When it comes to Alzheimer’s prevention, there’s a critical but often ignored factor: brain insulin resistance, sometimes called Type 3 diabetes.
Research shows that up to 80% of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s have some degree of brain insulin resistance. This condition impairs the brain’s ability to use glucose, its primary energy source, and can begin decades before noticeable cognitive decline.
Despite this, most standard of care approaches after an Alzheimer’s or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) diagnosis don’t address brain insulin resistance as a modifiable risk factor — missing a key opportunity to slow or even reverse symptoms.
Many age-related “senior moments” may be early signs of this condition. If left unchecked, it can quietly worsen until it becomes a major driver of dementia.
Why Brain Insulin Resistance Is So Harmful for Cognition
In a healthy brain, insulin plays a vital role in neuron glucose absorption, supporting energy production, memory formation, and cell-to-cell communication.
But with insulin resistance in the brain, neurons can’t absorb enough glucose. This leads to low brain energy, making it harder to think clearly, remember, and process information. Over time, it contributes to neurodegeneration and increases vulnerability to Alzheimer’s disease.
While brain insulin resistance is rare in younger adults, it develops slowly over many years. Metabolic dysregulation, chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and hormonal changes make older adults more prone to it.
What Causes Brain Insulin Resistance?
Several long-term lifestyle and environmental factors can trigger or worsen this condition:
- Chronic Inflammation – Disrupts insulin signaling in brain cells, often caused by poor diet, lack of exercise, toxins, and infections.
- High Blood Sugar & Elevated Insulin – Common in Type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes, leading to insulin desensitization in the brain.
- Poor Diet & Obesity – High-sugar, processed food diets drive oxidative stress and neuroinflammation.
- Oxidative Stress – Damages neurons and insulin receptors, reducing glucose uptake and impairing brain function.
Recent research also points to impaired GLP-1 signaling and mitochondrial dysfunction as contributing factors (source).
Alzheimer’s and the Energy Crisis in the Brain
When neurons lose access to glucose due to insulin resistance, the brain experiences an energy crisis. Without fuel, neurons can’t carry out the complex tasks needed for learning, memory, focus, and emotional regulation. Over time, this leads to the hallmark symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
This is why targeting brain insulin resistance is such a powerful, and often overlooked, Alzheimer’s prevention strategy.
Two Evidence-Backed Strategies to Bypass Brain Insulin Resistance
1. The Ketoflex 12/3 Diet
This nutrient-dense, low-glycemic, plant-rich diet shifts the body into mild ketosis, where ketones — not glucose — become the brain’s primary energy source. Ketones don’t require insulin to enter neurons, meaning they can fuel the brain even when insulin resistance is present.
Studies show ketogenic strategies may improve memory and slow cognitive decline in those at risk for Alzheimer’s (source).
2. Regular Physical Exercise
Exercise improves insulin sensitivity, increases blood flow to the brain, and activates pathways that let glucose enter muscle cells without insulin.
Together, Ketoflex 12/3 + exercise create a dual metabolic advantage:
- The diet provides an alternative fuel for the brain.
- Exercise reduces insulin resistance throughout the body, improving overall metabolic health.
Emerging Therapies to Watch
Researchers are exploring additional interventions for brain insulin resistance, including:
- Intranasal insulin therapy – Delivers insulin directly to the brain to improve memory and cognitive function (source).
- GLP-1 receptor agonists – Drugs like semaglutide may reduce neuroinflammation and improve metabolic signaling in the brain (source).
While these treatments are still being studied, lifestyle changes remain the most accessible and proven starting point.
The Biggest Challenge: Staying Consistent
Changing how you eat and move is hard — especially without support. Old habits, slow results, and lack of accountability can make it tempting to quit.
That’s why my Direct Access group and Quick Start Action Steps program focus on structure, education, and community. You’ll get step-by-step courses, live Zoom calls, and the encouragement of others walking the same Alzheimer’s prevention path.
A Real Success Story
In one of our recent Direct Access calls, Susan shared her husband’s journey. Diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s in February 2024, he began the ReCODE protocol, adopted the Ketoflex diet, and optimized plasmalogens.
Months later, Susan reports:
- No more cognitive backsliding
- Better short-term recall
- More engagement in conversations and social activities
This is the power of consistent, targeted intervention.
How to Get Started on Your Brain Health Journey
You can start now for $85/month, with lifetime access to all current and future courses at no extra cost.
Next steps:
- Book a consultation to review your risk factors, current diagnosis, and best plan of action.
- Join Direct Access for the tools, accountability, and guidance you need to stick with proven strategies.
- Explore testing options like the Cognoscopy to measure your brain health markers.
Your brain health-span depends on addressing lifestyle, lab testing, and chronic health issues today — not when symptoms worsen.
Angela Chapman, M.Ed., FDN-P, is a certified ReCODE practitioner and brain health educator. Her weekly newsletter is packed with cutting-edge information on how to prevent, slow, or reverse cognitive decline.
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