Metabolic Health and Why It Matters

Metabolic Health and Why It Matters

Metabolism is the foundation of health. It’s not a single “thing” happening in your body; it’s the sum of trillions of chemical reactions taking place in every one of your cells, every second of the day. These reactions take the food and drink you consume and convert them into energy, structural components, and regulatory molecules that keep you alive and functioning.

If you’ve ever wondered why some people seem to have boundless energy, recover quickly from illness, and maintain steady weight and mood, the answer often lies in how well their metabolism is working.

When metabolic processes are well regulated, your body is in a state of balance; able to adapt, repair, and protect itself efficiently. When they’re not, small inefficiencies can accumulate, leading to fatigue, weight gain, chronic inflammation, and eventually serious disease.

What Does Your Metabolism Actually Do?

Biologists often divide metabolism into two main pathways:

• Catabolism – breaking down molecules (like glucose , fatty acids or protein) to release energy.
• Anabolism – building up molecules (like muscle protein, fat, hormones, or DNA) to maintain and repair the body.

But for a layperson, it’s easier to think of metabolism as having three critical jobs:

1. Energy Production

Every process in your body, from contracting your muscles to producing hormones to firing a neuron in your brain, requires energy. This energy is stored and transferred in the form of a molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP), produced in your mitochondria.

• Glucose from carbohydrates, fatty acids from fats, and amino acids from proteins are metabolised through pathways such as glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, the Krebs cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation to produce ATP.
• A healthy metabolism is flexible and able to switch between using glucose and fat as the primary energy source depending on your activity level, fasting state, or diet.
• Impaired flexibility (known as metabolic inflexibility) is a hallmark of insulin resistance and poor metabolic health [1].

2. Building and Repair

Metabolism doesn’t just burn fuel, it builds your body and creates the components (cells, tissues, organs) that your body needs to function. For example

• Amino acids are assembled into proteins that make up muscles, enzymes, and immune molecules.
• Fatty acids are used to build cell membranes and signalling molecules.
• Nucleotides are synthesised for DNA and RNA, which are constantly being repaired and replaced.

This constant turnover, called protein and cellular turnover, is vital for healing, adaptation to exercise, immune response, and even memory formation.

3. Waste Elimination

Every reaction produces by-products. Some are harmless; others are potentially damaging if allowed to accumulate.

• The liver processes toxins and metabolic waste, packaging them for elimination via bile or urine.
• The kidneys filter waste from the blood.
• The lungs remove carbon dioxide generated during energy production.

A healthy metabolism efficiently clears waste and keeps harmful reactive molecules under control.

Signs That Your Metabolism Is Struggling

Metabolic decline is often subtle at first. Early warning signs include:

• Excess abdominal fat, especially visceral fat around organs (linked to inflammation and metabolic dysfunction) [2].
• Persistent fatigue despite rest, often due to impaired mitochondrial function.
• Brain fog, mood changes, or difficulty concentrating.
• Poor exercise recovery or reduced stamina.

If not addressed, over time, these can develop into metabolic syndrome; a cluster of risk factors that is the most important cause of chronic illness, greatly increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease (heart attacks and strokes), certain cancers, and dementia.

What Is Metabolic Syndrome?

Metabolic syndrome is diagnosed when at least three of the following are present:

1. High blood pressure
2. Elevated fasting blood sugar
3. High triglycerides
4. Low HDL cholesterol
5. Excess abdominal fat

It affects about one-third of adults in developed countries [3]. The underlying drivers are a mismatch between our evolutionary biology that historically has adapted us to prolonged periods of undernutrition, high levels of activity and a natural highly diverse diet rich in plants and modern lifestyles characterised by overnutrition, physical inactivity, poor-quality carbohydrate rich diets.

Nutrients Your Metabolism Needs

Traditionally, nutrients are classified as:

• Macronutrients – carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, which supply energy and structural materials.
• Micronutrients – vitamins, minerals, and choline, which act as cofactors for enzymes and regulatory molecules.

This framework is useful, but incomplete. Polyphenols, plant-derived compounds, don’t fit neatly into either category, yet research increasingly shows they play a critical role in regulating metabolism [4].

Polyphenols: Nature’s Metabolic Regulators

Polyphenols are bioactive compounds found in fruits, vegetables, teas, herbs, and berries. They are part of a plant’s natural defence system against stress, pests, and environmental damage and they confer similar resilience to humans when consumed.

Primates and then humans evolved eating wild plants and berries with polyphenol levels far higher than in most cultivated produce today. Modern diets, even “healthy” ones, typically fall well short of ancestral intakes [5]. This shortfall may be a hidden contributor to widespread metabolic ill health.

Why Metabolic Health Matters for Every System in Your Body

Your metabolism influences:

• Cardiovascular health – Healthy blood vessels depend on balanced lipid metabolism, good insulin sensitivity, and reduced inflammation.  As every cell and tissue of the body depends on a good blood supply, cardiovascular health is an essential foundation for overall health and vitality.
• Brain function – The brain uses ~20% of your resting energy; poor metabolic health is linked to cognitive decline [6].
• Immune function – Metabolic pathways regulate immune cell activation and inflammation control.
• Musculoskeletal health – Muscle is metabolically active tissue; maintaining it requires both adequate nutrition and metabolic efficiency.
• Longevity – Good metabolic health is strongly associated with increased healthspan and reduced risk of age-related disease.

Bringing It All Together

Metabolism is far more than “calories in, calories out.” It’s the engine, repair system, waste management system, and communication network of your body, all rolled into one. A healthy metabolism supports vitality, resilience, and long-term wellness.

Polyphenols are a crucial and often overlooked part of that equation. By replenishing what modern diets lack, they help keep your body’s systems running smoothly and in balance.

References

1. Kelley, D.E., Mandarino, L.J. (2000). Fuel selection in human skeletal muscle in insulin resistance: a reexamination. Diabetes, 49(5), 677–683.
2. Després, J.P. (2012). Body fat distribution and risk of cardiovascular disease. Circulation, 126(10), 1301–1313.
3. Saklayen, M.G. (2018). The global epidemic of the metabolic syndrome. Current Hypertension Reports, 20(2), 12.
4. Manach, C., et al. (2004). Polyphenols: food sources and bioavailability. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 79(5), 727–747.
5. Tresserra-Rimbau, A., et al. (2013). Dietary intake and major food sources of polyphenols in a Spanish population at high cardiovascular risk: the PREDIMED study. Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases, 23(10), 953–959.
6. Gómez-Pinilla, F. (2008). Brain foods: the effects of nutrients on brain function. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 9(7), 568–578.