By Dr. Gregory C. Fors
Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist
Chief Science Officer, BioSpec Nutritionals
This topic is deeply personal for me.
My mother suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. Like millions of families, I watched first hand as memory, independence, personality, and quality of life gradually slipped away from someone I loved deeply.
This experience helped fuel a lifelong interest in understanding how the brain works, why cognitive decline occurs, and most importantly, what can be done to reduce risk and preserve cognitive function.
As a Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist, I have spent decades studying the nervous system, educating doctors, and helping patients with brain fog, memory problems, chronic pain, sleep disorders, metabolic dysfunction, and neurodegenerative conditions.
Over the years I have attended numerous educational seminars taught by Dr. Dale Bredesen, one of the pioneers in functional medicine approaches to cognitive decline. Most recently, I attended the Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Institute Brain Conference in Chicago in May 2026, where Dr. Bredesen once again shared emerging research regarding Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline.
One of the most important lessons I have learned from Dr. Bredesen’s work and from caring for patients over several decades is this:
Most people assume Alzheimer’s disease suddenly appears late in life. In reality, the biological processes that contribute to Alzheimer’s disease often begin twenty to thirty years before a diagnosis is ever made.
The earliest warning signs are frequently subtle. You may notice:
Because these changes seem minor, many people dismiss them as normal aging. I do not.
In many individuals, these symptoms represent early warning signs that the brain is under stress and beginning to lose resilience. The encouraging news is that many of the biological factors driving cognitive decline are modifiable. The earlier they are identified, the greater our opportunity to change the trajectory.
A couple of decades ago, I discovered that I was developing insulin resistance myself.
Like many people, I felt healthy. I exercised, maintained a healthy weight, and generally took good care of myself. Yet laboratory testing revealed that my metabolism was beginning to move in the wrong direction.
This discovery became a turning point. I became much more intentional about controlling blood sugar, reducing insulin spikes, increasing physical activity, improving sleep, and utilizing targeted nutritional support.
Today, as I celebrate my 75th year, I continue to enjoy excellent cognitive function, strong energy levels, an active professional life, and a passion for helping others improve their health. My experience reinforced something I have observed repeatedly in clinical practice: Many of the processes that eventually contribute to Alzheimer’s disease begin decades before symptoms appear.
Ask yourself:
Checking several of these boxes does not mean you have Alzheimer’s disease. It does mean your brain deserves attention.
One of the most important concepts emerging from modern neuroscience is that Alzheimer’s disease is not a single disease process. Instead, it is often the result of multiple biological stressors occurring simultaneously. Dr. Bredesen has described several common patterns that contribute to cognitive decline:
If there is one factor I routinely find beneath chronic disease, it is insulin resistance. Insulin resistance contributes to heart disease, stroke, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, certain cancers, and Alzheimer’s disease.
When insulin remains elevated year after year, the brain gradually loses its ability to efficiently utilize glucose for fuel. The result is:
Many patients tell me, “My memory just isn’t what it used to be.” In many cases, the problem is not aging. The problem is metabolic dysfunction.
I am far less interested in waiting for Alzheimer’s disease to develop than I am in identifying the metabolic, inflammatory, nutritional, vascular, and lifestyle factors that create the conditions for Alzheimer’s disease decades earlier. Those are the factors we can actually do something about.
One of the greatest misconceptions regarding Alzheimer’s disease is that it begins with severe memory loss. It usually does not. In many cases the progression looks something like this:
Insulin Resistance → Brain Fog → Cognitive Fatigue → Mild Cognitive Impairment → Dementia
This process may unfold over decades. That means there is tremendous opportunity for intervention. The goal is not simply treating Alzheimer’s disease. The goal is preventing the biological environment that allows Alzheimer’s disease to develop.
For decades, Alzheimer’s disease was viewed as an inevitable consequence of aging. The emerging science tells a different story. While genetics matter, lifestyle factors appear to play an enormous role in determining whether the brain remains resilient or gradually declines.
My goal is not simply to help individuals live longer. My goal is to help other doctors help their patients maintain clear thinking, independence, meaningful relationships, and the ability to enjoy life for as many years as possible. That journey begins long before a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
It begins today. Take control of your health. There is hope.
In Part 2 of this Alzheimer’s Awareness Series, I will discuss the lifestyle, nutrition, exercise, sleep, and nutritional supplement strategies that may help support healthy cognitive aging and reduce the risk of cognitive decline. We will dive deep into:
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