The largest study into metabolic health and brain health has just been published.

Its findings?

That people with poor metabolic health are more likely to have memory and thinking problems and worse brain health.

In this article I’ll explain why metabolic health and brain health are so closely associated, and what you can do to improve both…

First, what is metabolic health?

Metabolism is the process that happens to turn the food you eat into the energy your body needs for everyday tasks like breathing, moving, and thinking. 

Metabolism also handles making and breaking down molecules that help your body grow, heal, and stay in good shape.

When we talk about metabolic health, we're basically talking about how well this whole process is running in your body. 

If everything's going smoothly, it means your body is using energy and nutrients from food efficiently. 

When there are problems with metabolism, there will be problems in the way cells function, leading to disease. 

The study

In this recent study, poor metabolic health is defined as having three or more of the following: a large waist circumference, high triglycerides, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and low levels of HDL cholesterol.

Analysing 37000 participants in the UK, the study found that having poor metabolic health was linked to:

• Lower total brain volume and lower grey matter volume

• Vascular brain damage

• Memory problems and worse performance in cognitive tests of working memory and verbal memory

• And worse performance in cognitive tests of processing speed, verbal and numerical reasoning, nonverbal reasoning, and tests of executive function.

Previous studies have also shown that having poor metabolic health could increase the risk of developing dementia.

This alarming study highlights the inseparable link between the health of the body and the health of the brain, and the need to focus on the holistic treatment and prevention of disease.  

Holistic treatment

When seen through this holistic lens, neurological disorders can be considered metabolic disorders of the brain.    

And this is why Interventions such as diet, exercise, stress reduction, sleep management, toxin avoidance, and certain supplements can effectively treat neurological disorders in many people.

With this new knowledge, taking control of your brain health, enhancing cognition, and reducing your risk of dementia can start today. 

To learn more about metabolic health and for specific strategies to improve yours, check out our blog where you’ll find lots of useful articles on this subject.

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Source: https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2024-06-19-poor-metabolic-health-linked-worse-brain-health