Why Alzheimer’s May Be a Metabolic Disease
From The Metabolic Classroom with Dr. Ben Bikman by Insulin IQ
March 9, 2026 · 30 min · Episode 140
About this episode
Dr. Ben Bikman discusses the emerging perspective of Alzheimer's disease as a metabolic disorder driven by brain insulin resistance.
📢 Ask Dr. Bikman’s Digital Mind (multilingual): https://benbikman.com/ben-bikmans-digital-ai-mind 📢 Dr. Bikman’s Community & Coaching Site: https://insuliniq.com Topic: Alzheimer’s disease has traditionally been explained by the buildup of amyloid plaques in the brain, but growing evidence suggests this theory does not fully account for the disease or lead to effective treatments. A metabolic perspective proposes that Alzheimer’s may instead be driven by brain insulin resistance, which disrupts neuronal energy metabolism—while the brain’s ability to use ketones as an alternative fuel remains intact, offering potential strategies for prevention and support. Summary: For decades, Alzheimer’s disease has largely been understood through the lens of the amyloid plaque hypothesis, which proposes that sticky protein deposits in the brain trigger neurodegeneration and cognitive decline. In this Metabolic Classroom lecture, Ben explains why that theory is increasingly being questioned. He reviews the historical origins of the plaque hypothesis and the repeated failure of drugs designed to remove amyloid plaques to meaningfully improve patient outcomes. The controversy surrounding…
People in this episode
Host: Dr. Ben Bikman
Topics covered
- Alzheimer's disease
- metabolic disease
- brain insulin resistance
- neurodegeneration
- cognitive decline
Keywords
- Alzheimer's
- metabolic disease
- insulin resistance
- amyloid plaques
- ketones
- neurodegeneration
- cognitive decline
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Insulin IQ
Books & works: Alzheimer’s disease, amyloid plaques, ketones
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