irem Bayraktaroglu et al. (2025) DOI PMCID PMID [ 16 ] Varsha Rani et al. (2023) DOI PMCID PMID [ 17 ] Zilin Chen et al. (2024) DOI PMCID PMID [ 18 ] Lorenzo Campanelli et al. (2025) DOI [ 19 ] Maxwell Hubert Antwi et al. (2025) DOI PMCID PMID

HPA Axis Dysregulation

Insulin Resistance

[ 20 ] F S Facchini et al. (2001) DOI PMID

Treatment Options

Fasting

[ 21 ] Alby Elias et al. (2023) DOI PMCID PMID [ 22 ] Jordan Beveridge et al. (2025) DOI PMCID PMID [ 23 ] Reji Babygirija et al. (2025) DOI PMCID PMID [ 24 ] Jiao Chen et al. (2025) DOI PMCID PMID [ 25 ] Dimitrios Kapogiannis et al. (2024) DOI PMCID PMID [ 26 ] Zhengzhong Zeng et al. (2024) DOI PMID [ 27 ] Eric Mayor et al. (2023) DOI PMCID PMID [ 28 ] BrightFocus Editorial Staff et al. (2023) Link [ 29 ] Samuel T Henderson et al. (2008) PMCID PMID

Ketogenic Diet

[ 30 ] Jeffrey L B Bohnen et al. (2023) DOI PMCID PMID [ 31 ] Paschalis Devranis et al. (2023) DOI PMCID PMID [ 31 ] Paschalis Devranis et al. (2023) DOI PMCID PMID [ 32 ] Matthew K Taylor et al. (2019) DOI PMCID PMID [ 33 ] Annalise Schweickart et al. (2024) DOI PMCID PMID [ 34 ] Bryan J Neth et al. (2025) DOI PMCID PMID [ 29 ] Samuel T Henderson et al. (2008) PMCID PMID

Carnivore Diet

Sources

[1] Refined carbohydrate-rich diet is associated with long-term risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease in apolipoprotein E ε4 allele carriers

[ 1 ] Mélissa Gentreau et al. (2020) DOI PMID

[2] Relative Intake of Macronutrients Impacts Risk of Mild Cognitive Impairment or dementia

[ 2 ] Rosebud O Roberts et al. (2012) DOI PMCID PMID

[3] A high-glycemic diet is associated with cerebral amyloid burden in cognitively normal older adults

[ 3 ] Matthew K Taylor et al. (2017) DOI PMCID PMID

[4] Glycemic index, glycemic load, and risk of dementia: a prospective analysis within the UK Biobank cohort

[ 4 ] Nil Novau-Ferré et al. (2025) DOI PMCID PMID

[5] Associations of sugar intake, high-sugar dietary pattern, and the risk of dementia: a prospective cohort study of 210,832 participants

[ 5 ] Sirui Zhang et al. (2024) DOI PMCID PMID

[6] Glycemic Control Over Multiple Decades and Dementia Risk in People With Type 2 Diabetes

[ 6 ] Chris Moran et al. (2023) DOI PMCID PMID

[7] Cumulative effect of impaired fasting glucose on the risk of dementia in middle-aged and elderly people: a nationwide cohort study

[ 7 ] Jin Yu et al. (2023) DOI PMCID PMID

[8] Dietary dThe Burden of Carbohydrates in Health and Disease

[ 8 ] Vicente Javier Clemente-Suárez et al. (2022) DOI PMCID PMID

[9] Gut permeability and cognitive decline: A pilot investigation in the Northern Manhattan Study

[ 9 ] Tatjana Rundek et al. (2021) DOI PMCID PMID

[10] The endotoxin hypothesis of Alzheimer's disease

[ 10 ] Tatjana Rundek et al. (2024) DOI PMCID PMID

[11] Gut inflammation associated with age and Alzheimer's disease pathology: a human cohort study

[ 11 ] Margo B Heston et al. (2023) DOI PMCID PMID

[12] Causal effect of serum lipopolysaccharide activity levels and inflammatory proteins on Alzheimer's disease: A Mendelian randomization study combined with meta-analysis in a large-scale cohort

[ 12 ] Li Niu et al. (2025) DOI PMCID PMID

[13] Bacterial DNAemia in Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment: Association with Cognitive Decline, Plasma BDNF Levels, and Inflammatory Response

[ 13 ] Robertina Giacconi et al. (2022) DOI PMCID PMID

[14] Gram-negative bacterial molecules associate with Alzheimer disease pathology

[ 14 ] Xinhua Zhan et al. (2016) DOI PMCID PMID

[15] Systemic inflammation as a central player in the initiation and development of Alzheimer's disease

[ 15 ] Irem Bayraktaroglu et al. (2025) DOI PMCID PMID

[16] Role of pro-inflammatory cytokines in Alzheimer's disease and neuroprotective effects of pegylated self-assembled nanoscaffolds

[ 16 ] Varsha Rani et al. (2023) DOI PMCID PMID

[17] Roles of Cytokines in Alzheimer's Disease

[ 17 ] Zilin Chen et al. (2024) DOI PMCID PMID

[18] Blood levels of cytokines highlight the role of inflammation in Alzheimer's disease

[ 18 ] Lorenzo Campanelli et al. (2025) DOI

[19] Cytokines and immune biomarkers in neurodegeneration and cognitive function: A systematic review among individuals of African ancestry

[ 19 ] Maxwell Hubert Antwi et al. (2025) DOI PMCID PMID

[20] Insulin resistance as a predictor of age-related diseases

[ 20 ] F S Facchini et al. (2001) DOI PMID

[21] Effects of intermittent fasting on cognitive health and Alzheimer's disease

[ 21 ] Alby Elias et al. (2023) DOI PMCID PMID

[22] Intermittent fasting and neurocognitive disorders: What the evidence shows

[ 22 ] Jordan Beveridge et al. (2025) DOI PMCID PMID

[23] Fasting is required for many of the benefits of calorie restriction in the 3xTg mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

[ 23 ] Reji Babygirija et al. (2025) DOI PMCID PMID

[24] Effect of time-restricted feeding on cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease and the role of ApoE polymorphism: protocol for a randomised controlled trial

[ 24 ] Jiao Chen et al. (2025) DOI PMCID PMID

[25] Brain responses to intermittent fasting and the healthy living diet in older adults

[ 25 ] Dimitrios Kapogiannis et al. (2024) DOI PMCID PMID

[26] Fasting, a Potential Intervention in Alzheimer's Disease

[ 26 ] Zhengzhong Zeng et al. (2024) DOI PMID

[27] Neurotrophic effects of intermittent fasting, calorie restriction and exercise: a review and annotated bibliography

[ 27 ] Eric Mayor et al. (2023) DOI PMCID PMID

[28] Biohacking Brain Health: Research Exploring Fasting and Diet Changes Shows Promise in Delaying Alzheimer's Disease, Improving Cognition

[ 28 ] BrightFocus Editorial Staff et al. (2023) Link

[29] Ketone bodies as a therapeutic for Alzheimer's disease

[ 29 ] Samuel T Henderson et al. (2008) PMCID PMID

[30] Ketogenic interventions in mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease: A systematic review and critical appraisal

[ 30 ] Jeffrey L B Bohnen et al. (2023) DOI PMCID PMID

[31] Mediterranean Diet, Ketogenic Diet or MIND Diet for Aging Populations with Cognitive Decline: A Systematic Review

[ 31 ] Paschalis Devranis et al. (2023) DOI PMCID PMID

[32] An Experimental Ketogenic Diet for Alzheimer Disease Was Nutritionally Dense and Rich in Vegetables and Avocado

[ 32 ] Matthew K Taylor et al. (2019) DOI PMCID PMID

[33] Serum and CSF metabolomics analysis shows Mediterranean Ketogenic Diet mitigates risk factors of Alzheimer's disease

[ 33 ] Annalise Schweickart et al. (2024) DOI PMCID PMID

[34] Consuming a modified Mediterranean ketogenic diet reverses the peripheral lipid signature of Alzheimer's disease in humans

[ 34 ] Bryan J Neth et al. (2025) DOI PMCID PMID