Enhance autophagy, ketogenesis

The second intervention to reverse mild Alzheimer's in the Bredesen Protocol Explained is:

Goal: Enhance autophagy, ketogenesis

Approach: Fast 12 hr each night, including 3 hr prior to bedtime.

Rationale: Reduce insulin levels, reduce Aß.

Autophagy means self-eating. When you don't eat for long periods, your body turns to itself for fuel and spare parts, hopefully mostly eating things that are messed up anyways and need to be gotten rid of.

Ketogenesis means making ketone molecules. When you sleep, after your last meal with carbs is all digested and used, your brain still needs energy. If you fast long enough it gets some from turning your fat stores into ketones which the brain loves.

[1] Insulin is the hormone produced when you eat carbs, telling your body to take glucose out of the bloodstream. If you eat too many carbs over decades your body can become insulin resistant. You become diabetic, which doubles your Alzheimer's risk.

Aß (Amyloid Beta) plaque is often found in autopsies of Alzheimer's brains. A ketogenic diet has been shown to reduce the plaques in mice. Pieces of Aß are insulin-like molecules that make it harder for brain cells to get glucose from the blood.

References

Overnight fasting/autophagy as a neuroprotective strategy: Neuroprotective effects of dietary restriction: Evidence and mechanisms http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25773162

Ketone as an alternate form of neural fuel in ApoE4 carriers: Brain fuel metabolism, aging, and Alzheimer's disease http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21035308

The next intervention is Reduce stress.