(Last updated June 11, 2019.)
I have created this page in
order to make it easy to find all of my work regarding metabolic and lifestyle strategies
to combat Alzheimer’s disease. It will be updated regularly.
The cornerstone of this
research is my book, The Alzheimer’s Antidote: Using a Low-Carb, High-Fat Diet to Fight Alzheimer's Disease, Memory Loss, and Cognitive Decline.
Other books I recommend are:
The End of Alzheimer's: The First Program to Prevent and Reverse Cognitive Decline,
by Dale Bredesen, MD. (Released Aug 2017 from Avery publishing.)
The Coconut Oil and Low-Carb Solution for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Other Diseases: A Guide to Using Diet and a High-Energy Food to Protect and Nourish the Brain, by Mary Newport, MD. (Released Aug 2015 from Basic Health
Publications, Inc.)
Alzheimer's Webinar & Videos
In January 2018, I recorded a webinar for the Irish Institute of Nutrition & Health. It was a bit long -- about two hours, total, but it is the most detailed and informative presentation I’ve ever given. You can download and save the file here (it’s a very large file), or simply watch it here. There’s a Q&A for the last approximately 40 minutes. I recommend listening through to the end, because there's some good extra information during that time.
In November 2017, I recorded a short video about Alzheimer’s for the Adapt Live/Adapt Your Life program. It was only about 21 minutes, so it just scratched the surface of Alzheimer’s as a metabolic illness -- “type 3 diabetes” -- but it’s a good, basic intro for someone who wants a short overview. You can watch it here.
Talks/Presentations
I have presented at several
low carb and ketogenic conferences on Alzheimer’s as a metabolic condition –
“type 3 diabetes – and the potential therapeutic use of ketogenic diets. Below
are links to the videos of selected talks:
KetoCon 2018 – Austin,
TX, June 2018
Low Carb Houston 2018 – Houston, TX, October
2018
Keto Salt Lake 2019 – Sandy, UT, April
2019
What I Learned – The Alzheimer's Antidote: Can we prevent Type 3 Diabetes? (An informative & in-depth interview on
the metabolic aspects of Alzheimer’s. One of my best!)
My Blog Posts
Here are blog posts I’ve
written and posted on my own blog:
Provides a brief description
of the book and why I wrote it.
A closer look at a study that
indicated increased risk for Alzheimer’s in people with elevated blood glucose.
It’s great that this information is starting to trickle into the mainstream
media, but unfortunately, the dietary recommendations researchers provide are
still the same old low-fat, high-carb advice that has already failed us for
over a half-century.
A 3-part series in which I
explored the pros and cons of employing exogenous ketones as therapy for
Alzheimer’s disease. These compounds do
have a potential role in helping people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of cognitive
impairment/decline, but they’re not a magic bullet. Read the post to find out
why.
My Posts Elsewhere
Beyond my own blog, I have
written about Alzheimer’s disease in guest posts on other websites:
*Note – the next 6 articles were
written for Designs for Health (DFH), a supplement and nutraceutical
manufacturer and one of the most reputable and well-respected companies in the
industry. Unfortunately, their website went through a transition in which,
crazily, the commas in blog posts published before the transition were
deleted! So some of them might be difficult to read with no commas, but do your
best if you are inclined to learn as much as possible about Alzheimer’s, and
unconventional but entirely scientific ways of understanding it and developing
new strategies to combat it.
An exploration of current research
regarding ketogenic interventions for Alzheimer’s.
Here, I summarize the consistent failure of the “amyloid
hypothesis,” and why we must move away from targeting amyloid proteins &
plaques if we are to finally start making inroads into actually doing something about Alzheimer’s. Every
drug developed to target amyloid has failed to have any positive impact on this
disease. Continuing to funnel research dollars toward this failed trajectory
will only delay research into avenues that are far more promising.
A post for DFH looking at
exactly what it says – the role of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) for cognitive
function, and their potential benefit for people with Alzheimer’s.
A post for DFH in which I
cover the promising and hopeful light in the darkness that is Alzheimer’s: if
metabolic problems—specifically alterations in glucose and insulin—are
contributing to this illness, then there is something we can do about it.
A post for DFH in which I bust some of the myths well-meaning but
misguided researchers are putting forth about Alzheimer’s and the progress (or
lack thereof) in developing effective treatments.
A DFH post in which I cover a
potential link between long-term antacid use and increased risk for
dementia. If you take a drug that
reduces stomach acid, and as a consequence, impairs absorption of zinc, B12,
magnesium, and other nutrients crucial for brain health and cognitive function,
might you increase your risk for dementia? Read and find out.
A feature article on the
dietary and metabolic factors that are believed to underlie Alzheimer’s
disease, as well as general guidance on how to reverse them. This was published
in the Summer 2014 issue of Wise Traditions, the journal of the Weston A. Price Foundation, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to
educating people about nutrient-dense diets, robust physical and mental health, sustainable and humane farming,
and in general, the diet and lifestyle practices that kept our ancestors
healthy and robust well into old age, and free of the chronic conditions that
afflict so many of us today (such as heart disease, diabetes, metabolic
syndrome, obesity, infertility, emotional instability, and more.) Please note:
a more detailed version of this article, containing slightly more discussion of
biochemical mechanisms, is available via email. Please contact me if you would
prefer to read that version.
Podcast Interviews
In addition to my written
work, I have been interviewed on several podcasts about nutrition and lifestyle
interventions for Alzheimer’s, as well on low-carb and ketogenic diets in general.
You can find most ofthese interviews cataloged here.
Scientific & Medical Research:
If you would like to explore
some of the scientific literature regarding the idea of Alzheimer’s disease as
“type 3 diabetes” or “brain insulin resistance” and nutritional and metabolic
influences on the pathology and progression of Alzheimer’s, cognitive
impairment, cognitive decline, and memory loss, here is a selection of my favorite
papers. (Unfortunately, in some cases, only the abstract is available, rather
than the full text.)
Nutrition and Alzheimer's disease: The detrimental role of a high carbohydrate diet. Seneff S, Wainwright G, Mascitelli L. Eur J Intern
Med. 2011 Apr;22(2):134-40.
Can Ketones Help Rescue Brain Fuel Supply in Later Life? Implications for Cognitive Health during Aging and the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease. Cunnane SC, Courchesne-Loyer A, Vandenberghe C, et al.
Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience. 2016;9:53.
Can ketones compensate for deteriorating brain glucose uptake during aging? Implications for the risk and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Cunnane
SC, Courchesne-Loyer A, St-Pierre V, et al. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2016
Mar;1367(1):12-20.
Brain Fuel Metabolism, Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease. Cunnane S,
Nugent S, Roy M, et al. Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif).
2011;27(1):3-20.
Brain mitochondrial dysfunction as a link between Alzheimer's disease and diabetes. Moreira PI, Santos MS, Seiça R, Oliveira CR. J Neurol
Sci. 2007 Jun 15;257(1-2):206-14.
A unifying hypothesis of Alzheimer's disease. IV. Causation and sequence of events. Heininger K. Rev Neurosci. 2000;11 Spec No:213-328.
*This is a very long and dense piece,
but extremely educational. Full text available for download here.
On the origin of Alzheimer’sdisease. Trials and tribulations of the amyloid hypothesis. Castello MA,
Soriano S. Ageing Res Rev. 2014 Jan;13:10-2.
Moving beyondanti-amyloid therapy for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
Castello MA, Jeppson JD, Soriano S. BMC Neurol. 2014;14:169.
Reversal of cognitive decline: A novel therapeutic program. Bredesen DE. Aging (Albany NY). 2014 Sep;6(9):707-17.
Brain metabolic dysfunction at the core of Alzheimer’s disease. De la Monte SM, Tong M. Biochemical pharmacology.
2014;88(4):548-559.
Insulin signaling, glucose metabolism and mitochondria: major players in Alzheimer's disease and diabetes interrelation. Brain Res.
Correia SC, Santos RX, Carvalho C et al.
2012 Mar 2;1441:64-78.
Type 3 Diabetes is Sporadic Alzheimer’s disease: Mini-Review. De la Monte SM. European neuropsychopharmacology : the
journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology.
2014;24(12):1954-1960.
Metabolic derangements mediate cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease: role of peripheral insulin resistance diseases. De la Monte
SM. Panminerva medica. 2012;54(3):171-178.
Alzheimer's disease and diabetes: an integrative view of the role of mitochondria, oxidative stress, and insulin. Moreira PI. J
Alzheimers Dis. 2012;30 Suppl 2:S199-215.
The Alzheimer’s Disease Mitochondrial Cascade Hypothesis: Progress and Perspectives.
Swerdlow RH, Burns JM, Khan SM.
Biochimica et biophysica acta. 2014;1842(8):1219-1231.
Insulin resistance and Alzheimer's disease: molecular links & clinical implications. Neumann KF, Rojo L et al. Curr Alzheimer Res. 2008
Oct;5(5):438-47.
Disclaimer:
Amy Berger, M.S., CNS, is not a physician and Tuit Nutrition, LLC, is not a
medical practice. The information contained on this site is not intended to
diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any medical condition.
