What is Metabolic health? Why Does It Matter?

What is Metabolic health? Why Does It Matter?

Metabolic health doesn’t yet have a single official definition, but most experts agree it means having a body that processes food and energy efficiently while keeping key systems in balance. In practice, it’s often defined by what it isn’t. According to Metabolic Syndrome Canada, poor metabolic health is identified by the presence of the following markers:

  • High blood pressure (≥ 130/85 mm Hg, or receiving medication)
  • High blood glucose (≥ 5.6 mmol/L, or receiving medication)
  • High triglycerides (≥ 1.7 mmol/L, or receiving medication)
  • Low HDL cholesterol (< 1.0 mmol/L in men, < 1.3 mmol/L in women)
  • Large waist circumference (≥ 102 cm in men, ≥ 88 cm in women; varies by ethnicity)

If three or more of these markers are present, the diagnosis is “metabolic syndrome.” This cluster of risks is one of the biggest drivers of chronic disease worldwide.

Why does metabolic health decline?

The underlying issue is often insulin resistance. When cells stop responding properly to insulin, glucose builds up in the blood. The pancreas compensates by making more insulin, but over time this process can lead to type 2 diabetes (Mayo Clinic, 2023).

Some risk factors are beyond individual control, like genetics. Others — such as excess body fat, inactivity, processed food diets, certain medications, and high stress levels — can be addressed (Cleveland Clinic, n.d.-a; Dixit & Goyal, 2022).

How are Canadians doing?

The trend is concerning. In the early 1990s, 10–15 percent of Canadian adults met the diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome. By 2014, that figure had risen to one in five (Metabolic Syndrome Canada, n.d.; NHLBI, 2016). If this trajectory continues, the implications for healthcare costs, productivity, and public policy will be significant. Read more about the economic impact of metabolic syndrome.

The impacts of poor metabolic health

Metabolic dysfunction doesn’t just increase the risk of diabetes. It has wide-ranging effects that touch multiple systems of the body — and by extension, the healthcare system, workplaces, and the broader economy.

Alzheimer’s and Dementia


A 2025 study found that women with metabolic syndrome had a 34 percent higher risk of developing early-onset dementia, while men had a 15 percent higher risk. For people showing all five markers of metabolic syndrome, the risk jumped to 70 percent. Even when looking specifically at Alzheimer’s disease, metabolic syndrome was linked to a 12 percent higher risk overall (American Academy of Neurology, 2025). This research reinforces the idea of Alzheimer’s being referred to as “Type 3 diabetes.”

Mental Health


Recent studies have connected metabolic dysfunction to cognitive decline and psychiatric disorders, including mood disorders and schizophrenia-related conditions (ScienceDirect, 2024). Psychiatrist Dr. Chris Palmer has gone further, arguing in Brain Energy that all mental health conditions can be understood as metabolic disorders of the brain.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)


Traditionally seen as a reproductive condition, PCOS is now increasingly recognized as a metabolic disease as well. Affecting about one in five women, PCOS is associated with insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction, key drivers of its hormonal and reproductive symptoms (PubMed, 2025; Cleveland Clinic, n.d.-b).

Migraines


Metabolic dysfunction has also been linked to neurological conditions like migraines. A 2021 study found that 16 percent of migraine sufferers met the diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome, with prevalence highest among those experiencing more severe migraines (NHLBI, 2022b).

What can be done

The good news is that metabolic health responds well to intervention. Lifestyle changes like weight management, regular exercise, good sleep, stress reduction, and quitting smoking all improve outcomes. Medications such as statins, blood pressure drugs, and diabetes therapies also play a role when needed (Cleveland Clinic, n.d.-c).

Dietary approaches matter too. Evidence shows benefits from Mediterranean, plant-based, and ketogenic diets, as well as intermittent fasting strategies like time-restricted eating and alternate-day fasting (NHLBI, 2022a). While the benefits of intermittent fasting are well-established, further research is needed to identify which types of diets offer the greatest response.

References

1.        American Academy of Neurology. (2025). Metabolic syndrome linked to dementia risk. Retrieved from https://www.aan.com/PressRoom/home/PressRelease/5255#:~:text=Researchers%20found%20female%20participants%20with,the%20American%20Academy%20of%20Neurology

2.        Canada.ca. (2014). Metabolic syndrome and chronic disease. Public Health Agency of Canada. Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/reports-publications/health-promotion-chronic-disease-prevention-canada-research-policy-practice/vol-34-no-1-2014/metabolic-syndrome-chronic-disease.html

3.        Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.-a). Insulin resistance. Retrieved from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22206-insulin-resistance

4.        Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.-b). Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Retrieved from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8316-polycystic-ovary-syndrome-pcos

5.        Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.-c). Metabolic syndrome. Retrieved from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/10783-metabolic-syndrome

6.        Dixit, S., & Goyal, A. (2022). Stress, oxidative stress and metabolic disorders: A mechanistic insight. Frontiers in Endocrinology. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8971350/

7.        Mayo Clinic. (2023). Metabolic syndrome. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/metabolic-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20351916

8.        Metabolic Syndrome Canada. (n.d.). What is metabolic syndrome? Retrieved from https://www.metabolicsyndromecanada.ca/mets

9.        National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). (2016). Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Canada. Canadian Journal of Cardiology, 32(8), 987.e9–987.e16. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4910427/

10.  National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). (2022a). Intermittent fasting and metabolic health. Frontiers in Nutrition. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8839325/

11.  National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). (2022b). Migraine and metabolic syndrome: A cross-sectional study. Journal of Headache and Pain, 23(1), 59. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9107570/

12.  Palmer, C. (2022). Brain energy: A revolutionary breakthrough in understanding mental health—and improving treatment for anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD, and more. BenBella Books.

13.  PubMed. (2025). Insulin resistance and PCOS. Frontiers in Endocrinology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39609634/

14.  ScienceDirect. (2023). Metabolic syndrome and pancreatic cancer risk. Cancer Letters, 569, 216308. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666634023000624

15.  ScienceDirect. (2024). Metabolic dysfunction and psychiatric disorders. The Lancet Psychiatry, 11(3), 245–259. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667174324001563

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