New research confirms the connection between metabolic and mental health. In other words, diseases associated with elevated blood sugar levels and bad cholesterol have been found to be correlated with anxiety and depression. In the past, it was thought that poor mental health led to poor lifestyle choices which then led to obesity, bad cholesterol and metabolic syndrome. This study shows the opposite: that metabolic disorders led to mental health issues. The connection is in the chemistry and not just in the behavior. What does this mean for my advice to patients?

• Mental Health issues are not just behavioral, or the result of family problems. They are interconnected with your body chemistry. We need to work on your whole health, and not just pieces in isolation.
• Depression and anxiety, for many people, may be metabolic in causation. In other words, the same advice for diabetes and elevated cholesterol may be the best advice for the depressed and anxious individual.
• Exercise and diet advice is not just about weight: it’s about every cell in your body, including your brain! Therefore it is imperative to add these topics to our discussion.

I have seen this over and over in my practice: exercise, healthy diet, social support, and good sleep promote improved mood more successfully than any pill on the market. So, I’ve always started with these cornerstones of health, and then if the chemistry is still off, prescribe something that will help support further improvement. Now, research is confirming this, which will help to pave the way for better practice in the future, and better advice to patients.

In the meantime, I wonder if the hypothesis, as proposed by Dr. Chris Palmer, that mental disorders are actually metabolic disorder of the brain, will gain more traction and more research. I would recommend his book, Brain Energy, as a good read to dive deeper into this subject.

To review the study mentioned above, follow this link to the Journal of the American Medical Association:

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2816888: Metabolic and Mental health

As always, if you have one of these conditions, meet with your primary care provider to discuss in detail. Your case needs to be handled as an individual with your whole history and current health in mind.

Please comment if you have further thoughts on this fascinating subject or to share your own journey. Thanks!