Taken together, it’s perhaps not surprising, then, that a
research group out of Brown University (led by
neuropathologist Suzanne de la Monte) coined the term
“type 3 diabetes” to describe Alzheimer’s disease. This
concept, which has since been referenced widely throughout
the medical literature, directly characterizes Alzheimer’s
disease as being metabolic in origin.
Make no mistake about it: an energy-deprived brain is
bad news. In fact, the forgetfulness that we associate with
typical aging may be among the first signs that the brain is
struggling to fuel itself. The good news is that aside from
helping to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation,
providing ketones to the brain (with the Genius Plan or any
variant of a ketogenic diet) may help the brain “keep the
lights on” well into old age. This is because unlike with
glucose, a brain’s ability to derive energy from ketones is
seemingly not affected by old age, the ApoE4 gene, or even
Alzheimer’s disease.^33
As a bonus, ketogenic diets have even been shown to
increase the number of brain mitochondria (the power plants
of cells)—thereby increasing metabolic efficiency, which
otherwise diminishes with age and more markedly in
neurological conditions.^34
Can’t I Just Eat My Ketones?
There is another means of supplying ketones to the brain