How to reduce your risk of Dementia and Alzheimer’s: Type 3 Diabetes

When we think about Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, we often think of memory loss and aging—but recent research shows something far more surprising: a powerful link between blood sugar, insulin resistance, and brain health.

Some scientists are even calling Alzheimer’s “Type 3 Diabetes.”
So, what does this mean for you—and how can the ketogenic, low carb lifestyle help protect your brain for years to come?

Let’s dig in.

🧠 What Is Type 3 Diabetes?

Type 3 Diabetes is a term used by researchers to describe Alzheimer’s disease caused by insulin resistance in the brain. Just like Type 2 diabetes affects your body’s ability to process glucose, Type 3 affects the brain’s ability to use glucose for fuel—leading to inflammation, oxidative stress, and cognitive decline.

The bottom line:
🧁 Too much sugar and refined carbs = high insulin
💥 High insulin = insulin resistance
🧠 Insulin resistance in the brain = cognitive damage over time

💡 The Role of the Ketogenic Diet in Brain Health

Here’s the good news: the keto diet—originally developed to treat neurological disorders like epilepsy—has a powerful effect on the brain.

When you go keto, your body burns fat for fuel, producing ketones. Unlike glucose, ketones:

Provide a cleaner, more stable energy source
Reduce inflammation and oxidative stress
Bypass insulin resistance entirely

In other words, ketones nourish your brain—especially when sugar can’t.

🍳 How to Eat for a Healthy Brain

You don’t have to be perfect, but consistency matters.
Here are simple keto meal ideas that support brain health and help regulate blood sugar:

🥓 Eggs, avocado, and greens with olive oil
🥩 Grilled salmon with roasted vegetables
🧇 KetoBakes pancakes or bread with nut butter
🥬 Beef & Cauliflower rice stir fry with coconut aminos
🍞 KetoBakes Best EVER Buns with grass-fed burger patties

By avoiding high-carb, processed foods, and replacing them with nutrient-rich, low carb alternatives, you’re protecting your brain from long-term damage.

💙 KetoBakes Makes It Easy (and Delicious)

Changing your diet doesn’t mean giving up your favorite foods—it just means upgrading the ingredients. At KetoBakes.com, all of our products are:

Low carb
Gluten free (perfect for celiac needs)
Diabetic-friendly
Made with natural clean ingredients your body and brain love

From bread mixes to zero-sugar cocoa and lemonade, we help you stay on track without sacrificing convenience or flavor.

✅ Great for managing Type 1, Type 2 or Type 3 diabetes
✅ Supportive of cognitive health
✅ Family-friendly, fast, and freezer-safe

🧬 Other Lifestyle Tips to Reduce Risk

Along with diet, here are more ways to lower your dementia risk:

Exercise daily – even walking helps
Get deep sleep – your brain detoxes overnight
Avoid alcohol and sugar (limit to special occasion drink?)
Manage stress – chronic stress affects memory
Stay mentally active – read, learn, explore
Keep blood pressure and insulin in check

🧠 A Ketogenic, Low-Carb Lifestyle Helps Protect Brain Health & Reduce Type 3 Diabetes Risk

1. Ketogenic Diet Slows or Prevents Alzheimer's Disease Progression
A 2024 clinical trial evaluating a Modified Mediterranean Ketogenic Diet (MMKD) in older adults (some with mild cognitive impairment) showed that the diet shifted key plasma lipid biomarkers in the opposite direction of those found in Alzheimer's disease, suggesting a protective metabolic effect and potential for early prevention eatingwell.com+6sciencedirect.com+6alzres.biomedcentral.com+6 nature.com.

2. Improved Cognition & Daily Function in Alzheimer's Patients
A randomized crossover study gave Alzheimer's patients 12 weeks of a ketogenic diet (achieving sustained physiological ketosis). The results included notable improvements in their abilities to perform daily tasks and enhancements in quality of life compared to a standard diet alzres.biomedcentral.com.

3. Brain-Insulin Resistance (Type 3 Diabetes) Is Linked to Alzheimer's
Research support indicates that Alzheimer’s may result from brain-specific insulin resistance, a concept known as "Type 3 Diabetes." This paper explains how disrupted glucose metabolism in the brain and systemic insulin resistance contribute to neurodegeneration.

📚Reference: de la Monte, S. M., & Wands, J. R. (2008). Alzheimer’s Disease is Type 3 Diabetes—Evidence Reviewed. Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, 2(6), 1101–1113.
🔗 Read the full article on NCBI

Summary

This review introduces Alzheimer’s as “Type 3 Diabetes,” highlighting how insulin resistance in the brain leads to impaired glucose metabolism, oxidative stress, and neurodegeneration. The paper explains that disrupted insulin signaling in the brain contributes directly to Alzheimer’s pathology, linking metabolic syndrome and diabetes to cognitive decline.

🧠 Peer-Reviewed Support for Keto and Type 3 Diabetes Prevention

Study Title: Plasma lipid biomarkers track changes in cognitive response to ketogenic and low-fat diets in older adults at risk for Alzheimer’s disease
Published in: Alzheimer's & Dementia (2023)
Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10662343/

Summary: This study found that a ketogenic diet improved metabolic biomarkers and reduced risk factors associated with Alzheimer’s in older adults, especially those with mild cognitive impairment. The diet shifted lipid levels in the brain in a direction opposite to what’s commonly observed in Alzheimer’s disease—offering promising preventive potential.

✅ Conclusion

By adopting a ketogenic, low carb lifestyle, you're not just managing blood sugar—you may also:

Provide your brain a stable energy source in the form of ketones
Support metabolic pathways that reduce Alzheimer’s-related biomarkers
Improve daily functioning in cognitive decline
Address the root issue of Type 3 Diabetes (brain insulin resistance)

These combined effects illustrate why choosing keto now could significantly lower your long-term risk of dementia or Alzheimer's.

📝 Final Thoughts

Dementia and Alzheimer’s don’t have to feel inevitable.
By choosing a ketogenic, low carb lifestyle now, you can protect your brain, manage your blood sugar, and drastically reduce your long-term risk of developing Type 3 Diabetes.

At KetoBakes.com, we’re more than a baking company—we’re part of your long-term wellness plan.

💬 Have questions about keto and brain health?
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