Watchman News

Metabolic disease is a global epidemic that has become a significant public health problem. Conditions like obesity and Type 2 diabetes are spreading rapidly across populations worldwide, affecting millions and straining health care systems.1 If left unchecked, these diseases can lead to severe complications, including heart disease, stroke, and premature death.

Gut microbiota plays a crucial role in maintaining your health by regulating your body’s metabolism. Among these microorganisms, Akkermansia muciniphila stands out as a key player. Research suggests Akkermansia plays a role in metabolic and immune functions and may support gut health.2 Low levels of this bacterium have also been linked to an increased risk of a variety of diseases, including intestinal inflammatory diseases and certain parasitic infections.3

Current research highlights the importance of Akkermansia in managing a wide variety of these conditions. For instance, studies published inFrontiers in Immunology and Frontiers in Microbiomes have shown that alterations in Akkermansia abundance are associated with the severity of metabolic disorders and immune-related diseases.4,5

Additionally, research in Critical Reviews in Microbiology and Microbiome Research Reports has explored its role in gut health and its potential as a therapeutic target in ongoing research.6,7,8

Exploring the Benefits of Akkermansia Muciniphila

Low levels of Akkermansia are associated with metabolic diseases such as obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Conventional treatments for these conditions typically involve medications that can have deleterious side effects. For instance, drugs like metformin, commonly prescribed for diabetes, may cause gastrointestinal issues and vitamin B12 deficiency.

• Weight-loss medications like Ozempic are also associated with serious side effects — These include pancreatitis, bowel obstruction, stomach paralysis, and even death. The problem is that these conventional treatments address symptoms rather than the root causes. Researchers are now exploring holistic strategies, and one angle they’re looking into is Akkermansia supplementation, which may play a role in supporting metabolic health.
• The underlying causes of metabolic diseases are multifaceted — They often stem from a combination of genetic predisposition, poor dietary habits, sedentary lifestyles, and environmental factors. High intake of ultraprocessed foods loaded with refined sugar and polyunsaturated fats (PUFs), coupled with low physical activity, lead to obesity, which is a major risk factor for Type 2 diabetes.

Chronic inflammation and insulin resistance — measured by markers such as homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) — also play crucial roles in the development of these conditions.

Research Explores Akkermansia’s Role in Supporting Metabolic Health

A 2024 Chinese review published in Frontiers in Immunology explored the potential of Akkermansia muciniphila as a probiotic for metabolic conditions and overall human health.9 The researchers investigated how it affects gut microbiota, immune function, and various metabolic processes that are relevant in conditions like obesity, Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and fatty liver disease.10*

• Akkermansia makes up about 1% to 4% of the total intestinal microbiota in the human gut — Analyzing data from numerous experiments, the researchers reported a consistent pattern: individuals with lower levels of Akkermansia in their gut microbiota were more likely to have severe metabolic conditions.
Human and animal studies have also reported improvements in metabolic markers in subjects who received Akkermansia, though the published human trials are small, proof-of-concept studies.

In a Nature Medicine 2019 proof-of-concept trial involving 32 overweight/obese volunteers, participants receiving pasteurized Akkermansia for three months showed reductions in body weight, fat mass, and hip circumference compared to placebo, and improved insulin sensitivity.11*

• Akkermansia has also been associated with enhanced gut barrier function — This means it may help reduce the passage of harmful substances into the bloodstream, thereby reducing inflammation. Continuing this line of thought, inflammation is recognized as a contributor to insulin resistance, and researchers are exploring whether Akkermansia’s anti-inflammatory effects may influence Type 2 diabetes-related markers.
In addition, animal research has reported that Akkermansia may attenuate Western diet-induced atherosclerosis (in mouse models), prompting interest in its relationship to cardiovascular health.*

*These findings are from research conducted in clinical settings. Results may not apply to all individuals.

Mechanisms of Action

According to the authors, the proposed mechanisms of action vary by condition.12 In animal models of obesity, pasteurized Akkermansia has been reported to reduce carbohydrate absorption and increase energy excretion through feces, and to inhibit adipocyte (fat cell) formation. In Type 2 diabetes models, Akkermansia has been observed to stimulate GLP-1 secretion and influence insulin production.

GLP-1 is a hormone naturally produced in your intestines that plays a crucial role in blood sugar regulation and appetite control. When released after eating, it stimulates insulin production from the pancreas while suppressing glucagon, helps slow down stomach emptying to promote feelings of fullness, and acts on the appetite centers in your brain to reduce hunger.

It also supports the growth of insulin-producing beta cells in your pancreas and has been associated with cardiovascular benefits in research settings.

In animal models of fatty liver disease, Akkermansia has been reported to support hepatic (liver) fat metabolism. Researchers observed an increase in L-aspartate, which is associated with a metabolic chain reaction that may help reduce hepatic fat storage.

Dosages Used in Metabolic Studies

The following dosages are from animal (mouse) studies and are presented for research context only. They range from 100 million to 200 million colony forming units (CFUs) depending on the condition:†

1. Type 2 diabetes — 200 million CFUs per day (2 × 108 CFU/0.2 mL) administered for four weeks in mice on high-fat diets with researchers observing reduced blood glucose levels.13
2. Cardiovascular disease — 200 million CFUs (2 × 108 CFU/180 μL) in mouse models examining cardiovascular outcomes through effects on gut microbiota and immune function.14
3. Fatty liver disease — 100 million CFUs per day (1 × 108 CFU/mL) administered for six weeks in mice on high-fat/cholesterol diets, with reported reductions in liver steatosis, inflammation, and injury reported.15

†These findings are from laboratory or animal research and may not directly apply to human health.

In human trials, dosages up to 10 billion CFUs have been studied. As mentioned earlier, a three-month proof-of-concept clinical trial tested Akkermansia supplementation in 32 overweight and obese volunteers, using either live Akkermansia (10 billion CFU/day) or pasteurized Akkermansia (30 billion total fluorescent units (TFU)/day).16

• Both forms were safe and well-tolerated — Digging deeper into the data, the pasteurized form was associated with greater improvements in insulin sensitivity, insulinemia, total cholesterol, body weight, fat mass, and hip circumference compared to placebo. The pasteurized form was also associated with decreased white blood cell counts and inflammation markers like LPS. Larger trials are needed though to confirm these findings.
• Additional evidence reporting the safety profile of Akkermansia — In another 12-week proof-of-concept study of overweight and obese subjects with insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, administration of Akkermansia (at doses of 1 or 10 billion CFU, either live or pasteurized) was associated with distinct changes in fasting plasma metabolites compared to the control group.17

Here, researchers observed several outcomes: improvements in blood lipid markers, glycemic indicators including HOMA-IR-measured insulin resistance, hepatic enzyme levels, and endotoxemia markers. They also noted promising trends in obesity-related body measurements.

Probiotic Potency Explained: CFU, AFU, and TFU

When evaluating the potency of probiotics, there are three units of measurement you need to be aware of: colony forming units (CFU), active fluorescent units (AFU), and total fluorescent units (TFU).

• Colony forming units (CFU) — This is the most widely recognized and utilized metric for quantifying the number of viable bacteria or fungal cells in a probiotic product. One CFU represents a single microorganism capable of dividing and forming a colony under specific laboratory conditions. This measure is important because the activity of probiotics is associated with the number of live microorganisms that reach your gut.
Probiotic manufacturers typically list CFU counts on product labels, indicating the number of live organisms per serving. Higher CFU counts are often marketed as more potent, though the optimal CFU level can vary depending on the specific strains and the health context.
Consumers are also advised to check that the CFU amount listed on the label is specified as the CFU level at the end of shelf life (its expiration date).18 As noted by The Probiotics Institute,19 “The amount of probiotic (CFU) present on the ‘manufacturing date’ is not as important as the amount present at the ‘end of shelf life.'”
• Active fluorescent units (AFU) — This unit is a less conventional and not widely standardized measure in the context of probiotics, with the exception of Akkermansia. While CFU shows the number of bacteria that are alive, AFU refers to the total number of bacteria present, both dead and alive. It is primarily a unit used to measure enzymatic activity.
For instance, AFU could be used to evaluate the activity levels of specific enzymes produced by probiotics, which contribute to their function, such as breaking down lactose or producing vitamins. In some specialized applications, AFU is also used to assess the metabolic activity or functional potency of probiotic strains beyond mere viability.
Most companies that sell Akkermansia probiotics use AFU instead of CFU, and there’s a scientific reason for that. Akkermansia is a strict anaerobe and as such it plate-counts poorly under standard probiotic quality control conditions. Many viable-but-non-culturable (VBNC) cells aren’t captured by CFU even though they’re metabolically active.
Flow cytometry (AFU) was developed in part to address this conundrum. It labels cells with fluorescent dyes that distinguish intact membranes (live) from compromised ones, and counts each cell as it passes through a laser. In short, flow cytometry captures VBNC cells that plate counts miss.
• Total fluorescent units (TFU) — This unit measures the total bacterial mass including both live and dead cells through fluorescent labeling, and is typically used only for pasteurized products. Like AFU, TFU values are higher than CFU counts for the same sample since they include both viable and non-viable cells.

The primary difference between CFU, AFU, and TFU lies in what they measure: CFU quantifies the number of live microorganisms; AFU assesses the functional activity of those microorganisms; and TFU measures the total bacterial mass, regardless of their functional activity. While CFU is an indicator of the potential for colonization and survival of probiotics in the gut, AFU could offer additional insights into the functional capabilities of the probiotic strains.

Akkermansia’s Role in Brain Function

Akkermansia has also been studied for its interactions with brain function through the gut-brain axis. A comprehensive review published in the journal Critical Reviews in Microbiology explored the bacterium’s relationship with various neuropsychiatric conditions, documenting distinct patterns of abundance across different disorders.20 For example, research has reported reduced levels of Akkermansia in depression, anxiety, Alzheimer’s disease, substance use disorders, and ALS.

In Alzheimer’s disease research, patients tended to have reduced levels of Akkermansia, and supplementation has been studied across multiple preclinical models. For example, in Alzheimer’s mouse models, researchers observed reduced Aβ40 and Aβ42 levels — isoforms of amyloid beta peptide implicated in the disease — in the cerebral cortex, along with improvements in spatial learning and memory.

The supplementation also influenced brain measures at a cellular level in mouse studies, reducing microgliosis — the activation and proliferation of microglia (the brain’s immune cells) in response to injury or inflammation. Akkermansia also lowered inflammatory cytokines in the hippocampus, supporting oxidative metabolic activity, and restoring mitochondrial enzyme function.

How Akkermansia Can Support Brain Health

According to the Critical Reviews in Microbiology paper,21 research suggests Akkermansia may influence brain function through three proposed mechanisms:

• It may help protect the intestinal barrier — Akkermansia does this by increasing mucus-producing goblet cells, enhancing tight-junction proteins, and regulating endocannabinoid system molecules and GLP-1/GLP-2. These actions are thought to collectively reduce intestinal permeability and strengthen barrier function.
• Akkermansia aids in producing important metabolites — These include short-chain fatty acids (specifically propionate, acetate, and isovaleric acid) and may influence amino acid metabolism that affects neurotransmitters like GABA and serotonin. It has also been linked to hormones, dopamine, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels. Research has reported correlations between Akkermansia abundance and Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers through these metabolic pathways.
• Akkermansia appears to modulate the immune system by reducing inflammatory infiltration and proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL1α, IL6, IL12A) — At the same time, it increases anti-inflammatory macrophages and regulatory T cells. It also upregulates IL-10 expression, which in turn reduces transcription of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
In terms of brain-specific immune effects, there is also limited evidence suggesting it may help prevent high-fat diet-induced microgliosis in the hippocampus.

However, the paper emphasizes that while these mechanisms show promise, many aspects remain unclear. Most hypotheses about Akkermansia’s effects on brain function are based on its documented impacts on intestinal barrier protection, immune modulation, and metabolite production rather than direct evidence. Additional research, particularly human studies, is needed to fully understand its therapeutic potential for neuropsychiatric disorders.

*These findings are from laboratory or animal research and may not directly apply to human health.

Akkermansia in Intestinal-Related Diseases

Akkermansia is also being researched for its role in supporting intestinal health, with implications for certain intestinal conditions, according to a 2024 Microbiome Research Reports review.22 As in the other studies discussed, one of the standout findings was that Akkermansia is associated with improved gut barrier function.

• The gut barrier acts like a protective wall lining your intestines — This can help prevent harmful substances from leaking into your bloodstream. Research suggests that strengthening it may reduce inflammation and support resistance to certain infections — factors that are relevant in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) research.23

According to the cited paper, Akkermansia operates through several interconnected mechanisms. In terms of microbiota regulation, it produces short-chain fatty acids like acetate and propionate while supporting the growth of beneficial butyrate-producing bacteria. Researchers have also reported that it reshapes the gut microbial community by inhibiting harmful bacteria like Salmonella pullorum while promoting beneficial species.

• Research associates Akkermansia with enhanced barrier function through multiple pathways — For starters, it increases the expression of tight junction proteins and supports both mucus production and antimicrobial peptide expression. It also stimulates intestinal barrier protein production and upregulates specific proteins that maintain the structural integrity of the intestinal barrier.
• Immune system modulation is another proposed mechanism — As mentioned in the previous section, Akkermansia has been reported to reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines and increasing anti-inflammatory cytokines. It also has effects on T cell responses, particularly cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), and influences both dendritic cell and macrophage function.

These relationships are important. By influencing T cells (which fight infections and cancer), dendritic cells (which help identify threats), and macrophages (which eliminate harmful substances), Akkermansia is thought to help maintain balanced immune responses. This modulation may affect how well your body responds to threats while supporting against excessive inflammation that could damage healthy tissue.

Akkermansia May Have a Unique Role in Stress Management

Last but not least, Akkermansia supplementation has been studied in the context of stress-related conditions. A scientific review published in the September 2024 issue of Microbiome Research Reports investigated how Akkermansia interacts with the body to support mental health and assessed its activity in stress management.24

Although the research did not specify a particular study population, it provides insights into the potential applications of this bacterium.

As noted in this paper, animal research suggests that Akkermansia may reduce stress-related behaviors through several proposed mechanisms involving the microbiota-gut-brain axis, including the upregulation of BDNF. For context, BDNF is a protein that supports the survival and growth of neurons in the brain, essential for learning and memory.

Higher levels of BDNF have been associated with reduced symptoms of depression and improved cognitive function in research. Through its connection with BDNF, Akkermansia may support neuronal health and stress resilience, according to current published data.

Akkermansia also produces extracellular vesicles (EVs) that can interact with the host gut epithelium and may have biological activity comparable to whole bacterial cells. EVs are tiny particles released by cells that can transfer proteins and genetic material to other cells, and the EVs produced by Akkermansia have been observed in research to induce central nervous system-linked effects.

Here’s a summary of four studies examining Akkermansia effects on different neurological and stress conditions in mouse models,†† and the dosages used:25

• Depression with colitis — 1 billion CFUs per mL (1 × 109 CFU/mL) via fecal microbiota transplantation after antibiotic treatment in mice with chronic restraint stress and colitis. Researchers observed improvements in behavioral tests measuring depression-like symptoms (open field, tail suspension, and forced swim tests).
• Chronic stress effects — 500 million CFUs per mL (5 × 108 CFU/mL) orally for three weeks in stressed mice. Results showed improved behavioral test scores, reduced stress hormone levels, increased dopamine and BDNF, and changes in gut microbiota.
• Depression with alcohol exposure — 2.5 billion CFUs per 200 μL (2.5 × 109 CFU/200 μL) orally for five weeks in mice exposed to chronic stress and alcohol. Improvements were observed in body weight, depression-like behavior, and sucrose preference.
• Antibiotic-induced depression — Mice treated with antibiotics were given 1.5 billion CFUs per 200 μL (1.5 × 109 CFU/200 μL) daily for two weeks. Results showed reduction in depression-like behaviors caused by the antibiotic treatment.

††These findings are from laboratory or animal research and may not directly apply to human health.

How Research Suggests You Can Support Akkermansia Levels

One area researchers have studied is whether dietary patterns can shift Akkermansia abundance. As reported in Frontiers of Immunology:26

“Supplementation with prebiotics, fructo-oligosaccharides, FODMAP (fermentable Oligo-, Di- and Mono-saccharides and Polyols — which includes fructose, lactose, oligosaccharides, polyols, and sugar alcohols (polyols, such as sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, and maltitol)), and dietary polyphenols may increase the abundance of Akkermansia in healthy humans or animals. In addition, prebiotics can reverse the reduction of Akkermansia abundance due to high-sugar or high-fat diets.”

Pasteurized Akkermansia postbiotics and live Akkermansia supplements are another area of research and clinical use. Based on the published evidence (see Nature Medicine 2019 and Gut Microbes 2021 cited earlier), research has used live Akkermansia at 1 billion to 10 billion CFUs per day in human studies, with the pasteurized form showing greater associated benefit in the published proof-of-concept trial. That said, I recommend a two-phase approach:

• Phase 1 (Pasteurized Akkermansia postbiotics) — Postbiotics are non-living bacterial components that still deliver biological signals. Pasteurized forms of Akkermansia muciniphila contain Amuc_1100, a protein associated with tightening the gut barrier and reducing inflammation in research.
Look for postbiotic formulas with enteric coating or microencapsulation so the active components survive stomach acid and reach the colon intact. Without that protection, very little Amuc_1100 reaches the colon, and megadosing to compensate is expensive and inefficient — coated formats are more practical.
• Phase 2 (Live Akkermansia) — Introduce live probiotic Akkermansia only after all of the following: bloating remains minimal or absent; stool form stays consistent for at least seven days; fiber tolerance expands without symptom return. At this stage, live Akkermansia may be introduced alongside gentle prebiotics — like small amounts of resistant starch — to support the growth of butyrate-producing strains.

In closing, growing evidence suggests Akkermansia muciniphila may have implications for multiple aspects of health.

Keep in mind that the research findings are not universal, and individual responses may likely vary. My team is developing an affordable test to analyze your gut microbiome, with specific focus on Akkermansia. With that baseline, your health care practitioner will be able to make better-informed recommendations about whether Akkermansia augmentation might be appropriate for your specific condition.***

***Talk to your health care provider about whether this testing is appropriate for you.

FAQs About Akkermansia Muciniphila

Q: What is Akkermansia muciniphila, and why is it important for gut health?
A: Akkermansia muciniphila is a bacterial species that resides in the mucus layer of the human intestinal tract, where research suggests it plays a role in supporting the gut barrier. It typically makes up roughly 1% to 4% of the gut microbiota. Studies have associated higher levels of Akkermansia with various markers of metabolic and intestinal health, though most direct mechanistic evidence comes from animal models, and larger human studies are still emerging.

Q: What does the research say about pasteurized versus live Akkermansia?
A: In a 2019 proof-of-concept human trial published in Nature Medicine that involved 32 overweight or obese adults for three months, pasteurized Akkermansia was associated with greater improvements in insulin sensitivity and several metabolic markers compared to live Akkermansia or placebo.
You can follow a two-phase approach: starting with pasteurized Akkermansia postbiotics (which retain the Amuc_1100 protein associated with gut barrier function) before introducing live Akkermansia once gut tolerance is established. Larger trials are still needed to confirm these findings.

Q: What dietary approaches may support Akkermansia levels?
A: Diets high in refined sugar and seed-oil-derived polyunsaturated fats have been associated with reduced Akkermansia levels in research. For most adults working to restore gut function, the first-step approach is white rice and whole fruits rather than high-fiber or extensive prebiotic interventions, because fiber can increase endotoxin load in a compromised gut. As always, dietary changes need to be made with attention to individual tolerance and in consultation with a qualified health care provider.

Q: Is Akkermansia supplementation safe?
A: In the published human trials to date (see Nature Medicine 2019 and Gut Microbes 2021 in the article), both live and pasteurized Akkermansia were reported as safe and well-tolerated over the three-month study periods. However, these were proof-of-concept studies with small participant numbers, and longer-term safety data are still emerging. Talk to your health care provider before beginning any new supplement, particularly if you have a medical condition or take medications.

Q: How does Akkermansia interact with the gut-brain axis?
A: Research has explored several proposed mechanisms by which Akkermansia may influence brain function — including supporting the intestinal barrier, producing short-chain fatty acids, and modulating immune signaling that interacts with the central nervous system.
Studies have observed associations between Akkermansia levels and markers in conditions such as depression, anxiety, and Alzheimer’s, though most direct mechanistic evidence comes from mouse models. Larger human studies are needed.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a qualified health care provider before making changes to your health regimen.

Test Your Knowledge with Today’s Quiz!
Take today’s quiz to see how much you’ve learned from yesterday’s Mercola.com article.

What are glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs commonly prescribed to manage?

Obesity and Type 2 diabetes
GLP-1 medications are widely used for weight loss, and they also help manage Type 2 diabetes. Learn more.
Infections and seasonal allergies
Joint pain and muscle spasms
Migraines and sleep disorders

1 What factor can make people more likely to stick to their supplement routines?

Buying aesthetic pill cases
Buying expensive gummy forms of the supplement
Keeping the regimen simple
A simple regimen reduces daily friction, making supplements easier to remember and take consistently over time. Learn more.
Setting very loud alarms

2 When does the thymus gland begin to shrink?

During childhood
In early adulthood
The thymus begins shrinking in early adulthood, which may affect immune aging over time. Learn more.
In middle age
After age 70

3 When should you finish your last meal before bed?

Right before going to sleep
About 30 minutes before bed
About one hour before bed
At least three hours before bed
Finishing your last meal at least three hours before bedtime gives your body more time to digest food before sleep. Learn more.

4 How may postbiotics help with PCOS symptoms?

By supporting gut balance and insulin sensitivity
Better gut balance may support steadier hormone signals, improved energy use, and more regular menstrual cycles. Learn more.
By increasing bioavailability of nutrients
By increasing physical activity
By stopping hormone production

5 Why may geranylgeraniol (GG) become more important with age?

GG production rises as cells weaken
GG replaces the need for healthy food
GG prevents every sign of aging
GG production declines as age-related problems increase
Lower GG levels are linked to weaker cellular signaling, reduced energy production, inflammation, and poorer metabolic health. Learn more.

6 Why are some people concerned about the mosquito-release program?

Mosquitoes may continue biting humans
Releasing laboratory-raised insects may affect ecosystems
Critics worry about long-term environmental effects and the role of a private company in changing local ecosystems. Learn more.
Chemical insecticides may become stronger to combat the modified variants
Wild mosquitoes may become larger

7 What rare eye condition linked to Wegovy can reduce blood flow to the optic nerve?

Retinal detachment
Macular degeneration
Ischemic optic neuropathy (ION)
ION may cause sudden vision loss, blurred vision, blind spots, and, in some cases, permanent vision damage. Learn more.
Diabetic retinopathy

Test Your Knowledge with
The Master Level Quiz

1 What role should supplements play in a healthy diet?

They should support a foundation of real, whole food
Whole foods remain the foundation of good nutrition, while supplements provide targeted support when needed. Learn more.
They should replace meals when schedules become busy
They should provide all essential nutrients by themselves
They should become the main source of daily nutrition

2 Which of these compounds is described as an “umbrella remedy” for gastrointestinal problems?

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM)
Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)
DMSO is described as an umbrella remedy because it may reduce inflammation, improve circulation, and help revive damaged cells. Learn more.
N-acetylcysteine (NAC)
Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA)

3 Which of these methods is commonly used by people who have trouble swallowing pills?

Taking smaller sips of water
Moving the dose to bedtime
Crushing tablets before taking them
Crushing tablets may make them easier to take, but it can alter the dose and change how the ingredient behaves. Learn more.
Spacing the pills across the day

4 Which factor is not linked to faster thymus deterioration?

Smoking
Obesity
High blood sugar
Normal cholesterol levels
Healthier cholesterol levels were linked to better immune aging, while the other factors were tied to faster thymus decline. Learn more.

5 Which B vitamin helps support brain function and memory?

Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 supports healthy nerves, brain function, and clear thinking, especially as you age. Learn more.
Vitamin B2
Vitamin B5

6 About what percentage of adults worldwide have fatty liver disease?

25%
Fatty liver disease affects nearly 1 in 4 adults worldwide and may progress without obvious symptoms. Learn more.
15%
35%
45%

7 Why is deep sleep important?

It lowers hunger during the day
It keeps the body more alert at night
It reduces the need for physical activity
It supports physical repair and recovery
Deep sleep helps the body repair and recover, while REM sleep supports memory, learning, emotions, and brain function. Learn more.

8 Which form of vitamin B3 helped restore nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) levels?

Niacin
Niacin restored NAD+ levels, helping improve muscle mass, strength, mitochondrial function, and energy production. Learn more.
Niacinamide
Nicotinamide riboside
Nicotinamide mononucleotide

9 If you have a sensitive gut, how should you begin adding fiber to your diet?

Start with simple, easy-to-digest carbs
White rice, whole fruits, and fruit juice with pulp may reduce digestive strain while your gut adjusts gradually. Learn more.
Space out large servings of raw vegetables
Switch immediately to whole grains
Take several fiber supplements at once

10 What do short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) help protect?

Hair follicles
Joint cartilage
Tooth enamel
The gut barrier
SCFAs fuel intestinal cells and help keep the gut barrier strong, which may help reduce inflammation and insulin resistance. Learn more.

11 Which substance selectively targets harmful free radicals without blocking useful ones?

Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA)
Molecular hydrogen (H2)
Molecular hydrogen targets harmful radicals, such as hydroxyl radicals, while preserving free radicals needed for cell signaling and immune defense. Learn more.
N-acetylcysteine (NAC)
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

12 What is the peripheral clock in skeletal muscle called?

Body clock
Muscle clock
The muscle clock controls daily cycles of muscle protein breakdown, repair, and growth. Learn more.
Brain clock
Sleep clock

13 Which food naturally contains geranylgeraniol (GG)?

Tomatoes
Tomatoes, carrots, olives, and some grains provide small amounts of GG and support related metabolic pathways. Learn more.
Chicken
Yogurt
Eggs

14 What sets free-form dance apart from typical structured workouts?

It follows a fixed set of repeated movements that can boost concentration
It combines exercise with creativity and mental engagement
Free-form dance works multiple muscle groups while supporting coordination, balance, reaction time, and self-expression. Learn more.
It focuses only on building muscle strength
It requires special equipment and formal training

15 What type of preserved fruit may help support bone strength in aging women?

Dried apricots
Raisins
Prunes
Eating four to six prunes a day helped postmenopausal women maintain bone strength and density over one year. Learn more.
Dried figs

16 What have Wolbachia-based mosquito programs done in some locations?

Increased mosquito migration
Raised the use of insecticides
Removed the need for monitoring
Reduced the spread of disease
Wolbachia-based programs have lowered disease transmission in several places, although results depend on local conditions. Learn more.

17 Which immune cells clear germs and help control inflammation?

Neurons
Macrophages
Macrophages remove germs and help regulate inflammation with signals from mitochondria. Learn more.
Platelets
Osteocytes

18 How can blue light make you feel tired?

It lowers your heart rate too quickly
It increases your need for daytime naps
It keeps your brain alert and disrupts sleep
Blue light at night can delay sleep and disrupt your circadian rhythm, leaving you with less energy the next day. Learn more.
It causes your muscles to use more energy

19 Which medication is not a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drug?

Orlistat
Orlistat belongs to a different type of weight-loss medication, while the other choices are GLP-1 drugs. Learn more.
Wegovy
Ozempic
Saxenda

20 What vitamin does sunlight help your body produce?

Vitamin C
Vitamin D
Sun exposure supports vitamin D production and also provides near-infrared rays that nourish the body in other ways. Learn more.
Vitamin K
Vitamin B12

21 About how many mitochondria are found in the human body?

100,000 trillion
100 trillion
The vast mitochondrial network supports energy production, cellular function, and processes related to cell survival and death. Learn more.
10,000 trillion
1,000 trillion

Alzheimer’s doesn’t start with forgetfulness — it starts with damage. Long before memory loss appears, your brain begins breaking down at the cellular level. And one of the hidden drivers behind that destruction is something many people don’t think about: iron.

When iron builds up in your brain tissue and reacts with fats and proteins, it causes oxidative stress that destroys neurons from the inside out. This iron-driven process doesn’t just accompany Alzheimer’s — it could be what kicks it into gear. A study from the University of Southern California and the University of California, Irvine uncovered a key clue: people with Down syndrome who develop Alzheimer’s show far more brain iron than those with Alzheimer’s alone.1

That excess iron is tied to brain cell death, inflammation, and early buildup of harmful plaques. If your body can’t safely store and regulate iron, the damage spreads fast — especially in areas tied to memory and executive function. And once your antioxidant defenses are overwhelmed, there’s little left to stop the cascade. Understanding how and why this happens opens the door to new strategies — not just for slowing Alzheimer’s, but for preventing it before it takes hold.

Too Much Iron in Your Brain Speeds Up Alzheimer’s Damage

The study, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, looked at how too much iron in your brain drives Alzheimer’s disease, especially in people with both Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s.2 Researchers studied brain tissue from three groups: healthy adults, adults with Alzheimer’s, and adults with Alzheimer’s related to Down syndrome. Their goal was to understand how iron buildup harms brain cells and leads to sticky protein clumps called amyloid plaques, which are tied to Alzheimer’s.

• Iron levels were much higher in people with both Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s — Compared to healthy adults and those with Alzheimer’s alone, people who had both conditions had about twice as much iron in a key brain region responsible for memory and decision-making.

This group had much higher levels of damage from iron reacting with the fats in brain cells and breaking them down. Making matters worse, the natural defenses that protect brain cells from this type of damage were weakened or missing.

• The brain’s protective enzymes were missing where they were needed most — The study found enzymes that normally repair damage to brain cell membranes were reduced by as much as 70% in the affected areas. These enzymes are important because they help prevent brain cell death triggered by iron overload.

Another protective compound, glutathione, also wasn’t being made properly. That’s because the enzyme needed to make it was also reduced by up to 60%. Without enough glutathione, brain cells lose a major line of defense against stress and oxidation.

• Iron harmed key parts of brain cells that act like control centers — The study found that iron was attacking small areas on the cell’s surface where important proteins are handled and messages are sent. In brains affected by Alzheimer’s — especially in people with Down syndrome — these areas were badly damaged. This damage changed how certain proteins were made, increasing the toxic forms that clump together in the brain and destroy nerve cells.

Are Tiny Brain Bleeds the Source of All That Extra Iron?

One major clue came from the discovery of iron deposits in areas linked to microscopic bleeding. These “microbleeds” are tiny leaks from brain blood vessels that often go unnoticed. When blood escapes into brain tissue, it breaks down and releases iron.

Over time, this creates pockets of stored iron that cause more damage. The study found that a cleanup enzyme, which helps process iron from blood, was three times higher in the brains of people with Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s, suggesting chronic bleeding was driving iron overload.

• The brain’s protein-cutting process turned more destructive under stress — Normally, certain brain proteins can be cut in ways that are either safe or harmful. In the damaged brains, the harmful cutting process became more active — not because there was more of the cutting enzyme, but because it was working faster, likely due to iron-related stress. At the same time, the safer cutting process slowed down. This shift caused the brain to make more toxic proteins instead of removing them.

• Even though the body made more antioxidants, they weren’t in the right place — The brain as a whole seemed to increase antioxidant enzyme levels in response to damage, but those enzymes weren’t where they were most needed. This mismatch meant that cells remained vulnerable to damage, even though the body was trying to defend itself. It showed that Alzheimer’s damage isn’t just about overall inflammation or oxidation — it’s about damage happening in precise, high-risk zones.

• Your genes influence how much iron builds up in your brain — In people with rare forms of Down syndrome who didn’t have an extra copy of a certain protein-making gene, there was far less brain iron, fewer harmful protein clumps, and they lived up to 20 years longer than those with the extra gene. This shows that making too much of that protein leads to more iron buildup, more brain damage, and a shorter life — helping explain why some people’s brains decline faster than others.

How to Protect Your Brain from Iron-Driven Damage

High iron is an under-recognized health threat, and there’s a general lack of awareness in the medical community regarding the health risks associated with high iron levels. If you’re concerned about memory loss or have a family history of Alzheimer’s, it’s time to start thinking about iron — not just in your blood, but in your brain.

The study I’ve shared shows that too much brain iron doesn’t just sit there quietly. It ignites a chain reaction of oxidative stress and cell damage that accelerates cognitive decline. Your first move should be reducing the root cause: excess iron accumulation combined with poor antioxidant defenses. Here’s what I recommend to take control of the iron-oxidation cycle and give your brain the support it needs to stay sharp, focused, and protected.

1. Test your ferritin and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) to assess iron burden and oxidative stress — If you don’t know your ferritin level, that’s where you start. Ferritin is the storage form of iron, and the ideal range is between 60 and 75 ng/mL. High ferritin levels indicate your body is holding onto too much iron, which leaks into your brain and triggers damage.

I also recommend asking for a GGT test. GGT is a key marker of oxidative stress and helps identify if free iron is causing damage inside your body. When both ferritin and GGT are elevated, it’s a strong sign your iron is doing harm.

2. Donate blood or request phlebotomy if your iron is too high — If your body is holding onto more iron than it can safely manage, it increases your risk for heart disease, insulin resistance, and oxidative damage to your organs — including your brain. One of the most effective solutions?

Donate blood two to four times a year. This simple act pulls iron out of storage and lowers your levels gradually. If donation isn’t an option due to your health history, ask for therapeutic phlebotomy to achieve the same result.

3. Balance your copper intake to support healthy iron metabolism — Iron reduction is only one piece of the puzzle. If your copper status is low, which is common, your body can’t regulate iron properly. Copper and iron work together. When copper is deficient, iron builds up in places it doesn’t belong. Consider supplementing with 3 to 4 milligrams of copper bisglycinate daily if your intake is low.

You can also focus on copper-rich foods like bee pollen, grass fed beef liver, and acerola cherries — acerola cherry is very high in vitamin C, which contains copper-rich tyrosinase enzyme. Don’t overlook retinol either — this nutrient, found in beef liver and organ meats, helps your body absorb and use copper effectively.

4. Get calcium from food to help keep iron in check — Proper calcium intake reduces your risk of iron overload naturally. When calcium is low, your body produces more parathyroid hormone, which increases iron storage. That creates a feedback loop that worsens brain inflammation over time.

Focus on getting calcium from whole food sources like raw grass fed dairy, pasture-raised egg yolks, and powdered eggshells. Skip the synthetic calcium supplements unless medically necessary, as they don’t offer the same co-factors for absorption.

5. Remove vegetable oils and increase antioxidant-rich foods — Iron is especially dangerous when it reacts with unstable fats, like polyunsaturated fats in vegetable oils. I recommend eliminating canola, soy, corn, sunflower, safflower, and other vegetable oils from your kitchen. These oils break down in your body and feed oxidative stress.

Replace them with stable fats like grass fed butter, ghee, coconut oil, and tallow. At the same time, boost your antioxidant defenses by eating garlic, onions, and pasture-raised eggs. These foods give your body the building blocks to produce glutathione, your brain’s main defense system against iron-triggered damage.

You can also add molecular hydrogen to your daily routine. Hydrogen activates your body’s own healing system by switching on glutathione — especially important when chronic illness and oxidative stress have shut those systems down. Whether through hydrogen-rich water or tablets, this approach helps reactivate your brain’s defense systems where they’re needed most.

By actively lowering excess iron, restoring mineral balance, and strengthening your antioxidant defenses, you protect your brain from the inside out. These steps are simple, actionable, and backed by clear biological mechanisms. Start with testing, make the dietary swaps, and stay consistent — your future brain will thank you.

FAQs About Iron and Alzheimer’s Disease

Q: What does iron have to do with Alzheimer’s disease?
A: Excess iron in your brain causes oxidative damage by reacting with fats and proteins in brain cells. This process leads to neuron death and helps trigger the development of Alzheimer’s. The damage is especially severe in areas responsible for memory and decision-making.

Q: What did the study find about brain iron and Alzheimer’s?
A: The study found that individuals with both Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s had double the brain iron compared to those with Alzheimer’s alone. The extra iron was linked to faster and more severe buildup of brain plaques, greater cell damage from stress, and weaker natural protections in the brain.

Q: Where does all this excess iron come from?
A: Tiny, undetected brain bleeds (microbleeds) appear to be a key source. When blood leaks into brain tissue, iron from hemoglobin is released and stored locally, causing long-term oxidative stress. People with Down syndrome-related Alzheimer’s had a threefold increase in the enzyme that processes blood-derived iron, suggesting chronic internal bleeding contributes to iron buildup.

Q: How can I find out if I have high iron levels?
A: Start by testing your ferritin, the storage form of iron. Ideal levels fall between 60 and 75 ng/mL. You should also request a GGT test to measure oxidative stress. High ferritin and GGT together suggest your body is not safely managing iron, which impacts brain health.

Q: What steps can I take to reduce the risk of iron-driven brain damage?
A: Donate blood regularly or ask for therapeutic phlebotomy if your ferritin is high. Balance iron with copper-rich foods or supplements, increase calcium from whole food sources, eliminate vegetable oils, and boost antioxidants like glutathione. You can also use molecular hydrogen to reactivate antioxidant enzymes and help your brain neutralize oxidative stress.

GLP-1 drugs have become some of the most widely prescribed weight-loss medications in the world, and interest in them continues to grow. Researchers are now studying these drugs not only for obesity and Type 2 diabetes, but also for a growing list of other conditions. As millions more people begin using them, scientists are gaining a clearer picture of how these medications affect the body outside the tightly controlled environment of clinical trials.

Much of the public conversation around drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic focuses on weight loss results. Yet every medication produces effects that extend beyond its primary purpose. Some of those effects are expected and well documented. Others emerge only after large numbers of people begin using a drug in everyday life, creating opportunities for researchers to identify patterns that weren’t obvious during the approval process.

Two recent investigations approached this issue from very different angles. One examined reports submitted to a major federal safety database, while the other analyzed hundreds of thousands of online discussions from people sharing their experiences with these medications. Together, they offer a broader view of what researchers are learning as GLP-1 drugs move to mainstream use.

The findings reveal how modern safety monitoring extends far beyond conventional clinical trials and why researchers are paying close attention to new signals as these medications reach an ever-larger population. One of the most concerning discoveries involved a rare vision-threatening complication that appeared more frequently with one specific GLP-1 formulation than researchers expected.

Wegovy Showed the Strongest Signal for a Rare Eye Stroke Linked to Vision Loss

An analysis published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology examined more than 30.6 million reports submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Adverse Event Reporting System between 2017 and 2024.1

They wanted to determine whether semaglutide drugs, including Wegovy, the weight-loss version, and Ozempic, the Type 2 diabetes version, were associated with ischemic optic neuropathy (ION), a condition that damages the optic nerve and threatens vision. Among 31,774 semaglutide-related reports, researchers searched for unusual patterns that might indicate a rare but serious safety concern.

• Wegovy stood out from every other semaglutide product — Although Ozempic generated more reports overall because it reached the market earlier, Wegovy showed by far the strongest association with optic nerve injury.
Researchers identified 28 reports linked to Wegovy and 47 linked to Ozempic, yet Wegovy produced a much stronger safety signal than would normally be expected. Statistical analysis showed that Wegovy users had nearly five times greater odds of reported optic nerve injury than Ozempic users after adjustments for other factors.2
• The difference between the drugs was substantial — Researchers use a measurement called a reporting odds ratio to identify unusual safety patterns. On this scale, a value near 1 means a side effect appears about as often as expected. Wegovy reached 74.89 and Ozempic 18.81 — both far above baseline, but Wegovy in a class of its own.
This means reports of optic nerve injury appeared far more frequently with Wegovy than researchers would expect to see by chance alone. Because both drugs contain semaglutide, the findings suggest that dose and formulation matter, not just the active ingredient itself.
• Men showed the highest reported risk. When researchers analyzed the reports by sex, male Wegovy users produced the strongest signal in the entire study, with odds more than 116 times higher than expected. Additional statistical analysis found that men had more than three times greater odds of reported optic nerve injury than women across semaglutide products. Researchers didn’t identify the reason for this difference, but the magnitude of the gap drew significant attention.
• Higher doses and faster absorption could help explain the findings — Wegovy is prescribed at higher doses than Ozempic, resulting in greater semaglutide exposure over time. The authors suggested that larger doses could contribute to blood pressure fluctuations, fluid loss and disturbances in autonomic nervous system function, which controls automatic processes such as heart rate and blood vessel regulation.
Reduced blood flow from these changes could place the optic nerve under stress because it depends on a continuous supply of oxygen and nutrients. Researchers also noted that no ION cases were reported for Rybelsus, the oral tablet — though far fewer people take it, so the absence isn’t conclusive. Still, its slower absorption and lower drug exposure fit the pattern that dose, not just the active ingredient, may drive the risk.
• Researchers believe the findings warrant urgent investigation despite important limitations — The FDA database can’t prove that Wegovy directly caused optic nerve injury, nor can it determine how frequently the complication occurs among all users. Reporting patterns can also be influenced by media coverage and public awareness.
Even so, the researchers described their findings as the first evidence of a formulation-dependent and dose-dependent association between semaglutide products and ION, with Wegovy showing the strongest signal observed to date. They called for urgent prospective studies to determine whether certain users face a greater risk and whether additional safeguards are needed.

Thousands of GLP-1 Users Reported Side Effects That Clinical Trials Overlooked

A study published in Nature Health by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania examined 410,198 Reddit posts discussing semaglutide and tirzepatide medications, such as Zepbound and Mounjaro, between May 2019 and June 2025.3 Like semaglutide, tirzepatide is used for weight loss and Type 2 diabetes, but it works on two appetite- and blood sugar-regulating hormones instead of one, which is why it is often described as a next-generation version of the same general drug class.

Using artificial intelligence (AI) to sort through the discussions, researchers identified 67,008 people who reported taking one of these drugs and analyzed the side effects they described in their own words. The goal was to determine whether patients were experiencing symptoms that clinical trials and official reporting systems fail to capture.

• Nearly half of users reported at least one side effect — Researchers found that 43.5% of users discussed one or more adverse effects while taking these medications. Digestive complaints dominated the conversations, but the study uncovered a much broader range of concerns than those typically highlighted in drug advertisements or prescribing information.
The findings suggest that everyday quality-of-life symptoms often become apparent only after large numbers of people begin using a medication in the real world.
• Fatigue emerged as one of the most frequently discussed problems — Many users described feeling unusually tired, drained, weak or lacking motivation after starting these medications. Fatigue ranked among the most common complaints in the dataset, yet it receives far less attention than nausea, vomiting or digestive symptoms.
For many people, persistent low energy affects exercise, work performance, concentration and daily productivity, making it a significantly disruptive side effect that’s reported by users.
• Women repeatedly reported changes in reproductive health and body temperature — Nearly 4% of users who discussed side effects also reported menstrual irregularities, including heavier bleeding, bleeding between cycles and changes in cycle timing.4 Researchers also identified recurring reports of chills, feeling unusually cold, hot flashes and fever-like sensations.
These symptoms are not widely recognized as hallmark side effects of GLP-1 drugs, yet they appeared often enough across discussions to stand out as an emerging signal that deserves further investigation.
• The study revealed a gap between clinical trials and everyday experience — Clinical trials excel at identifying major medical risks and measuring effectiveness, but they don’t always capture the symptoms that affect daily life the most. Online communities give people a place to compare experiences freely, creating a large body of information that helps researchers identify patterns that would otherwise remain hidden.
• AI is becoming an early warning system for drug safety — Researchers used advanced language models to recognize that different descriptions often referred to the same symptom, allowing them to organize hundreds of thousands of conversations into meaningful trends.
Study author Sharath Chandra Guntuku noted that well-known side effects appeared prominently in the analysis, confirming that the system was detecting genuine signals, while lesser-known symptoms came directly from patients without prompting.5
As GLP-1 drug use continues to expand, researchers believe this type of real-time monitoring could identify emerging concerns far faster than conventional safety systems, helping patients make more informed decisions about the risks of these medications.

Restore Your Body’s Natural GLP-1 System

The studies in this article raise important questions about the long-term safety of GLP-1 drugs. These drugs do produce weight loss, but they do it by flooding your body with a single synthetic signal at doses that may carry real costs. A different approach asks why your body stopped producing that signal well on its own, and works to restore it. Your gut microbes produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), especially butyrate, which fuel specialized intestinal cells that release GLP-1 naturally.

When this system works properly, your body regulates hunger and metabolism through its own signals rather than through a drug. Many people produce very little butyrate, however, because modern diets and lifestyle habits disrupt the microbes responsible for making it. As butyrate levels fall, gut barrier function deteriorates, inflammation rises and the metabolic signals that help control appetite become less reliable. Rebuilding this system addresses the root cause rather than replacing it.

1. Restore butyrate production by eliminating seed oils — Your first goal is to create an environment where beneficial gut bacteria can thrive again. Seed oils high in linoleic acid (LA) interfere with colon health and make it harder for intestinal cells to use butyrate efficiently. As oxygen levels rise inside the colon, beneficial bacteria decline and inflammation increases.
I recommend reducing LA intake below 5 grams daily, with a target closer to 2 grams. Replace seed oils with more stable fats such as grass fed butter, ghee and tallow. As your gut environment improves, the bacteria responsible for producing butyrate regain their foothold, helping restore natural appetite regulation.
2. Calm your gut before increasing fiber intake — Your gut bacteria produce SCFAs when they ferment certain carbohydrates and fibers. But if you struggle with bloating, gas, abdominal discomfort or irregular bowel habits, avoid the temptation to immediately add large amounts of fiber. A damaged gut often responds poorly to aggressive fiber supplementation.
Start with simpler foods like fruit and white rice, which reduce excessive fermentation and endotoxin production. Endotoxins are inflammatory compounds released from certain gut bacteria that escape into circulation when your intestinal barrier becomes compromised. Allowing your gut lining to recover first creates a stronger foundation for rebuilding a healthy microbiome.
3. Gradually rebuild microbial diversity with the right carbohydrates — Once digestion becomes more predictable, begin expanding your intake of foods that nourish beneficial microbes. Most adults do best with roughly 250 grams of carbohydrates daily, with more needed by physically active individuals.
Begin with whole fruits, root vegetables and well-cooked starches such as white rice. These foods provide glucose needed for healthy cellular energy production while remaining relatively easy to digest. Add non-starchy vegetables next. Beans, legumes and minimally processed whole grains come later and only if your digestion tolerates them comfortably.
4. Feed the bacteria that specialize in making butyrate — Certain foods provide fuel for microbes that excel at butyrate production. Cooked-and-cooled potatoes and slightly green bananas are two of the easiest sources — a fist-sized portion most days is a reasonable start. Both contain resistant starch, a carbohydrate that resists digestion in the small intestine and arrives in your colon intact, where butyrate-making bacteria feast on it.
As butyrate-producing bacteria expand, your intestinal barrier becomes stronger, inflammatory compounds remain contained within your digestive tract and communication between your microbiome and metabolism improves. This process helps restore the natural signaling pathways that regulate appetite and body composition.
5. Activate your own GLP-1 production instead of relying on injections — Your intestine already produces GLP-1. Drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic attempt to replicate a signal that your body evolved to create on its own. The real goal isn’t lifelong dependence on a medication but restoration of the biological systems that regulate hunger and metabolism naturally.
When your microbiome produces adequate amounts of butyrate and other beneficial SCFAs, the cells responsible for GLP-1 release receive the fuel they need to function properly. Appetite regulation may become more stable.
Metabolic health may improve. Fat loss may become easier to sustain because it’s driven by your body’s own physiology rather than by an external drug. My book, “Weight Loss Cure: Melt Fat Naturally with Your Own GLP-1,” now available in ebook and hard copy, explores this process in far greater detail and outlines practical strategies for restoring the natural GLP-1 system your body already possesses.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health regimen.

FAQs About Wegovy and Eye Risks

Q: What is the rare eye condition linked to Wegovy?
A: Researchers investigated a condition called ION, which occurs when blood flow to the optic nerve becomes reduced or blocked. The optic nerve carries visual information from your eye to your brain. When its blood supply is disrupted, symptoms such as sudden vision loss, blurred vision or blind spots can occur, and some cases result in permanent vision damage.

Q: How did Wegovy compare to Ozempic in the study?
A: Although both medications contain semaglutide, researchers found that Wegovy showed a much stronger safety signal for reported optic nerve injury. Statistical analysis suggested that Wegovy users had nearly five times greater odds of reported ION than Ozempic users. Researchers believe the higher doses used in Wegovy could play a role in this difference.

Q: Who appeared to face the greatest reported risk?
A: Men showed the strongest association with reported optic nerve injury in the FDA safety database. Male Wegovy users had the highest odds observed in the study, and researchers found that men had more than three times greater odds of reported ION than women across semaglutide products. The reason for this difference remains unclear.

Q: What side effects did GLP-1 users frequently discuss online?
A: In addition to common digestive complaints, users frequently reported fatigue, low energy, menstrual irregularities, chills, feeling unusually cold and hot flashes. Researchers identified these patterns after analyzing more than 400,000 Reddit posts discussing semaglutide and tirzepatide medications.

Q: Is there a way to support GLP-1 naturally without injections?
A: Your body already produces GLP-1 in specialized cells located in your intestine. These cells are fueled by butyrate, an SCFA produced by beneficial gut bacteria. Supporting butyrate production through improved gut health, reducing seed oil consumption, rebuilding microbial diversity and eating foods that nourish butyrate-producing bacteria helps restore your body’s own appetite-regulation system rather than relying solely on medications.

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What is Google’s mosquito-release program designed to do?

Reduce mosquito populations and disease spread
Sterilized male mosquitoes cause eggs not to hatch, which may lower mosquito numbers and reduce diseases such as dengue, yellow fever, and Zika. Learn more.
Increase mosquito breeding in cities
Replace all local insect species
Eliminate the need for public health programs

Releasing millions of laboratory-raised insects into populated neighborhoods, on purpose, sounds like the premise of a science-fiction film. It is instead a real proposal from a company owned by Google, now sitting before federal regulators, and the response it has drawn says as much about public trust as about public health.
The target is Aedes aegypti, the mosquito that spreads dengue fever, yellow fever, and Zika virus. Dengue alone can cause high fever, severe headaches, muscle and joint pain, nausea, and, in its most severe form, life-threatening bleeding and shock. As these diseases reach regions that once rarely encountered them, the tactics used to fight them have grown more aggressive and more contested.
What sets this plan apart is that it sidesteps the chemical spraying many people associate with mosquito control. Instead, it enlists a quiet ally already found in nature, turning the insects’ own biology against them. To some, that represents an elegant alternative to dousing whole communities in insecticide. To others, it raises an uneasy question about handing a private corporation the power to alter a local ecosystem at all.
That tension sits at the heart of the debate. To understand why the proposal has stirred both enthusiasm and alarm, it helps to look closely at how the strategy actually works, what researchers expect it to accomplish, and where it could fall short.

Why Google’s Mosquito Plan Faces Resistance

Google-owned Debug is seeking approval to release 32 million Wolbachia-infected male mosquitoes across parts of California and Florida as part of an effort to suppress populations of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The company plans to release millions of male mosquitoes infected with a bacterium called Wolbachia.These males mate with wild female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, but the eggs don’t hatch because the Wolbachia bacteria create reproductive incompatibility between infected males and uninfected females.
Because female mosquitoes typically mate only once in their lives, a single mating with one of Debug’s males means the more than 100 eggs she would otherwise lay never hatch. Because only males are released, the program doesn’t increase the number of biting mosquitoes. The goal is to shrink the invasive Aedes aegypti population generation after generation by preventing new mosquitoes from being born rather than killing existing ones with insecticides.1
However, a June 2026 report published by Futurism highlighted the growing public backlash surrounding the idea of a technology company carrying out a large-scale environmental intervention.2 Many residents expressed concern about allowing a private corporation to release millions of insects into open ecosystems, especially when the long-term consequences remain uncertain.

• Public concern extends beyond mosquitoes themselves — One of the strongest themes in the report involved questions about corporate influence. Futurism highlighted comments submitted during the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) public review process, where citizens questioned who ultimately benefits from the project. One commenter asked, “Ask yourself who is to benefit most from this, and why is it being done?” while another argued that “we are not experimental rats.”
These responses reveal a deeper concern that goes far beyond insect control. For many people, the issue is trust. If you live in an area targeted for release, you’re not simply evaluating a mosquito-control program; you’re evaluating whether you feel comfortable with a private company making changes to your local environment.
• The biggest fear involves unintended consequences — Futurism pointed to a separate mosquito-control project conducted in Brazil in 2019 that produced unexpected results. In that case, genetically modified mosquitoes introduced laboratory DNA into wild mosquito populations after some reproduction still occurred.3 Debug’s approach is different because it relies on Wolbachia rather than genetic modification.
Even so, the Brazil experience serves as a reminder that biological interventions don’t always unfold exactly as planned. Once millions of insects are released into the wild, reversing course becomes difficult or impossible. That reality helps explain why many residents remain cautious despite the stated public-health goals.
• Technical obstacles remain significant — Success depends on releasing enormous numbers of male mosquitoes while preventing females from entering the release population. That sounds simple until you look at the scale involved.
Researchers cited in the article explained that mosquito migration from surrounding untreated areas can quickly undermine suppression efforts. As a result, programs often require continuous weekly releases to maintain results. For communities affected by the project, that means mosquito control becomes an ongoing operation rather than a one-time fix.
• Even small mistakes could weaken the strategy — Researchers warned that accidental release of Wolbachia-infected females could reduce the effectiveness of the suppression program. To address this challenge, Debug reportedly uses artificial intelligence and computer-vision systems to separate males from females before release. However, the technology remains relatively new.
The World Health Organization’s Vector Control Advisory Group had not endorsed a specific mosquito-sorting system as of 2024, and standard sorting methods still produced female contamination rates as high as 0.3%. That percentage sounds tiny, but when millions of mosquitoes are involved, even a fraction of a percent represents thousands of insects.
• The debate ultimately centers on risk versus uncertainty — Futurism acknowledged that Wolbachia-based mosquito control has produced encouraging results in disease-control efforts. At the same time, environmental interventions are difficult to predict with complete certainty.
The discussion is no longer about whether scientists have found a way to suppress mosquito populations. The real question is whether the benefits outweigh the environmental, technical, and societal risks associated with releasing tens of millions of laboratory-raised insects into the wild.

Researchers Warn the Risks Extend Beyond Mosquito Control

Beyond the public’s concerns, the peer-reviewed literature raises its own cautions. A review published in Acta Tropica examined Wolbachia-based mosquito-control programs deployed around the world and compared them with other mosquito-control strategies.4
While the researchers found evidence that these programs can reduce disease transmission, they also emphasized that large-scale mosquito releases introduce environmental and logistical uncertainties that are difficult to fully predict in advance. The review identified concerns ranging from the possibility of unintended genetic effects in the environment to the substantial resources and long-term oversight required to keep such programs functioning as intended.

• Success depends heavily on local conditions — Results from one city or country don’t automatically translate to another. According to the researchers, disease transmission depends on factors such as climate, rainfall, temperature, human movement patterns, and mosquito behavior. If you hear that a mosquito-control program worked in one region, that doesn’t guarantee identical results where you live.The researchers emphasized that dengue outbreaks fluctuate dramatically from year to year because environmental conditions constantly change.
• These programs require a long-term commitment — Conventional mosquito-control campaigns often focus on immediate population reduction through spraying or other rapid interventions. In contrast, the Acta Tropica review found that Wolbachia-based suppression programs frequently require repeated releases and continuous maintenance.
The researchers described them as “much more complex and cost-intensive operations” that demand substantial infrastructure, trained personnel, coordination between agencies, and strong community participation. For taxpayers and local communities, that means success depends on sustained effort rather than a quick fix.
• Researchers identified environmental questions that deserve attention — Researchers noted evidence that Wolbachia genetic material appears to move between species more often than previously believed. As a result, they concluded that releases carry a “moderate potential risk of spreading potentially dangerous genes in the environment.” The review didn’t describe this outcome as inevitable, but it did identify it as an issue that requires continued monitoring as programs expand.
• The biological effects extend beyond reproduction — The review also examined a separate Wolbachia strategy, population replacement, in which infected females are released so the bacterium spreads through the population. This approach works through a different mechanism: Wolbachia interferes with viruses inside the mosquito itself.
According to the researchers, the bacterium disrupts the internal structures viruses use to reproduce. It also alters fat metabolism inside mosquito cells, making important materials less available for viral replication. The mosquito becomes a less efficient carrier of disease. Researchers also reported that Wolbachia stimulates parts of the mosquito’s natural immune defenses, creating additional barriers that limit viral growth.

Take Control of Mosquito Exposure Where You Live

The debate over Google’s mosquito-release proposal highlights a larger issue that affects you regardless of whether the project moves forward: mosquito-borne disease continues to expand into new areas, and reducing your exposure starts at home. While large-scale mosquito-control programs attract headlines, the most reliable protection begins with practical steps that address mosquito breeding and human exposure directly.

1. Eliminate standing water around your property — Mosquitoes depend on standing water to reproduce. Walk around your home once a week and empty buckets, flowerpot saucers, birdbaths, clogged gutters, children’s toys, and any other containers that collect water. Even a small amount of water provides a breeding site. Think of this as a simple weekly challenge: find and eliminate every source of stagnant water before mosquitoes find it first.
2. Create physical barriers between yourself and mosquitoes — Window screens, door screens, and outdoor fans reduce mosquito contact without introducing chemicals into your environment. If you spend time outdoors during peak mosquito activity, wear long sleeves and pants when practical. Every mosquito bite you prevent lowers your exposure to the viruses these insects spread.
3. Support local source-reduction efforts — The Acta Tropica review identified source reduction — removing mosquito breeding sites — as one of the most effective mosquito-control strategies. Pay attention to neglected areas in your neighborhood where water accumulates. Community participation often produces better long-term results than relying entirely on government agencies or corporate programs to solve the problem.
4. Reduce dependence on broad-spectrum insecticides whenever possible — Many insecticides kill beneficial insects along with mosquitoes. Pollinators, aquatic organisms, and other wildlife often pay the price. Whenever practical, focus first on habitat management, breeding-site elimination, and targeted mosquito control methods rather than chemical spraying. Addressing the source of the problem produces longer-lasting results.
5. Pay attention to environmental changes in your area — The researchers found that temperature, rainfall, humidity, and human movement strongly influence disease transmission. After periods of heavy rain, flooding, or unusually warm weather, increase your natural mosquito-prevention efforts. If you treat mosquito control as a seasonal habit rather than a one-time task, you stay one step ahead of the conditions that allow mosquito populations to explode.
6. Stay informed and participate in local decision-making — Whether the issue involves Wolbachia mosquitoes, genetically modified insects, insecticide spraying, or another mosquito-control program, your community benefits when residents understand both the benefits and the risks. Read public notices, attend local meetings, and submit comments when agencies request public input. The choices made today shape the environment where you and your family live tomorrow.

FAQs About Google’s Sterilized Mosquitoes

Q: What is Google’s mosquito-release program trying to accomplish?
A: Google-owned Debug wants to release millions of male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes infected with the Wolbachia bacterium. When these males mate with wild females, the eggs don’t hatch, reducing the mosquito population over time. The goal is to lower the spread of diseases such as dengue fever, yellow fever, and Zika without relying primarily on chemical insecticides.

Q: Why are some people concerned about the proposal?
A: Many critics are less concerned about mosquitoes themselves and more concerned about the long-term environmental consequences of releasing millions of laboratory-raised insects into the wild. Others question whether a private corporation should play such a large role in altering local ecosystems and managing public-health interventions.

Q: Has this type of mosquito-control approach worked before?
A: Research reviewed in Acta Tropica found that Wolbachia-based mosquito-control programs have successfully reduced disease transmission in multiple locations around the world.5 However, researchers also noted that results vary depending on local climate, mosquito populations, human movement patterns, and other environmental factors.

Q: What risks have researchers identified?
A: Scientists highlighted several concerns, including the need for continuous releases, the possibility of mosquitoes migrating from untreated areas, and evidence suggesting that Wolbachia-related genetic material may move between species more often than previously believed. Researchers concluded that ongoing monitoring is necessary as these programs expand.

Q: What can I do to reduce my own risk from mosquito-borne diseases?
A: The most effective steps begin at home. Remove standing water where mosquitoes breed, maintain window and door screens, wear protective clothing when mosquito activity is high, support community mosquito-control efforts, and stay alert after periods of heavy rain or unusually warm weather, which often increase mosquito populations.

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What is geranylgeraniol (GG)?

A hormone made by the thyroid
A mineral stored in the bones
A compound naturally made by the body
GG is produced through the mevalonate pathway and supports metabolism, brain function, inflammation control, and cellular repair. Learn more.
A vitamin found only in supplements

Your body’s a busy place, full of tiny workers keeping you healthy. Some of these workers, like macrophages and mitochondria, do more than you might think. They’re not just cleaning up germs or powering your cells — they’re also teaming up to control inflammation, that fiery response that protects you from infections in the short term but contributes to diseases when it becomes chronic.
It’s important to understand how these cellular heroes work, why they’re key for fighting infections and calming autoimmune flare-ups, and, perhaps most importantly, how to support them with simple, everyday habits.

Meet Your Body’s Cleanup Crew — What Are Macrophages?

You’ve got a squad of cells called macrophages patrolling your body. Think of them as your cleanup crew — part janitor, part security guard. They roam around, gobbling up germs like bacteria and viruses, and tidying up after cuts or bruises. But they don’t stop there. They also play a big role in managing your immune system’s reaction when trouble hits.

• How do they work? When something invades — like a cold virus — macrophages swoop in to eat it up. They’re your first line of defense, keeping pathogens in check.

• What’s their secret weapon? Macrophages release a helper called IL-10, which is like an “all clear” signal. It tells your immune system to back off once the danger’s gone. This is important because it stops inflammation from going overboard.

Inflammation is like a fire alarm — it’s loud and grabs attention when you need to fight off invaders. But if it keeps blaring after the germ’s gone, it’s trouble. That’s where macrophages and IL-10 save the day, especially for conditions like autoimmune diseases — such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, where your body attacks itself — or severe infections like sepsis, a body-wide emergency.

What Are Mitochondria? More Than Just Energy Makers

Inside your cells, you’ve got tiny mitochondria, often referred to as “power plants.” They churn out energy to keep you moving, like batteries powering a city. Macrophages lean on them to fuel their cleanup jobs. But mitochondria do much more than just make energy.

• A hidden superpower — Mitochondria are like command centers, sending signals to guide how macrophages handle infections or injuries. Complex III, part of the electron transport chain, is the star here — it’s like a switchboard operator telling everyone what to do.

• Why this matters — Without these signals, your macrophages can’t do their full job. It’s not just about power — it’s about control. And when that control slips, inflammation runs wild.

So, mitochondria aren’t just keeping the lights on — they’re helping you fight germs and calm things down when the battle’s over.

What Did Scientists Find About Mitochondria and Inflammation?

In a 2025 study published in Science Advances, researchers tested mice to see how mitochondria help macrophages.1 They interfered with the complex III switch in the macrophages of some mice, breaking it on purpose. Then they gave these mice the flu or a serious infection-like state. Those mice got much sicker than normal ones.

• What went wrong? In the lab, those broken macrophages barely made IL-10 when they got infection signals. Without IL-10, they couldn’t quiet the inflammation alarm — it just kept screaming.

• Meet superoxide — Normally, complex III pumps out a molecule called superoxide, a reactive oxygen species (ROS) that’s like a flare macrophages shoot off to influence the production of IL-10. But with no complex III, there’s no superoxide and no calm-down signal in the form of IL-10. The result? Inflammation takes over. The study reveals how important mitochondria are for your immune system. They’re not just energy makers — they tame inflammation, too.

How Does Superoxide Work? The Firefighter Analogy

Let’s break this down with a picture you can see in your head. Imagine superoxide as a firefighter spotting a blaze — that blaze is inflammation. The firefighter grabs a radio and calls for backup — IL-10, the water truck that douses the flames.

• What happens when it breaks? In those mice with broken complex III, the firefighter’s radio is dead. No call goes out, no water trucks roll in, and the fire (inflammation) rages on. That’s why the mice in the study got so sick.

• Energy isn’t the fix — Scientists tried giving the macrophages a backup power source called alternative oxidase. It kept the lights on, but without superoxide, IL-10 still didn’t show up. So, superoxide is a key signaling molecule involved in regulating inflammation in your body.

How Can a Protein Save the Day?

Here’s where it gets interesting. When superoxide couldn’t call for help, researchers found a backup plan: a protein called protein kinase A (PKA). Think of PKA as a stand-in firefighter.

• What did the researchers do? In the lab, they turned on PKA in those broken macrophages. Guess what? It worked. PKA picked up the radio and called for IL-10, calming inflammation even without superoxide.

• Why this matters — This finding hints at new ways to help your immune system when mitochondria stumble. It’s like having a spare key to cool things down when inflammation’s heating up.

Do All Macrophage Jobs Need Superoxide?

Not exactly. Macrophages don’t just fight germs; they also make repairs. The researchers gave some macrophages a “repair” signal called IL-4 to heal tissues instead of battle invaders. Interestingly, broken complex III did not interfere with this job.

• Two modes, one cell — Picture macrophages like a car with two gears:

1. Fighting gear — Takes on infections — needs superoxide to call IL-10.

2. Healing gear — Fixes tissues — runs fine without superoxide.

• What this means — Your mitochondria play different roles depending on what’s needed. Fighting germs? They need that superoxide flare. Healing cuts? They’re good without it. This shows how smart your body is — it’s got backup plans for different tasks.

Why Should You Boost IL-10 Naturally?

More IL-10 means a stronger “off switch” for inflammation. That’s beneficial for your health, especially if you’ve got:

• Autoimmune disorders like multiple sclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis, where your immune system mistakenly attacks healthy body tissue.

• Severe infections, where inflammation often spirals out of control.

• The benefits — Boosting IL-10 helps calm those storms naturally. It’s like giving your cleanup crew a megaphone to shout “all clear” louder and faster.

• How do you do it? You don’t need fancy tools, just simple lifestyle changes to lift your IL-10 levels.

How Does Butyrate Boost IL-10 Naturally?

One superstar for raising IL-10 is butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid your gut bacteria make when you eat fiber-rich foods. It’s beneficial for both your gut and immune system. Growing evidence indicates butyrate increases IL-10 production.2

• What does butyrate do? It boosts complex III’s signaling, so your macrophages shoot off more superoxide flares and call in more IL-10 — like giving your firefighter a megaphone. Butyrate also helps nourish your colon cells, which rely on butyrate as a main energy source.

When these cells get the fuel they need, your gut lining stays strong, lowering the chances of substances such as undigested food, bacteria, and metabolic wastes sneaking through into your bloodstream, a condition known as leaky gut. Butyrate’s protective effects are linked to multiple health benefits, including more stable digestion and better immune response.

• How do you get it? To boost butyrate production, eat fiber-filled carbohydrates like fruits on a regular basis. You also get butyrate from certain foods like grass fed butter and ghee, but a key way to increase your supply is by adding fiber sources such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans to your meals. When you give your gut bacteria enough fiber to ferment, they create even more butyrate.

It’s important to understand, however, that if your gut health is poor, increasing dietary fiber needs to be done gradually to avoid the production of endotoxin, a mitochondrial poison. Rice and whole fruits are a good starting point.

What Are Other Ways to Boost IL-10 Naturally?

Butyrate’s not the only trick up your sleeve to boost IL-10. Here are more easy ways to increase IL-10 and keep your immune system happy:

• Sunshine or ultraviolet B (UVB) light therapy — Exposure to sunlight or UVB light therapy increases levels of IL-10.3 Ideally, expose your bare skin to direct sunlight daily. Be aware, however, that seed oils, rampant in processed and fast food, are packed with linoleic acid (LA).

In the future we will be referring to these fats as PUFs which is short for polyunsaturated fats as it is far more accurate than calling them PUFAs, since most people know them as fats and not acids.

When LA accumulated in your skin interacts with the sun’s UV rays, it triggers inflammation and DNA damage. It’s best to avoid direct sunlight during peak hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) until you’ve cut back on seed oils for six months. This gives your body time to clear some of the accumulated LA.

• Exercise — Getting moving, whether it’s walking, dancing, or biking, boosts IL-10. One study found a 27-fold increase in IL-10 immediately after exercise.4

• Spice it up — Try adding these to your meals regularly:

1. Garlic — Toss it in your meals — it’s tasty and helps boost IL-10.5

2. Licorice — Consider sipping it as a tea — but be aware licorice is contraindicated for those with high blood pressure, kidney or liver disease and pregnant and breastfeeding women.6

Why Does Mitochondrial Health Matter to You?

Mitochondria play a key role in producing adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy currency essential for numerous cellular functions. When mitochondrial function is compromised, ATP production decreases, leading to cellular energy deficits.

This reduction in energy impairs the cell’s ability to regulate normal processes, fostering an environment ripe for chronic inflammation. If your mitochondria are dysfunctional, you might notice trouble fighting infections, more inflammation, and chronic disease.

• What harms mitochondria? LA in most processed foods is a widespread mitochondrial poison that compromises your cellular energy production. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), including estrogen-mimicking compounds like xenoestrogens, and pervasive electromagnetic fields (EMFs) also interfere with your mitochondria and your cells’ ability to generate energy efficiently.

• What helps mitochondria? Along with avoiding LA, EDCs and EMFs, carbohydrates play a key role in supporting your mitochondrial function.

Most adults need a daily intake of around 200 to 250 grams of targeted carbohydrates to support cellular energy. If you lead a more active lifestyle, you likely need even more. If you have dysbiosis, avoid fiber until your gut heals.

If your gut health is generally healthy or you have only minor gut issues, start with easily digestible options like white rice and whole fruits. As your gut adjusts, consider adding root vegetables, then non-starchy vegetables, starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes or squash, beans, legumes and, finally, minimally processed whole grains.

FAQs About Mitochondria and Autoimmune Disorders

Q: What foods boost IL-10 naturally?

A: Fiber-rich foods, including apples, berries, broccoli, sweet potatoes, oats and rice, feed your gut bacteria, which then produce butyrate. Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid that acts as a “power-up” for your immune system, specifically boosting the signaling of mitochondrial complex III in macrophages.

This enhanced signaling leads to increased superoxide production, which in turn triggers a greater release of IL-10, the anti-inflammatory molecule. Therefore, focusing on incorporating diverse fiber sources in your diet is key to naturally elevating IL-10 levels. One caveat — if you have dysbiosis, avoid fiber until your gut health is healed.

Q: How does exercise help your immune system?

A: Exercise serves as a rapid and potent natural method to enhance your immune system’s ability to manage inflammation. Even a short burst of physical activity, such as walking or dancing, significantly increases IL-10 levels — up to 27 times in one study.7

This surge in IL-10 acts as a powerful “off switch” for inflammation, quickly calming down immune responses. By regularly engaging in physical activity, you’re effectively training your immune system to efficiently resolve inflammation, promoting balance and preventing it from becoming chronic.

Q: Why does IL-10 matter for autoimmune disorders?

A: IL-10 is important in autoimmune disorders because it functions as the immune system’s “off switch” for inflammation. In autoimmune conditions like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own healthy tissues.

IL-10’s role is to signal the immune system to stand down and stop this attack. By effectively promoting the resolution of inflammation, IL-10 provides significant relief in autoimmune disorders by preventing the immune system from continuously harming healthy cells and tissues.

Q: What’s the best way to support mitochondria?

A: Supporting your mitochondria involves several key strategies: dietary fiber intake to produce butyrate, daily physical activity to boost IL-10, and overall mitochondrial function, and regular sun exposure (or UVB light therapy) to also increase IL-10. Equally important is avoiding factors that harm mitochondria, such as linoleic acid prevalent in processed foods and seed oils, endocrine-disrupting chemicals and electromagnetic fields.

Further, ensuring adequate targeted carbohydrate intake (200 to 250 grams daily) fuels mitochondrial energy production. Paying attention to gut health and gradually increasing fiber intake is also important for optimal mitochondrial support.

Do you often feel wiped out, even after sleeping all night? You’re not the only one — lots of people deal with low energy every day. The sneaky part? Your daily habits could be the culprits, quietly draining you without you noticing.1 From putting up with household clutter to staying up with bright lights, these little things add up fast.

But here’s the best news: you can turn it around with easy fixes. Let’s explore why these habits tire you out and give you simple tips to feel better. Soon, you’ll spot these energy-drainers in your own life and know how to kick them out — starting right now.

Your Body’s Energy SOS — Habits That Wear You Down Physically

Your body needs steady care to keep going strong. Disregard that, and you’ll feel slow and tired. Here are three habits that zap your physical energy — and how to stop them.

• Sitting like a couch potato — Slouching feels cozy, but it’s secretly exhausting. When you hunch over, your muscles strain to hold you up, and your lungs can’t fill with air. It’s like lugging a heavy bag the wrong way all day — it wears you out. Sit up straight with a cushion or a good chair to help your back. Stretch a couple times during the day, and you’ll feel a lift.

• Breathless and drained — Ever catch yourself barely breathing when you’re stressed? Quick, shallow breaths don’t give you enough oxygen, leaving you foggy and worn out. But instead of taking deep, vertical breaths that trigger the stress response, practice horizontal breathing.

This means expanding your ribcage sideways rather than lifting your chest upwards. Horizontal breathing promotes relaxation by avoiding the activation of stress pathways in your nervous system.

• Why it matters and what to do — These habits creep in because they’re so normal — slumping in your seat or holding your breath when you’re busy. But they drain your body little by little. Start small: sit less, adjust your chair or set a breathing reminder. You’ll feel stronger soon!

Chaos at Your Desk — How Your Workspace Steals Your Energy

Your work area either keeps you sharp or leaves you fried. These three habits might be tiring you out at your desk — here’s how to take back control.2

• Clutter chaos — A desk covered in papers and knick-knacks scrambles your brain. It’s like cooking in a kitchen with no space — stressful and slow. Clutter pulls your focus, so everything takes longer and tires you out. Take 10 to 15 minutes a day to tidy up — put things away and keep only what you need. A clean desk clears your head too.

• Tab overload — A screen full of open tabs is like juggling too many balls — you’ll drop one eventually. Your brain gets frazzled switching between them, draining your energy quick. Every hour, ask: “Which tabs do I need right now?” Close the rest or save them for later. Fewer tabs mean more focus and less burnout.

• Phone call fatigue — Jumping to answer every call yanks you off track. It’s like someone pulling you around while you walk — you stumble and lose steam. Switching focus fast wears your brain out. Let calls wait unless they’re urgent — pick a time each day to deal with them. Send a quick text to check if it’s a good time, and save yourself the hassle.

• Taming your workspace — A jumbled desk, too many tabs, and constant calls turn work into an energy trap. Imagine a calm setup: neat, focused, and quiet. Pick one fix to start — like clearing your desk tonight — and watch how much better you feel by day’s end.

Task Trouble — When Your To-Do List Drains You Dry

How you manage tasks can keep you pumped or leave you swamped. These three habits overload your brain — here’s how to lighten up.

• Leaving things half-done — Like pausing a movie before the end — keeps your brain hooked on it. Experts call it “attention residue,” and it tires you out juggling old and new information in your head. Finish what you can before switching, or write down where you stopped. That quick note frees your mind for the next thing.

• Overthinking the future — Planning every detail weeks ahead sounds smart, but it stresses you out. It’s like stuffing a suitcase so full you can’t carry it. A jammed schedule stops fun and rest, draining you dry. Plan the big stuff (work, appointments), but leave some days free for whatever. Less planning means more energy.

• Letting small tasks pile up — Ignoring tiny tasks — like replying to a text or changing a bulb — builds a mental mess. It’s like snow piling on your roof; it gets too heavy to handle. All those “I’ll do it later” thoughts drag you down. Knock out quick jobs (under five minutes) right away, or list them and hit them weekly.

• Getting back in control — Unfinished tasks, overpacked plans, and a growing to-do pile weigh your days down. Picture the opposite: finishing tasks, keeping plans loose, and clearing small jobs fast. Try one tweak this week — like jotting tasks down — and feel your energy climb.

Everyday Choices That Tire You Out

Your daily routine can sneakily sap your energy. Are these three habits hiding in your life? Let’s dig them out and fix them.3

• TV that wears you out — Love gripping shows? They wear you down with an emotional rollercoaster. It’s like running a feelings marathon — you’re beat after. Big emotions, even fun ones, tire your brain. Switch to lighter shows or save dramas for weekends when you can relax after.

• Bright lights before bed — Bright lights and blue light at night fool your brain into thinking it’s day. It’s like sleeping with the sun in your face — hard to rest! This throws off your sleep and your circadian rhythm, leaving you tired the next day. Block blue light in the evenings by using blue-light blocking glasses, installing blue light filters on your devices, and opting for warmer, dimmer lighting in your home as it gets dark.

• Following bad-fit advice — Adopting tips that don’t suit you often backfires. Advice that doesn’t fit wastes your effort. Figure out what works for you — like tweaking your diet or skipping a rule that feels off. Custom fixes save your energy.

• Reclaiming your spark — TV binges, late-night lights, and mismatched advice gradually drain. Start with one swap, like dimming lights tonight, and keep going.

Sensory Overload — When Your Senses Steal Your Energy

Your brain is a processing powerhouse, but it has limits. When sensory input overwhelms it, you’re not just tired — you’re truly overstimulated. Here are three habits that lead to sensory overload, and how to reclaim your calm.4

• Ignoring your limits — Pushing through crowded spaces, loud events, or visually busy environments without breaks overwhelms your sensory processing. Recognize your triggers and plan breaks in quiet, low-stimulus environments.

• Neglecting your nervous system — Failing to manage stress leaves your nervous system primed for overload. Chronic stress heightens sensitivity to sensory input. Practice stress reduction and slow breathing regularly, even when you’re not feeling overwhelmed.

• Ignoring physical needs — Not eating healthy, or not getting enough sleep, leaves your body less able to cope with sensory input. Focus on proper sleep, healthy carbs, and daily exercise to build up your resilience.

• Taming your sensory overload — A constant barrage of sights, sounds, and stimuli turn daily life into a sensory minefield. Start by identifying your triggers and implementing simple strategies to manage your sensory input. Even small changes, like taking regular breaks, make a significant difference in your overall well-being.

Breaking Free from Harmful Habits

Remember, feeling tired all the time isn’t your fate. Whether your desk stresses you out, tasks stack up, or your routine throws you off, small changes flip the script. You don’t have to fix it all now — start with one or two that feel familiar. Little steps add up quick. Look at your day: which habits ring a bell? Write them down and pick one to tackle this week. You’ll be shocked how much pep you get back.

FAQs — Common Questions About Energy-Draining Habits

Q: What’s the best way to stop feeling tired all the time?
A: Check your habits first. Sitting tall, decluttering your environment, and proper breathing lift you fast. Try tidying your desk and dimming lights at night — small wins work. Remember, consistency with these small adjustments is key to sustained energy improvements.

Q: How does a messy desk affect my energy?
A: Clutter messes with your focus, making tasks harder and longer. A clean desk keeps your brain calm and saves energy. Therefore, regularly dedicating short periods to organization significantly enhances your focus and reduces mental fatigue.

Q: Why do I feel drained after binge-watching shows?
A: Intense shows stir big emotions, tiring your brain out. Go for lighter options or save dramas for when you can rest after. Consider balancing screen time with activities that promote relaxation, such as reading or gentle stretching.

Q: Can bright lights really make me tired?
A: Yes, nighttime bright light and blue light trick your brain into staying up, ruining sleep. Dim lights at sunset and avoid blue light from screens at night for better rest and energy. Implementing a consistent evening routine with dimmed lighting helps regulate your circadian rhythm and promote better sleep quality.

Q: How can I manage tasks without getting overwhelmed?
A: Finish what you start and do small tasks fast. A quick list or note keeps your head clear. Prioritizing tasks and breaking larger projects into smaller, manageable steps prevents feelings of being overwhelmed.

Free-form dance is not just an art form or a recreational pastime — it’s an effective, accessible form of exercise that delivers both physical and psychological benefits. A study found that free-form dancing matches or exceeds the intensity of traditional aerobic exercises.

Unlike structured workouts, free-form dance engages both the body and mind in a unique way. Understanding how this type of activity compares to traditional workouts provides insight into why movement plays such a foundational role in human health.

Free-Form Dance Has the Same Intensity as Traditional Cardio Workouts

A study published in PLoS ONE analyzed the physical intensity of free-form dancing and how it compares to traditional forms of exercise.1 Led by Aston K. McCullough at Northeastern University, the study investigated how intensely people move when they dance however they want, and whether this is enough to reach the recommended amounts of moderate or vigorous intensity movement.2

• Identifying the effects of free-form dance — McCullough’s study involved data from 48 participants between 18 and 83 years old. Some had no dance experience, while others have decades of dance training. The participants were asked to free-form dance for five-minute intervals, in moderate or vigorous levels, with or without music.3

The researchers then measured their heart rate, oxygen consumption, and perceived exertion during these dance sessions, aiming to determine whether free-form dance meets the criteria for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.

• Free-form dance is no lightweight activity — Across all participants, dancing at a self-selected pace resulted in heart rates averaging 76% of their maximum, well within the range classified as moderate-to-vigorous exercise.

• Vigorous free-form dancing is equivalent to jogging or cycling — When broken down further, moderate-intensity dancing reached an average of 5.6 METs (metabolic equivalents), while vigorous dancing hit 7.5 METs, placing it on par with jogging or high-intensity cycling.4

Scientists have long acknowledged the whole-body benefits of dancing, particularly how it helps improve heart health, flexibility, balance, and even psychological well-being. However, McCullough notes that previous studies have focused on specific types of dances — ballet, hip-hop, and more — but the “dose” of free-form dancing has not been measured.

“McCullough wanted to take a different approach — focusing not on trained dancers practicing an established style, but the everyday person who just likes to boogie down,” an article in Medical Xpress said.5

Free-Form Dancing Meets the Recommended Fitness Guidelines

One of the most striking aspects of this study is it challenges the traditional belief that for you to reap the benefits of exercise, your workout needs to be rigid, controlled, and organized. This can be intimidating because not everyone has the luxury and time to visit a gym or purchase equipment. Oftentimes, this leads people to skip working out altogether.

• You don’t need a gym membership to do physical activities — This research proves that being physically active doesn’t need to be structured for you to reap benefits. According to the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week6 — self-paced free-form dancing provides a viable way to meet these recommendations.

• Free-form dance engages all age groups — The study highlighted that age and body weight influenced dance intensity. Younger participants and those with lower body mass index (BMI) achieved higher METs, indicating greater overall energy expenditure. However, even older adults and those with higher BMI values reached moderate physical activity thresholds. This proves that free-form dance is effective for people of all ages and fitness levels.

• Music increases physical exertion — Simply turning on your favorite song while moving freely elevates your workout intensity without additional effort. When participants danced with music, their heart rates increased significantly compared to those who danced in silence. On average, dancing with music led to a 4% increase in heart rate, which translates to greater calorie burn and cardiovascular stimulation.

• Free-form dancing requires no special equipment — Unlike structured workouts, which require external motivation or expensive equipment, free movement to music is intuitive and engaging. The fact that participants naturally adjusted their intensity while dancing further supports its effectiveness as a sustainable form of physical activity.

Interestingly, despite the measurable physical effort, the participants often underestimated how hard they were working. On the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale, a self-reported measure of intensity, many rated their exertion lower than what their heart rate and oxygen consumption data indicated.

This means that free-form dance provides the benefits of a high-intensity workout without feeling as difficult as running or weightlifting, making it a more appealing long-term exercise choice.7

The Science Behind Dance’s Physical Benefits

The biological effects of free-form dance are rooted in how your body generates and utilizes energy. The study showed that dancing at higher intensities increased oxygen consumption, improving cardiovascular endurance over time.

• Unpredictable movements lead to more dynamic muscle engagements — Since the movements in free-form dance are random and unstructured, they engage multiple muscle groups dynamically, requiring continuous energy output. This creates a cardio-respiratory demand similar to interval training.

• Free-form dancing improves heart rate variability (HRV) — This is a measure of how well the heart adapts to changes in activity. Participants in the study exhibited improved HRV, meaning their hearts responded efficiently to increases and decreases in movement intensity.

Better HRV is associated with lower stress levels, improved cardiovascular health, and reduced risk of heart disease, suggesting that free-form dance also contributes to overall metabolic flexibility.

• Free-form dance engages both the body and brain — It requires rapid decision-making and coordination. The unpredictability of improvised movement activates neural pathways responsible for balance, reaction time, and motor control.

This is particularly beneficial for older adults, as maintaining these abilities reduces the risk of falls and cognitive decline. Unlike repetitive gym routines, which become monotonous over time, dance stimulates both physical and mental agility, keeping the experience engaging and neurologically enriching.

Free-form dance is a legitimate form of exercise that not only improves your physical fitness but also enhances cognitive function, adaptability, and long-term health. The ability to move freely at your own pace, with or without music, makes it an accessible, enjoyable, and highly effective way to stay active.

Dancing Builds Your Physical and Mental Health Without Going to the Gym

The findings of this study echo a similar commentary published in the British Journal of General Practice. The article explored why dancing is an effective and accessible form of exercise, making it a practical, enjoyable, and social way to stay active. Here are some of the advantages of this activity:8

• You can dance for free or without spending too much — Unlike traditional workouts that require expensive gym memberships and equipment, dance offers a free or low-cost alternative with added social and psychological perks.

Try joining dance classes in local community centers, adult education programs, and nonprofit dance clubs. Even informal dance meetups or online instructional videos provide an easy way for you to start moving without breaking your wallet.

• There are various types of dance to choose from — You’ll easily find one that fits your style, fitness level, and even music preference. The study examined different styles of dance, from high-energy folk traditions to slower, more deliberate movements, and found that different forms provide unique health benefits.

• Dancing can be an individual, partner, or group activity — The author noted that the best kinds of dances are those that encourage you to develop cooperation, and social connection is a major advantage of dance-based exercise. “Each type has its own qualities and makes its own demands but there should be something suitable for almost everyone in your area,” the author said.

• It encourages communication and mental stimulation — The cooperative element of dancing enhances communication skills, builds trust, and fosters a sense of belonging. It also provides mental stimulation, as dancers need to follow patterns, coordinate with others, and remember sequences — all of which strengthen cognitive function and delay mental decline.

• Dancing is a social activity — Many people quit exercise routines because they feel isolated or unmotivated. Dance groups, however, provide a built-in support system. The study noted that people who dance regularly in a community setting are more likely to stay active long-term compared to those who engage in solitary fitness activities.9

• Dancing provides a structured form of self-expression — Many people struggle to express emotions verbally, but dancing allows for physical expression that’s cathartic and healing. Studies have shown that people who engage in dance therapy improved their self-esteem and emotional health, making it an effective approach if you’re dealing with trauma or mental health challenges.10,11

• Dancing is not limited by age or fitness level — Unlike high-impact sports that place strain on the joints, dance can be adapted for different abilities. Wheelchair users, for example, participate in formation dancing, demonstrating that movement and rhythm are not exclusive to those who can stand.

Dancing Improves Cardiovascular Health, Concentration, and Mental Health

Different dance styles demand varying levels of physical exertion, but the report identified several forms that provide specific benefits. For example, high-energy dances provide a vigorous workout that promotes your cardiovascular health.

• High-energy dances that are comparable to interval training — Cajun jitterbug, Irish set dance, and Scottish country dancing were highlighted as particularly vigorous dances that raise heart rate, build endurance, and improve lung capacity. These styles involve continuous movement, fast footwork, and rapid directional changes, making them comparable to high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in their ability to burn calories and enhance stamina.

• Slower dances keep you moving while improving concentration — Slower styles like English country dance or American square dancing provide moderate physical activity while still requiring concentration and coordination.

Even at a walking pace, these dances improve balance and flexibility while offering the mental challenge of remembering steps and interacting with others. This means that individuals with limited mobility or those looking for lower-impact exercises still benefit from dance without risking joint strain or overexertion.

• Structured dance activities benefit brain health — The article mentions studies on how structured dance activities could help delay the progression of dementia by keeping the brain engaged through pattern recognition, memory recall, and spatial awareness. In 2021, a study posted in Frontiers in Psychiatry found that square dancing in elderly women with cognitive impairment, helped alleviate their depressive symptoms and improve their quality of life.12

5 Ways to Avoid Being Sedentary

Free-form dance is a simple, enjoyable way to get moving, but the key is making movement a consistent part of your life. Whether you are looking to improve your cardiovascular fitness, strengthen your body, alleviate depression, or just feel more energized, the solution is the same — you need to break free from inactivity and build a movement routine that works for you. Here are five tips to try:

1. Set a daily movement goal — Waiting for motivation to strike is a losing battle. Set a clear goal for how much movement you will do each day. Start with 30 minutes and adjust as needed. This doesn’t mean you have to hit the gym — dancing, walking, or stretching all count. If you are stuck at a desk all day, schedule short movement breaks every hour. Even a few minutes of activity will help prevent stiffness and boost circulation.

2. Incorporate dance into your routine — If traditional workouts feel like a chore, free-form dance is a great alternative. Put on your favorite song and move however you want. Whether you go all out with high-energy steps or take it slow with gentle movements, the important thing is to stay active.

If you prefer structure, join a dance class or try an online dance workout. You don’t need to be a professional dancer to get the benefits — just get your body moving.

3. Make movement social — One of the best ways to stay consistent is to make movement a social activity. Dance with a friend, take a class, or attend a local dance event. If you prefer working out solo, find an accountability partner to check in with.

Social interaction makes movement more enjoyable and increases the likelihood that you will stick with it. Studies show that people who exercise with others stay more committed and see better long-term results.13

4. Reduce time spent sitting — The more time you spend sitting, the harder it is for your body to function optimally. If you work at a desk, use a standing desk or even a walking pad to keep your body moving. Take frequent breaks to stretch and walk.

5. Listen to your body and stay consistent — The most important thing is to keep moving consistently. If your body feels stiff or fatigued, adjust your routine but don’t stop entirely. Movement needs to be a regular part of your life, not just something you do when you feel like it.

The goal is to make activity a habit that becomes second nature. Free-form dance is a fun and sustainable way to build movement into your day, so take advantage of it and make it part of your routine.

Staying active doesn’t have to be complicated. The best way to break free from a sedentary lifestyle is to make movement enjoyable, consistent, and part of your daily life. Whether it’s dancing, walking, or simply standing more, every bit of movement counts. Your body will thank you for it.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About the Benefits of Free-Form Dancing

Q: How does free-form dance compare to traditional exercise?

A: Research shows that free-form dance matches or even exceeds the intensity of traditional workouts like jogging or cycling. It provides cardiovascular benefits and meets the recommended guidelines for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.

Q: Can free-form dancing be an effective workout for all age groups?

A: Yes. The study found that free-form dance benefits people of all ages and fitness levels. Even older adults and those with higher BMI values reached moderate-intensity activity levels, making it a great exercise option for everyone.

Q: Do you need special equipment or training to benefit from free-form dance?

A: No. Free-form dance requires no gym membership, equipment, or prior training. Simply moving to music at your own pace provides significant physical and mental health benefits.

Q: How does music impact the effectiveness of free-form dance?

A: Dancing with music naturally increases heart rate and energy expenditure, making the workout more effective. Participants who danced to music had higher heart rates and burned more calories than those who danced in silence.

Q: Besides physical fitness, what other benefits does free-form dance offer?

A: Free-form dance improves mental agility, coordination, and emotional well-being. It engages the brain in decision-making, reduces stress, fosters social connections, and even helps delay cognitive decline in older adults.

Your body produces a compound that governs some of the most important processes in aging — cellular cleanup, energy production, metabolic signaling, and brain function — yet it rarely appears in conversations about healthy longevity. That compound is geranylgeraniol (GG, also called GGOH), and a review published in the Journal of Lipid Research makes a compelling case that it deserves far more attention than it gets.1

The problem isn’t that GG is rare or exotic. It’s made inside the mevalonate pathway, the pathway that produces coenzyme Q10 and cholesterol — the raw material your body then uses to make vitamin D and steroid hormones. This is also the pathway that statin drugs act on: by blocking an enzyme near the top of it, statins reduce not just cholesterol but everything downstream, GG and CoQ10 included.

Some researchers have proposed that this drop in GG and related compounds may contribute to the muscle aches some people experience on statins, a hypothesis that’s still being studied, but one that shows how central this pathway is.

Production declines with age, however, precisely when the need for cellular repair is highest. As that supply drops, the downstream effects ripple across multiple systems, and researchers now believe those ripple effects help explain why so many hallmarks of aging accelerate together rather than in isolation.

What makes this research particularly striking is how GG fits into a larger picture of aging as a systems-level failure rather than simple wear and tear. Muscle loss, insulin resistance, cognitive decline, chronic inflammation, and weakened immune defenses don’t happen randomly. They reflect coordinated breakdowns in energy production, protein maintenance, and cellular signaling, breakdowns that GG and its related metabolites appear to directly influence.

Your Brain and Metabolism Depend on This Hidden Pathway

The review examined prenols such as GG, and their metabolites, including geranylgeranoic acid, or GGA.2 GG is a naturally produced compound that serves as a building block for several cellular signaling molecules. As GG is metabolized, it also forms related compounds such as GGA, which carry out different biological functions. These compounds are active regulators of aging, metabolism, inflammation, cognition, and cellular stress responses instead of meaningless byproducts of cholesterol production.

• The paper tied aging directly to declining cellular energy and repair systems — Researchers described aging as a progressive loss of mitochondrial efficiency, rising oxidative stress, insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, and impaired proteostasis. Proteostasis refers to your body’s ability to maintain healthy proteins and remove damaged ones before they accumulate. When those systems weaken, cells lose resilience and tissues age more rapidly.

• Scientists identified the mevalonate pathway as a central control system for cellular survival — This pathway is often associated with cholesterol, but the review explained that it also regulates mitochondrial respiration, protein signaling, hormone-related pathways, and inflammatory control. Disruptions inside this pathway have been associated with diabetes, neurodegeneration, cardiovascular disease, sarcopenia, and other age-related disorders.

• GG helps important proteins do their jobs — Your cells contain thousands of proteins that act like workers carrying out specific tasks. Many of these proteins are inactive until a small lipid “tag” built from GG is attached to them, a process scientists call geranylgeranylation. That tag works like an ID badge: it lets the protein dock onto the right cell membrane and reach the location where it does its job.When GG runs low, fewer badges get printed, so these proteins drift unanchored and can’t carry out tasks like relaying memory signals or coordinating cell growth.

• Research suggests the brain relies on an adequate supply of GG to support the connections involved in forming and maintaining memories — GG appears to play an important role in helping brain cells strengthen their connections with each other.

In laboratory cell studies, when brain cells were deprived of GG, important memory-related signaling processes stopped working properly. Restoring GG helped those processes recover, but simply adding cholesterol did not. This suggests that GG has unique functions in the brain that cholesterol can’t replace, highlighting that this pathway does much more than regulate cholesterol levels.

Researchers Linked GG to Multiple Hallmarks of Aging

Aging tissues often produce excessive inflammatory compounds. The paper described how prenol metabolites influence inflammatory signaling pathways and help regulate oxidative stress responses. Oxidative stress occurs when damaging reactive oxygen molecules overwhelm your body’s protective defenses, leading to injury inside proteins, fats, and DNA.

• The researchers also discussed insulin sensitivity and metabolic health — Insulin resistance rises steadily with age and disrupts how your cells process glucose for energy. The review connected prenol metabolism with markers of glucose regulation and metabolic signaling, based largely on preclinical research. Impaired glucose handling places continuous stress on mitochondria and accelerates inflammatory damage throughout the body.*

• Cancer biology emerged as another major theme — The review described how GGA, the oxidized form of GG, affects cancer cells differently than healthy tissue. Cells maintain themselves through autophagy, a recycling program that breaks down worn-out parts and reuses the materials. In healthy cells this process runs start to finish and leaves the cell renewed.
But in certain tumor cells, GGA appears to switch autophagy on and then jam it partway through. That half-finished, stalled cleanup turns toxic (cytotoxic means cell-damaging), and the cancer cell ends up destroying itself. The key is that GGA isn’t breaking a healthy process; it’s hijacking it specifically inside malignant cells.
Researchers have described this mechanism as acting almost like a built-in brake on cancer-cell growth, though this remains an early, laboratory-stage observation. Researchers noted that pathways related to prenol metabolism are often downregulated in malignant states. In other words, cancer cells frequently suppress these protective signaling systems because they interfere with uncontrolled growth.
The review linked GGA activity to inhibition of tumor growth, inflammatory signaling, and survival pathways inside cancer cells. These findings are early and haven’t been tested as a cancer therapy in people, but they’re a major reason researchers find this pathway so intriguing.

• Several longevity-related pathways overlapped throughout the review — Researchers discussed signaling systems that influence cell survival, metabolism, and stress adaptation. Dysregulation of these systems contributes to accelerated aging, metabolic dysfunction, and tumor progression. Prenol compounds influenced several of these pathways simultaneously, which explains why researchers increasingly view them as central regulators instead of secondary metabolites.

• Aging doesn’t happen because your body simply “wears out” — Researchers described it as a coordinated breakdown in energy production, protein maintenance, stress adaptation, and cellular signaling. GG and related metabolites appear deeply involved in many of those systems, especially in the brain, metabolic tissues, and inflammatory pathways.

*These findings are from laboratory or animal research and may not directly apply to human health.

Support Your Cellular Repair Systems Before They Decline Further

Your body already contains many of the systems required for healthy aging, stronger metabolism, and better cellular repair. The problem is that modern habits steadily drain those systems. Chronic stress, poor sleep, processed food, sedentary routines, excessive seed oils, and constant metabolic overload force your cells into survival mode instead of repair mode.

Focus on restoring the environment your cells need to produce energy efficiently because stronger mitochondrial function supports everything else downstream, including inflammation control, recovery, cognition, and metabolic health.

1. Support the mevalonate pathway with nutrient-dense foods — GG naturally occurs in foods like tomatoes, carrots, olives, and some grains, though food sources contain much smaller amounts than supplements. Focus on a nutrient-rich diet that supports the entire mevalonate pathway.
That pathway produces coenzyme Q10, steroid hormones, vitamin D, and other compounds your cells require for energy and repair. If your diet lacks enough whole foods and high-quality protein, your cells lose access to the raw materials required to maintain those systems.

2. Use targeted GG supplementation to support aging cells — Supplemental forms of GG provide much more concentrated support than food alone. Most commercial GG supplements contain 150 milligrams (mg) to 300 mg per softgel. In addition, a majority of the published research has used branded forms of trans-geranylgeraniol derived from annatto seeds, such as “GG-Gold.” These supplements are typically taken with or without food.
For people who are older, physically active, metabolically stressed, or recovering from years of poor dietary habits, concentrated GG is one way you can replenish a compound that your body produces less of with age.
Supplementation is one proposed way to replenish the supply, but it’s worth knowing that most of the evidence so far comes from cell and animal research, with human longevity data still limited. If you take a statin, talk with your clinician before adding GG, since the two interact with the same pathway.

3. Lower the metabolic stress that blocks cellular repair — Your cells struggle to maintain autophagy and mitochondrial function when your diet constantly floods your system with industrial fats and ultraprocessed foods, including soybean oil, corn oil, canola oil, or other vegetable oils.
These flood your cells with linoleic acid (LA), which can disrupt energy production and increase oxidative stress. Replace them with whole-food meals built around ruminant protein, root vegetables, fruit, and stable fats such as grass fed butter, ghee, or tallow. If your cells stop fighting inflammatory stress all day long, they redirect energy toward repair and recovery instead.

4. Use sunlight and movement to restore mitochondrial energy production — These habits won’t raise your GG directly, but they protect the cellular environment GG works within. Daily morning sunlight helps regulate circadian rhythm and mitochondrial energy production, and healthier mitochondria mean the mevalonate pathway, where GG is made, has the energy to keep running.
When your cells aren’t fighting inflammatory stress all day, more of that capacity goes toward the repair work GG-dependent proteins are meant to do.
I also recommend consistent movement because inactivity rapidly weakens mitochondrial function and insulin sensitivity. Start with walking outdoors after sunrise and continue building from there. If you sit most of the day, even short movement breaks improve glucose handling and reduce metabolic stress. Your body responds best to repeated signals of movement and light exposure instead of occasional bursts of exercise followed by long periods of inactivity.

5. Protect your mitochondria from constant inflammatory overload — Your mitochondria respond directly to sleep quality, blood sugar stability, stress load, and environmental toxins. Build simple habits that lower that burden every day. Prioritize consistent sleep, stable meal timing, and balanced carbohydrate intake instead of restrictive low-carb approaches that suppress metabolic flexibility.
Include enough protein to maintain muscle mass and make roughly one-third of that protein collagen-rich foods like bone broth. Small daily actions compound over time. Every time you improve cellular energy production, reduce inflammatory stress, and strengthen mitochondrial resilience, you help your body shift away from accelerated aging and back toward repair.

FAQs About GG and Healthy Aging

Q: What is GG?
A: GG is a compound your body naturally produces through the mevalonate pathway. This same pathway helps create cholesterol, coenzyme Q10, vitamin D, and other compounds needed for cellular function. Researchers have linked GG to healthy metabolism, brain function, inflammation control, and cellular stress responses.

Q: Why does GG matter as I get older?
A: GG production declines with age at the same time many age-related problems begin to accelerate. Lower levels are associated with disruptions in cellular signaling, energy production, inflammation control, and metabolic health. Researchers believe this decline helps explain why issues such as muscle loss, insulin resistance, cognitive decline, and chronic inflammation often develop together rather than separately.

Q: How does GG support brain health?
A: Laboratory research suggests that GG plays a role in helping brain cells strengthen and maintain their connections. These connections are necessary for learning, memory formation, and normal cognitive function. Scientists found that when GG levels fall, important memory-related signaling processes weaken, and restoring GG helps restore those functions.

Q: Can food provide enough GG?
A: GG naturally occurs in foods such as tomatoes, carrots, olives, and some grains. These foods contribute small amounts and support the broader metabolic pathways involved in GG production. Supplemental GG provides significantly higher amounts than food alone, which is why some people use it as a targeted strategy to support healthy aging.

Q: What lifestyle habits help preserve the systems GG supports?
A: The same habits that support mitochondrial health also support the biological systems influenced by GG. A nutrient-dense diet, regular sunlight exposure, daily movement, adequate sleep, stable blood sugar levels, and avoidance of ultraprocessed foods all help reduce the metabolic stress that accelerates aging. These habits strengthen cellular energy production and improve your body’s ability to repair and maintain itself over time.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a qualified health care provider before making changes to your health regimen.

Test Your Knowledge with Today’s Quiz!
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What is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) associated with?

Low calcium and weak bones
Insulin resistance, inflammation, and gut imbalance
PCOS may involve insulin resistance, inflammation, and gut imbalance, along with hormone changes. Learn more.
High vitamin intake but increased dehydration
Poor eyesight and muscle loss that may lead to sarcopenia

Historically, prunes were seen as digestive aids or outdated snacks, but their medicinal use traces back thousands of years. In traditional cultures, dried plums weren’t just used for constipation — they were consumed to strengthen the body, reduce inflammation, and restore vitality.

Now, modern science is catching up. A study has discovered that eating just a few prunes a day helped maintain bone structure and strength, especially among postmenopausal women — a population at high risk for fractures and bone loss. But that’s just the start — you’ll be surprised at the many health benefits this humble yet nutrient-packed fruit offers.

What Are Prunes Good For?

Prunes are often considered a remedy for constipation, usually recommended to elderly people who have trouble emptying their bowels. However, there’s more to prunes than meets the eye. These are one of the most underrated fruits out there, mainly because many people are unaware of their health benefits.

• Prunes are plums — To put it simply, prunes are dried plums, and while not all plums can be turned into prunes, all prunes used to be plums. In particular, a variety called “French” or “d’Agen” is used to make prunes, due to their large size and high natural sugar content.1

• Majority of prunes come from California — In the U.S., 99% of the prunes are grown in this state. California prunes also make up 70% of the global production, according to the University of California’s Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. France, Chile, and Argentina are other major producers of this product.2

• Prunes are versatile — They are used as a sugar or fat substitute, enjoyed as a snack or dessert, or added to savory dishes, such as in Mediterranean cuisine. They also have a longer shelf life than plums.

• Their dark color says a lot about their nutrient profile — Prunes are high in antioxidants called polyphenols, which give fruits and vegetables their vibrant color. The dark color of prunes is a testament to their high polyphenol content. Other nutrients in this fruit include fiber, vitamin K, potassium, copper, and magnesium3 — all of which may contribute to its many benefits, such as for bone health.

Eating Just a Few Prunes a Day Helps Maintain Bone Strength in Postmenopausal Women

A paper published in Osteoporosis International examined whether a simple daily habit like eating a few prunes each day could slow down or even stop bone loss. Part of what’s called “The Prune Study,” the findings presented by Penn State University researchers provided evidence on these fruits’ measurable effects on bone strength and density.4

• Postmenopausal women were the main focus of the study — The researchers followed 235 postmenopausal women around 62 years old, who were split into three randomized groups — one group didn’t eat any prunes, another group ate about four to six prunes (around 50 grams) a day, and the last group ate about 10 to 12 prunes (around 100 grams) a day.

• They used advanced 3D imaging to track bone changes — For a year, they tracked the women who participated, evaluating their bone health status every six months. “[T]hey were assessed using a peripheral quantitative computed tomography, or pQCT, scan, which allows for cross-sectional imaging to measure 3D bone mass density, bone geometry, and bone strength,” SciTechDaily reported.

• Here’s what they found — The women who didn’t eat prunes lost bone strength and bone density in their tibia (shinbone) during the observation period. Meanwhile, those who ate at least four to six prunes per day maintained both, particularly in the cortical bone (the stronger and denser outer shell of the bone).

While both prune-eating groups saw benefits, many of those who were consuming 100 grams per day dropped out of the study, mainly because they became tired of incorporating so many prunes into their daily diet.

“This is the first randomized controlled trial to look at three-dimensional bone outcomes with respect to bone structure, geometry and estimated strength,” Mary Jane De Souza, a professor of kinesiology and physiology at Penn State and one of the study authors, said.

“In our study we saw that daily prune consumption impacted factors related to fracture risk. That’s clinically invaluable.”5

• One of the most important details here is what part of the bone was preserved — The tibia has two layers — an outer hard layer called cortical bone and an inner spongier layer called trabecular bone. The cortical layer is especially important because it carries the load of your body weight, so when it starts to thin, your bones are more likely to crack or break.

In the prune-eating groups, cortical bone strength and thickness stayed intact. But in the women who skipped prunes, those outer walls started to erode. That puts them at greater risk for fractures.

What Happens to Your Bones When You Eat Prunes Every Day?

In the U.S., more than 10 million people are said to have osteoporosis, a condition wherein bone density drops and the skeleton becomes fragile. It occurs more often in women than in men, underscoring the significance of the study’s findings.

• Your bones are constantly changing — Your bone undergoes remodeling through specialized cells called osteoclasts and osteoblasts. Osteoclasts break old bones while osteoblasts replace them with new material. However, as you grow older, your osteoblasts cells no longer work as fast as they used to; osteoclasts take over, causing an imbalance. As a result, bone breaks faster as the rebuilding process slows down.
This puts you at risk of osteoporosis, increasing your chances of falls, fractures, and other bone injuries.

• Half of all women over 50 will experience a bone fracture — According to the National Institutes of Health, 50% of postmenopausal women will have a fracture, whether in their hip, wrist, or spine, during their lifetime. And among those who get a hip fracture, only one-third will be able to resume their normal life.6

• Low estrogen during your postmenopausal years speeds up osteoporosis — Estrogen is crucial for bone health, but after menopause, your estrogen production declines. This causes you to lose more bone density, which is why postmenopausal women have a higher osteoporosis risk.

• The compounds in prunes interfere with this destructive cycle — The researchers believe that the polyphenols in prunes help lower levels of inflammation, which accelerates bone breakdown, in the body. Chronic low-grade inflammation is a quiet but steady driver of many aging-related diseases, including osteoporosis. By calming this inflammation, prunes help tip the balance back in favor of bone-building cells.

• Studies also point to prunes’ effects on the gut microbiome — The researchers have published a follow-up study looking at how prunes influence the gut microbiome, which in turn impacts bone metabolism. They found that participants with certain gut microbiome reap the bone health benefits of prunes.

“We identified several microbiome and human health variables associated with responders to prune supplementation. These factors may be involved in the mechanisms underlying the bone-protective effects of prune supplementation in postmenopausal women,” the researchers reported.

Overall, the researchers conclude that prunes offer a simple, natural strategy for women trying to preserve their bone strength in the years after menopause. And unlike drugs or high-dose calcium, prunes come with an assortment of nutrients that help other systems in your body as well.

What Else Can Prunes Do for Your Health?

If you’ve only ever eaten prunes to bring your potty schedule back on track, you’re surely missing out on the many advantages of these fruits. The benefits of prunes stretch beyond your digestive system, as they are found to support your heart, brain, and blood sugar health.

• Prunes help protect you from cardiovascular diseases — A study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food found that consuming 50 to 100 grams of prunes daily helped lower heart disease risk factors among postmenopausal women.7 These include cholesterol, oxidative stress, and inflammation. The potassium in prunes also helps maintain healthy blood pressure levels.8

• They also help give your brain a boost — Prunes promote good circulation, meaning that they also support brain health. Registered dietitian Serena Ball comments, “Good circulation to the heart means good circulation to the brain, which can decrease the risk of brain degeneration.” In turn, this can protect against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

And because your gut and brain are closely intertwined, anything that helps promote optimal gut health helps support brain health, too, affecting your mood, behavior, and even your immune function.

• Prunes promote healthy weight management — The sweetness of prunes comes from sorbitol, a complex carbohydrate that is metabolized slowly in your body. But just because they are sweet doesn’t mean they add inches to your waist. In fact, a study conducted by De Souza and her team found that women who consumed moderate amounts of prunes for a year did not develop any negative metabolic effects, like increased waist circumference.

• Dried fruits like prunes may help reduce your risk of Type 2 diabetes — Diabetics are often advised to avoid prunes, dried apricots, and raisins because of their sugar content; however, a 2024 study provided surprising insights. The researchers found that a higher consumption of dried fruits was associated with a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes.9

Other Strategies to Protect Your Bone Health

While eating prunes is an ideal way to support your skeletal health and ward off osteoporosis, there are other effective strategies to make sure your bones stay strong and healthy as you age. Here are some examples:

• Address your nutrient deficiencies — You need to get enough calcium, since almost 98% of this mineral present in your body is found in your bones. However, along with boosting your calcium, you also need to have optimal levels of vitamin D, magnesium, and vitamin K2 (MK-7).
This combination of nutrients allows calcium to be better absorbed and distributed throughout your body, so it reaches your bones and teeth instead of being deposited in your arteries, where it increases your risk of heart disease.

• Get enough protein, particularly collagen — About 30% of your bone is collagen, making it an essential dietary component to prevent bone loss. As a general guideline, you want approximately 15% of your daily calories to be protein, with collagen making up one-third of it (5%).

The best way to get more collagen into your diet is by making bone broth from organic grass fed animal bones. Slow-cooking or pressure cooking more gelatinous cuts of meat is another option, as are collagen and gelatin supplements.

• Get enough exercise — Weight bearing exercises and strength training will improve both muscle and bone strength. One study also notes that resistance training, as well as aerobic training, positively benefits bone density.10

• Make healthy lifestyle choices — Choices that negatively affect bone health include smoking, drinking alcohol, and consuming soft drinks (as well as other ultraprocessed foods and beverages). Being constantly sedentary also harms your bone health.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Prunes and Bone Health

Q: How many prunes should I eat each day to support bone health?
A: Research suggests that eating four to six prunes a day — about 50 grams — is enough to help preserve bone strength and density, especially in postmenopausal women. This amount was effective without being difficult to maintain long-term.

Q: What part of the bone do prunes help protect?
A: Prunes help preserve the outer layer of bone called cortical bone, which carries body weight and is most likely to fracture during a fall. In the study, women who ate prunes maintained this layer, while those who didn’t lost strength in their tibia (shinbone).

Q: Why are prunes better than calcium supplements alone?
A: Unlike calcium pills, prunes offer more than just minerals. They contain anti-inflammatory polyphenols, fiber, magnesium, potassium, and copper — all of which contribute to stronger bones without the added risk of kidney stones or calcium buildup in arteries.

Q: Can prunes help if I already have osteoporosis?
A: While prunes aren’t a cure, the study shows they slow bone breakdown and support bone quality. They may be especially helpful when combined with a healthy diet, strength training, and other lifestyle changes that protect bone health.

Q: Are there other health benefits to eating prunes daily?
A: Yes. Prunes have been linked to lower cholesterol, better blood pressure, improved gut health, and even cognitive support. Their fiber and slow-digesting sugars also help with appetite control and metabolic balance.

If you’re dealing with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), you’ve probably been told it’s a hormone problem and handed a prescription that treats one symptom at a time. But emerging research points to a different origin entirely. PCOS affects far more than your ovaries. It’s a full-body metabolic disorder that shows up as irregular menstrual cycles, stubborn weight gain, acne, excess hair growth, and difficulty conceiving.

Left unchecked, PCOS has been associated in epidemiological research with an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and chronic inflammation; however, conventional treatments tend to target individual symptoms rather than the underlying cause. What stands out in a 2026 review published in ACS Nutrition Science is a different starting point entirely.1

Instead of treating PCOS as a hormonal condition that happens to affect metabolism, the researchers trace its core drivers back to the gut. That reframing changes what an effective intervention looks like — and points to a class of compounds many people have never heard of.

This is where postbiotics enter the conversation. Probiotics are live bacteria. Postbiotics are the beneficial compounds those bacteria produce as they work — molecules like short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), enzymes, and peptides that may directly influence your metabolism and immune function. Prebiotics are a third category. These are the fibers and compounds in food that feed beneficial bacteria in your gut.

Think of it as a production chain: prebiotics fuel the bacteria (probiotics), and those bacteria produce the beneficial compounds (postbiotics) that influence your metabolism and immune function. Early research has examined how postbiotics may influence several interconnected systems implicated in PCOS — not by overriding your body’s signals, but by influencing some of the conditions researchers believe may support self-regulation.

How Researchers Link Postbiotics to PCOS-Related Pathways

For the review, researchers focused on how postbiotics may influence the underlying patterns of PCOS, not just the symptoms.2 The goal was to understand how changes in gut balance may influence hormone signaling, metabolism, and inflammation simultaneously. Instead of looking at PCOS as a single problem, the research treats it as a chain of interactions that starts in your gut and spreads throughout your body.

The paper describes how individuals with PCOS consistently show fewer beneficial bacteria and more harmful species, including bacteria like Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. That imbalance disrupts how your body processes hormones and energy. When your gut shifts in the wrong direction, your entire metabolic system is often observed to follow.

Here’s how that chain reaction unfolds: It starts with dysbiosis, an imbalance in your gut bacteria that weakens your intestinal barrier. Once that barrier breaks down, bacterial toxins leak into your bloodstream, which is associated with widespread inflammation.

That inflammation is associated with reduced insulin sensitivity, and, according to research, rising insulin levels signal your ovaries to produce more androgens like testosterone. From there, the excess androgens may lead to symptoms most women recognize, including irregular cycles, acne, hair growth, and difficulty losing weight. Each point below examines a different link in that chain.

• Postbiotics may support insulin response and metabolic markers — Research has examined whether postbiotics influence how your body responds to insulin. Improved insulin sensitivity is associated with more efficient cellular glucose use so it does not build up in your bloodstream.
That change may help stabilize energy levels, reduce fat storage, and ease the hormonal signals that push androgen levels higher. Androgens are often called “male hormones,” like testosterone, but women produce them too. When levels rise too high, they could lead to PCOS symptoms.
• Inflammation drops as gut-derived compounds increase — Postbiotics have been observed to increase anti-inflammatory markers in your gut, which may be relevant to the chronic inflammation seen in PCOS. This matters because inflammation is linked to most PCOS symptoms, from hormone imbalance to metabolic dysfunction. Reductions in inflammation are associated with improved self-regulation in some research models.
• SCFAs are associated with improved gut barrier function — SCFAs, such as butyrate, are compounds your gut bacteria produce when they break down food.3 These act as a fuel source for cells lining the intestines, helping support barrier function.
When SCFAs increase, your gut wall becomes stronger, which helps prevent harmful bacterial toxins from leaking into your bloodstream, a process linked to inflammation and insulin resistance. However, when SCFA levels drop, your gut barrier becomes more permeable, meaning unwanted substances pass into circulation more easily.
That leakage raises levels of endotoxins, which have been shown in research to directly interfere with insulin signaling and hormonal balance. Think of endotoxins as debris shed from harmful bacteria. When your gut wall is weak, that debris slips into your bloodstream and triggers alarm signals throughout your body.
• Hormone signaling and the gut — brain — hormone connection — Another mechanism involves how your gut communicates with your brain and endocrine system, often referred to as the gut-brain axis. Postbiotics may influence this communication network, helping regulate androgen levels and restore hormonal balance, according to research.
These are actually two distinct communication channels. Your gut-brain axis governs stress hormones and appetite regulation. It’s why gut problems often come with cravings and elevated cortisol.
Gut-ovary signaling, on the other hand, affects reproductive hormones like estrogen and testosterone, which regulate ovulation and cycle patterns. Researchers have observed associations between these signaling shifts and improvements in menstrual regularity in some study populations.
• Metabolism, bile acids, and adiponectin — Postbiotics may help influence how your liver recycles bile acids, which are used by your body to break down and absorb dietary fat. When that recycling process is disrupted, fat metabolism slows down and excess fat accumulates more easily.
Women with PCOS consistently show low levels of a hormone called adiponectin, which is directly linked to the stubborn weight gain and metabolic slowdown many experience. Some studies have reported that postbiotics are associated with higher adiponectin levels, a marker linked to improved insulin sensitivity and fat metabolism.

Postbiotics and Reproductive and Metabolic Markers in PCOS Research

A separate study published in Inflammopharmacology reinforces these findings and extends them into an area the first review doesn’t fully address: direct reproductive outcomes. Where the ACS review focused on metabolic and inflammatory mechanisms, this research examines how postbiotics may relate to ovarian function, menstrual regularity, and fertility — the outcomes many women with PCOS care about most.4

• Ovarian function and menstrual patterns — Irregular ovulation is one of the patterns in PCOS that influences fertility. In study populations where ovarian function stabilizes, cycles become more predictable and improvements in reproductive health markers are reported.
• Reduction of excess androgen — Postbiotic compounds help lower excess androgen activity. Unlike approaches that suppress hormones, researchers describe this as a mechanism that may influence hormone-regulating signals. In some studies, normalization of these signals has been associated with shifts in hormone markers.
• Metabolism becomes more efficient at handling glucose and energy — Research suggests postbiotics may influence glucose metabolism, with some studies reporting improved sugar processing in study populations. These effects have been linked in research to energy levels, weight regulation, and insulin markers. Improved cellular glucose use is associated in research with reductions in metabolic markers linked to PCOS.
Postbiotics may also exhibit both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, which help calm the internal environment that drives PCOS forward.5 Antioxidants protect your cells from damage, while reduced inflammation lowers the constant stress signals that disrupt hormone function. Together, these shifts are associated in research with a more stable internal state.
• Gut integrity strengthens and improves communication across systems — A major mechanism involves strengthening your gut wall, which improves how your digestive system communicates with the rest of your body. When your gut barrier is intact, fewer harmful substances enter circulation, and signaling between your gut and ovaries becomes more stable. This shows why improving gut structure leads to improvements in both metabolism and reproductive function.
• May directly influence the gut — ovary connection — The gut and ovaries communicate through shared signaling pathways. Postbiotics help stabilize that communication, allowing hormone signals to travel more accurately. Think of it as clearing static from a phone line between your gut and ovaries. Once this interference lessens, research suggests hormone signals may be more consistent.

Restoring Gut Balance May Ease PCOS-Associated Symptoms

Symptoms like irregular menstrual cycles, weight gain, and hormonal swings don’t come from a single broken pathway. They reflect a system that has lost balance, starting in your gut and spreading into metabolism and hormone signaling.

When that foundation improves, your body begins correcting itself in a coordinated way instead of fighting isolated symptoms. The goal is not to chase individual issues but to restore the underlying systems that control them. These steps focus on rebuilding that foundation so your body can regulate hormones, energy, and inflammation more effectively.

1. Use postbiotics to directly restore microbiome balance — Think of postbiotics as the signals your gut needs to function properly again. These compounds have been linked in research to insulin markers, inflammatory patterns, and hormone regulation — some studies suggest these effects may occur together.

One well-studied postbiotic option is Akkermansia muciniphila. When pasteurized, it retains a protein called Amuc_1100, which has been shown to tighten the gut barrier and reduce inflammation. Look for postbiotic formulas with enteric coating or microencapsulation to ensure they survive stomach acid and reach your colon intact.

Postbiotics work best in a gut environment that supports them. That means limiting unnecessary antibiotic use, which can wipe out the beneficial bacteria your microbiome depends on, and cutting back on processed foods that feed harmful species instead.

2. Rebuild your diet to stabilize blood sugar and hormone signals — Processed foods keep your metabolism stuck in a stressed state. Focus on whole-food carbohydrates like white rice and other easily digested starches, as well as anti-inflammatory foods like berries and mushrooms to help support steady energy and more stable hormone patterns. Removing processed foods high in seed oils like soybean, corn, sunflower, safflower, canola, and cottonseed oils, reduces linoleic acid (LA) exposure.

LA disrupts cellular energy and drives inflammation. Focus on rebuilding tolerance to whole foods gradually, starting with easier-to-digest options like fruit and white rice and slowly expanding variety so your gut regains flexibility instead of reacting to everything you eat.

3. Move daily to reset insulin and metabolic function — Consistent movement gives your body a reason to improve insulin sensitivity. Daily walking for about 60 minutes supports steady glucose use, while adding strength training twice a week helps regulate hormones and improve metabolic efficiency.

4. Incorporate stress management techniques to your daily routine — Chronic stress interferes with hormone signaling and keeps your body in a constant state of imbalance. Practices like mindfulness, meditation, counseling, or structured downtime lower those stress signals and support more stable communication between your brain, metabolism, and reproductive system.

5. Reduce exposure to environmental toxins that mimic hormones — Everyday exposure to plastics introduces compounds that act like synthetic hormones. Microplastics behave like xenoestrogens and may affect your estrogen-to-androgen balance, a pattern observed in PCOS.
Reducing contact with these materials — by switching to glass food storage, avoiding plastic water bottles, and choosing natural clothing materials — lowers that interference and supports a more stable hormonal environment.

FAQs About Postbiotics and PCOS

Q: What’s the main cause of PCOS according to this research?
A: The research suggests PCOS is associated with a combination of insulin resistance, inflammation, and gut imbalance — not only hormone changes.

Q: How do postbiotics relate to PCOS symptoms?
A: Postbiotics may support gut balance, which is associated with effects on insulin sensitivity, inflammation markers, and hormone signals. This leads to better energy use, fewer hormone swings, and more regular menstrual cycles because your body begins regulating itself more effectively.

Q: What are SCFAs and why do they matter?
A: Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are compounds your gut bacteria produce that act as fuel for your intestinal cells. They help keep your gut barrier strong so toxins don’t leak into your bloodstream. When SCFAs are low, inflammation rises and insulin resistance worsens, which may contribute to PCOS symptoms.

Q: Can improving gut health affect hormones and fertility?
A: Emerging research suggests a connection between gut balance and hormone regulation through pathways such as the gut-brain axis and gut-ovary signaling. When gut balance improves, hormone signals become more stable, which supports more regular ovulation, improved fertility, and reduced androgen-related symptoms.

Q: What lifestyle changes support postbiotic and gut health benefits?
A: Supporting gut health involves combining postbiotics with daily habits that reduce inflammation and improve metabolism. These include eating anti-inflammatory foods, avoiding processed foods and seed oils, staying physically active, managing stress, and reducing exposure to hormone-disrupting toxins like microplastics. These changes reinforce the same systems postbiotics target, helping symptoms improve more consistently.

These findings are from research conducted in clinical settings. Results may not apply to all individuals.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health regimen.

Test Your Knowledge with Today’s Quiz!
Take today’s quiz to see how much you’ve learned from yesterday’s Mercola.com article.

Which eating pattern was linked to better sleep?

Eating more protein and healthy fats
Choosing more fermented and probiotic foods
Increasing fruit while lowering vegetable intake
Eating more fiber and whole-plant foods
Higher fiber intake and greater plant diversity were linked to more deep sleep, more rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and a lower nighttime heart rate. Learn more.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, or NAFLD, has become one of the fastest-growing metabolic disorders worldwide, quietly affecting millions of adults who often feel perfectly healthy. Unlike alcohol-related liver damage, this condition stems from excess fat stored in your liver due to modern lifestyle factors — poor diet, inactivity, and chronic stress — that overwhelm your body’s ability to manage oxidative stress.

What makes it so insidious is that most people have no idea it’s happening until significant damage has already occurred. You might notice subtle signs first — low energy, brain fog, or mild abdominal discomfort — but these are easy to dismiss. Beneath the surface, your liver is struggling to keep up with the flood of inflammation and metabolic waste that builds when your cells are out of balance.

Left unchecked, this dysfunction doesn’t stop at your liver. It sets the stage for diabetes, heart disease, and even neurodegenerative disorders, all rooted in the same cellular breakdown. Addressing that root cause requires more than symptom relief — it demands restoring cellular balance where the problem begins. That’s what makes molecular hydrogen so remarkable.

As Tyler LeBaron, MSc., Ph.D., founder of the Molecular Hydrogen Institute, explains on Chemaine’s Model Health podcast, this simple molecule helps your body repair itself by regulating oxidative stress and supporting mitochondrial energy production.1

I’ve interviewed LeBaron myself, and as he explains, molecular hydrogen acts as a precision tool for inflammation control, protecting healthy cells while allowing your immune system to function as designed. By understanding how molecular hydrogen rebalances these core cellular processes, you gain a powerful strategy for protecting your liver — and your overall health — from the ground up.

Hydrogen Restores Cellular Balance and Protects Against Inflammation

In the discussion, LeBaron explains that molecular hydrogen (H2) is far more than a simple antioxidant. Unlike conventional antioxidants that indiscriminately neutralize free radicals, hydrogen works selectively. It targets the most harmful species — especially hydroxyl radicals — without disturbing the free radicals your body actually needs for signaling and immune defense. This precision allows it to calm inflammation without suppressing necessary repair processes.

• Hydrogen therapy has profound protective effects during stroke and cardiac injury — In the 2007 Nature Medicine study that inspired LeBaron’s research path, rats exposed to a stroke model were given low concentrations of hydrogen gas (about 2%).2

This small dose reduced brain injury dramatically by limiting oxidative damage. LeBaron notes that this finding ignited the entire field of hydrogen research, as it showed hydrogen could be administered safely and still exert measurable, therapeutic effects on living tissue.

• Molecular hydrogen has been studied as a treatment for NAFLD — LeBaron describes research showing that hydrogen-rich water reduced fat accumulation in animal models of fatty liver. Low-dose hydrogen water offered minimal benefit, but higher concentrations significantly improved liver function and reduced inflammation. Follow-up clinical trials mirrored these results in humans, showing measurable drops in liver fat and improved body composition within weeks.

• Participants with metabolic syndrome saw major after consuming hydrogen water three times daily — This group — characterized by abdominal obesity, high triglycerides, and insulin resistance — experienced reduced oxidative stress and enhanced mitochondrial efficiency, along with improvements in body fat, lipid profiles, and inflammation markers.

• Hydrogen’s effects involve fine-tuned control of oxidative and inflammatory pathways — Hydrogen activates the body’s master antioxidant switch. When turned on, this switch increases the production of protective enzymes like glutathione and superoxide dismutase — your cells’ natural shields against oxidative stress.

At the same time, hydrogen inhibits a signaling molecule that triggers chronic inflammation. The result is not immune suppression but recalibration: inflammation quiets where it’s excessive yet stays strong when needed for healing.

• Hydrogen’s selective action helps prevent cell death caused by oxidative overload — This process is known as apoptosis. In studies where cells were stressed with toxins or lack of oxygen, hydrogen exposure reduced apoptosis rates dramatically.

This protective effect stems from its ability to neutralize unstable molecules that attack DNA, proteins, and cell membranes. By eliminating only these harmful radicals, hydrogen spares beneficial molecules like nitric oxide, which are vital for blood flow and immune communication.

Hydrogen Therapy Is Easy to Use and Safe, Even at High Doses

Tablets that produce hydrogen when dropped into water create a cloudy, effervescent drink. LeBaron explains that the cloudiness shows active hydrogen gas in solution and that drinking it while still cloudy ensures the highest dose.

Room temperature water dissolves hydrogen best, and consuming it immediately after the tablet finishes dissolving maximizes benefits. Unlike other therapies that require IV drips or expensive devices, hydrogen offers an accessible, nontoxic option you can use daily at home.

• The molecule’s small size gives it a unique advantage — It diffuses through cell membranes, crosses your blood-brain barrier, and reaches mitochondria directly. LeBaron points out that hydrogen’s bioavailability is unmatched — it penetrates areas where larger antioxidants, such as vitamins C or E, can’t go.

Once inside your mitochondria — the energy factories of your cells — it helps restore normal energy production. This mitochondrial support is key for chronic fatigue, liver disease, and metabolic decline, all of which share a common thread: energy dysfunction caused by oxidative stress.

• Hydrogen’s anti-inflammatory benefits extend beyond your liver — They also support neurological, cardiovascular, and immune function. LeBaron reports that animal and human studies reveal improvements in cognitive performance, reduced anxiety, and faster recovery after injury.

Hydrogen’s adaptogenic nature — its ability to help your body adapt to stress — means it raises antioxidant defenses when needed but steps back when balance is restored. This prevents the “overcorrection” that often happens with high-dose antioxidant supplements.

• For those living with chronic pain, fatigue, or inflammatory conditions, hydrogen therapy represents a way to take back control — It doesn’t replace a healthy lifestyle, but it enhances your body’s ability to repair itself.

When paired with other energy-supportive habits like adequate sunlight, nutrient-rich foods, and reduced seed oil intake, hydrogen accelerates recovery and resilience. LeBaron’s research underscores a key point: the route to healing chronic inflammation isn’t suppression — it’s restoration of balance at the cellular level.

• Hydrogen works because it aligns with how your body naturally regulates stress and energy production — Unlike drugs that target one pathway or symptom, hydrogen communicates with your body’s own systems, teaching them to recalibrate. This precision makes it effective for a wide range of issues, from NAFLD and cardiovascular damage to neuroinflammation and fatigue.

Less Is More When It Comes to Benefits

It’s tempting to think that more hydrogen equals faster healing, but in this case, less is often more. Hydrogen therapy works best when it’s pulsed — periods of exposure followed by periods without. This intermittent approach enhances your body’s adaptive response and prevents tolerance, where your cells stop reacting as strongly.

• Pulse your intake — Drink hydrogen-rich water at specific times instead of sipping it throughout the day.
• Time your inhalation — Keep hydrogen gas sessions short (one to three hours) rather than continuous exposure.
• Take breaks — Give your body several hours each day without hydrogen supplementation so it recalibrates its signaling pathways.
• Not all hydrogen products deliver therapeutic doses — Measuring hydrogen concentration accurately requires gas chromatography, something most companies don’t do.

So, for those using molecular hydrogen at home, you’ll need to be cautious about product claims. The most reliable way to verify claims is to cross-reference methods verified in clinical trials. These include certain hydrogen-generating tablets that have been shown to produce therapeutic levels of hydrogen.

When used with intention, molecular hydrogen is one of the simplest, safest, and most effective ways to calm inflammation, repair your liver, and restore energy from the inside out. Your body already knows how to heal — hydrogen just gives it the spark to remember how.

How to Use Molecular Hydrogen to Heal Inflammation and Fatty Liver

If you’re dealing with chronic inflammation, fatigue, or a sluggish liver, it’s not just about easing discomfort — it’s about restoring energy at the cellular level. When oxidative stress overwhelms your system, your cells lose the ability to generate clean energy, setting the stage for insulin resistance and liver fat buildup.

Molecular hydrogen helps reset that system by teaching your body how to regulate inflammation, repair mitochondria, and restore balance from the inside out. Here’s how to make it work for you — safely, effectively, and sustainably.

1. Start with hydrogen-rich water daily to restore cellular balance — Drop one hydrogen tablet into a glass of room temperature water and drink it immediately after the tablet fully dissolves and the water turns cloudy. That cloudy look signals the presence of active hydrogen gas — the component that triggers healing.

If you’re dealing with liver inflammation, brain fog, or chronic fatigue, take hydrogen-rich water two to three times per day, at least an hour apart. This rhythmic “pulsing” gives your cells time to adapt and strengthens their internal defense systems rather than overwhelming them.

2. Use the right delivery method and timing — Hydrogen-rich water made from properly formulated tablets offers the most consistent and convenient way to supplement. Drink it immediately after preparation — don’t let it sit, or the hydrogen gas will dissipate.

If you prefer inhalation, keep sessions short — around one to three hours — rather than continuous exposure. Research and experience from experts like LeBaron show that pulsed use leads to better long-term results, as your cells respond more effectively when hydrogen is introduced intermittently rather than constantly.

3. Combine hydrogen therapy with habits that lower oxidative stress — Even the most powerful molecule can’t offset daily damage from poor diet, alcohol, and inactivity. Limit linoleic acid (LA) from seed oils to less than 3 grams per day and avoid alcohol — it’s a mitochondrial toxin that directly impairs liver recovery.

Get natural sunlight exposure daily to recharge your cellular energy production. Pair hydrogen with these habits, and you’ll multiply its benefits, improving liver function, focus, and energy throughout the day.

4. Support your liver’s energy metabolism instead of depriving it — Starving your body with restrictive diets or extended fasting weakens mitochondrial function — the very system hydrogen helps heal. Focus on feeding your liver with healthy carbohydrates to maintain steady energy and promote fat metabolism — about 250 grams daily.

If your digestion is weak, start with easy-to-digest options like fruit and white rice before adding more fiber-rich whole foods. Once your liver has the energy and nutrients it needs, hydrogen will amplify its repair and detox capacity more efficiently.

5. Use hydrogen before mental or physical stress — Timing hydrogen intake around stressful events — such as before exercise, travel, or emotionally intense days — helps significantly reduce oxidative stress buildup. Drink hydrogen-rich water about 30 minutes before those stressors to buffer free radical surges. This approach gives your body extra resilience when it needs it most, improving energy, focus, and recovery afterward.

FAQs About Molecular Hydrogen

Q: What makes molecular hydrogen different from other antioxidants?
A: Unlike conventional antioxidants that indiscriminately neutralize all free radicals, molecular hydrogen targets only the most harmful species — particularly hydroxyl radicals — while preserving the beneficial ones your body needs for normal signaling and immune function. This selective action reduces inflammation without disrupting vital repair processes, making it safer and more effective for long-term use.

Q: How does molecular hydrogen help reverse fatty liver disease?
A: Hydrogen works by restoring balance at the cellular level. It reduces oxidative stress, calms inflammation, and improves mitochondrial energy production — the root causes of fat buildup in the liver. Studies show that hydrogen-rich water decreases liver fat and inflammation, while improving metabolism and body composition within weeks.

Q: What’s the best way to take molecular hydrogen?
A: Hydrogen-rich water made from properly formulated tablets is the most reliable and convenient delivery method. Drink it as soon as the tablet fully dissolves and the water turns cloudy — this ensures you’re getting active hydrogen gas.

Q: Is more hydrogen always better?
A: No. Hydrogen therapy works best when used intermittently or “pulsed.” Your body responds more effectively when hydrogen exposure alternates with rest periods. Drink it at specific times rather than continuously throughout the day, and limit inhalation sessions to one to three hours. This pattern enhances your body’s adaptive response and prevents tolerance.

Q: What lifestyle habits make hydrogen therapy more effective?
A: Hydrogen works best when paired with supportive lifestyle choices. Limit LA from seed oils to under 3 grams per day, avoid alcohol, and get daily sunlight exposure to boost mitochondrial energy production. Eat nourishing carbohydrates to keep your liver fueled, and use hydrogen before stressful events or exercise to reduce oxidative stress. These habits amplify hydrogen’s ability to restore energy, calm inflammation, and protect your liver and brain.

When most people think about the body’s internal clock, sleep usually comes to mind. However, the circadian rhythm regulates far more than just your sleep-wake cycle. Each organ, including the brain, liver, and skeletal muscles, operates according to its own internal timing mechanism governed by this rhythm.1

Skeletal muscles, in particular, maintain their circadian schedule independent of the brain’s central clock. These peripheral clocks work continuously to coordinate muscle strength, energy production, and recovery. Although this process occurs in the background, its impact on your physical health is significant.2

A study from researchers at King’s College London showed that when the muscles’ circadian rhythm is disrupted, muscular health begins to deteriorate. Over time, this disruption speeds up aging and leads to weaker muscles. This means that if you want to stay strong as you age, your body’s timing is just as important as your workout routine.3

What Happens When Your Muscle Clock Breaks?

The featured study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, investigated how skeletal muscle health is affected when its internal circadian rhythm is disrupted. Using genetically modified zebrafish, researchers disabled the clock gene exclusively in muscle tissue, which allowed them to observe the specific role of the muscle clocks without altering brain rhythms, sleep cycles, or environmental conditions.4

• Muscle clock disruption disturbs the normal rhythm of nighttime repair — During the day, muscles focus on growth and strength building. At night, they shift to “nocturnal clearance,” removing damaged proteins, recycling worn-out components, and clearing cellular waste. In the zebrafish with disrupted muscle clocks, the muscles’ normal nighttime repair systems were disrupted.

• Long-term decline in muscle size and performance — In the early stages of life, external cues like feeding and light exposure temporarily cover up the effects of disrupted muscle clocks. That means younger fish with faulty clocks still grow and function relatively normally for a time. But as they age, those signals are no longer enough to compensate. Jeffrey Kelu, the study’s lead author and a research associate at King’s College London, explained:

“While no significant differences in muscle size were observed at younger ages — 6 months and 1 year — fish lacking a functional muscle clock showed clear signs of premature ageing at two years. They were shorter, weighed less, swam less frequently and at slower speeds. These are hallmarks of sarcopenia and overall decline in mobility, which has been reported in shift workers.”5

• Biological disruptions linked to muscle clock failure — Researchers identified two physiological changes that emerged when the muscles’ internal clocks lost function:

◦ Suppressed cleanup systems — The two primary protein-recycling systems, autophagy and the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), were markedly less active during nighttime, a period when they typically support muscle repair.

The UPS works like a molecular shredder, targeting proteins that are no longer useful, while autophagy removes worn-out cell parts and debris. When the activity of these systems is suppressed, waste begins to accumulate inside the muscle cells, making them weaker and less efficient.

◦ Imbalanced clock gene regulation — The muscles’ internal clocks depend on a balance between two nuclear receptors, Ror and Rev-erb, which regulate the timing of key cellular functions. Ror activates genes involved in breaking down old or damaged muscle proteins.

In the clock-disrupted fish, Ror levels declined while Rev-erb remained unchanged. This imbalance impaired the muscles’ ability to clear worn-out protein and allowed TORC1, a growth-related signaling pathway, to stay active at night, when it would normally be turned down to permit repair.

• Rev-erb inhibition restored muscle clock function — Researchers tried inhibiting Rev-erb in clock-impaired fish, which resulted in restored normal nighttime protein turnover. This confirmed that the muscles’ internal clock regulates growth and repair.

How These Findings Matter for Your Muscle Health

This study offers insights into how muscle aging begins long before it’s visible or measurable. Muscle quality depends not only on how much you move or what you eat, but on whether your muscle cells are maintaining their natural schedule for repair.6

• This pattern closely reflects sarcopenia — Sarcopenia is the gradual loss of muscle mass and strength that often develops with age. The disrupted repair cycle seen in this study mirrors the slow, progressive weakening that defines this condition. By linking muscle decline to muscle clocks, the study suggests that circadian misalignment triggers sarcopenia-like changes much earlier than expected.

• Living out of sync with your body’s clock affects long-term strength — The study notes that circadian disruption, whether from shift work, sleep loss, or neurological conditions like dementia, increases the risk of sarcopenia, as it interferes with your muscles’ natural cleanup cycle. Over time, missed opportunities for repair allow small amounts of damage to accumulate inside your cells.

“Understanding how circadian disruption contributes to sarcopenia is essential for developing strategies to improve the health and well-being of shift workers,” Kelu noted.

“Our findings highlight the possibility of using circadian biology to develop treatments aimed at preventing muscle decline in shift workers … This paves the way for future therapies that could improve ageing in shift workers.”7

• Early signs of dysfunction are easy to miss — In the study, zebrafish with a disrupted muscle clock showed a gradual decline in physical performance as they aged, even though outward conditions remained unchanged.

In real life, this kind of internal breakdown may show up first as slower recovery, increased soreness, or reduced stamina, which are often dismissed as routine fatigue or aging. These subtle shifts could actually reflect underlying disruptions in the timing systems responsible for muscle repair and maintenance.

• Timing shapes how the body responds to effort — When the internal signals that guide muscle maintenance are mistimed or absent, physical activity no longer delivers the same protective effects or translates into lasting strength. This helps explain why some individuals experience muscle decline despite staying consistently active.

To learn more about how circadian rhythm affects every system in your body, not just muscles, read “How to Sync Your Many Circadian Rhythms.”

Light Sets the Rhythm for Your Body’s Master Clock

Deep within your hypothalamus lies the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the region that governs your body’s circadian rhythm. This master clock synchronizes nearly every biological system, from sleep and metabolism to immune and muscle function. While the muscle clock operates independently, its rhythm remains more stable when aligned with signals coordinated by the SCN.8

• Light keeps your internal clocks aligned — To stay on schedule, the SCN relies heavily on light exposure, especially bright, full-spectrum light in the morning, and without this input, the body’s many clocks begin to drift out of sync.9

• Modern life distorts natural light cues — The invention of electric lighting — and later, smartphones, computers, and televisions — introduced artificial light around the clock, allowing humans to extend waking hours. Much of this artificial light is rich in blue light, which tells your brain to stop producing melatonin, disrupting your sleep cycle and hindering nighttime recovery processes.10

• This shift has consequences far beyond sleep — Studies have linked nighttime light exposure to increased risks of major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), psychosis, bipolar disorder, and self-harming behavior.11 Even low levels of light during sleep have been associated with higher rates of obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and certain cancers.12,13

• Get your circadian rhythm back on track with proper light exposure — Neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman recommends getting bright light, preferably sunlight, within the first 30 to 60 minutes after waking. This early light input helps stimulate daytime alertness and signals your circadian system when to initiate melatonin release later in the evening.14

• Spend time in the sun — For shift workers, getting regular sun exposure is difficult, especially if your waking hours fall outside the daylight window, but it’s still important to take advantage of any sun available during your active hours. One of the most effective times for this is around solar noon, typically 12 p.m. or 1 p.m. during daylight saving time, when UVB rays and near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths are most concentrated.

These light signals stimulate mitochondrial function and help regulate internal clocks. Importantly, NIR exposure also promotes mitochondrial melatonin production. To maximize the benefit of sunlight, expose as much skin as possible so your body can absorb the full spectrum of light needed for energy, recovery, and resilience.

If your diet includes vegetable oils, approach sun exposure cautiously, as these oils are high in linoleic acid (LA), an unstable omega-6 fat that’s prone to oxidation when exposed to ultraviolet light. Learn how to safely optimize your sun exposure for maximum benefit in “Beyond Vitamin D Production — How Sensible Sun Exposure Supports Overall Health.”

• Light exposure later in the day matters, too — Research shows that viewing light during the early hours of the evening will help mitigate some of the consequences of light exposure later in the evening.15 However, when it’s 6 p.m. or 7 p.m., it’s important to avoid bright artificial lights of any color.

Once the sun goes down, make it a habit to dim the lights around your home and use as little artificial light as possible. This includes turning down your computer screen and avoiding overhead lights, opting for desk lamps instead. If possible, use candlelight or moonlight only after sunset.

If your bedroom is affected by light pollution, be sure to use blackout shades to keep light out and remove all sources of light from your bedroom, including a digital alarm clock or cellphone. Another alternative is using a sleep mask.

Take a deeper dive into the power of light, mitochondria, and circadian rhythm in “The Power of Light, Mitochondria and Circadian Rhythms.”

Meal Timing and Bedtime Routines Help Synchronize Your Internal Clocks

While light is the primary driver of your body’s master clock, other daily habits, like when you eat and sleep, play a key role in aligning the circadian rhythms that guide your muscles as well as other organs and tissues.

• Feeding during the day helps reset your muscle clocks — A study in Neurobiology of Sleep and Circadian Rhythms16 found that physical activity alone was not enough to shift the muscles’ internal rhythm. It was only when food was restricted to the animals’ active period that the muscle clock adjusted. This shows that eating during your wake phase is essential for keeping muscle timing aligned with the rest of the body.

• Meal timing affects blood sugar rhythms — In another study,17 researchers looked at how delaying meals by five hours impacted various body clocks and biological markers. Ten young men adhered to a 13-day schedule, eating three meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) at five-hour intervals, either starting soon after waking (early meals) or later in the day (late meals).

After adjusting to early meals, the participants switched to late meals for six days. The researchers observed that blood glucose rhythms were delayed by about 5.7 hours when meals were delayed, and that average glucose levels dropped. This indicates that meal timing helps synchronize peripheral circadian rhythms.

• Sleep timing strengthens your circadian stability — Beyond optimizing light exposure throughout the day and timing your meals, other factors such as getting enough sleep and keeping a regular sleep schedule also affect your body’s biological clocks.

Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends, reinforces your circadian rhythms. Inconsistent sleep schedules confuse your peripheral clocks, making it harder for your body to regulate energy, recovery, and stress responses effectively.

For strategies on how to get better, read “How Sleep Deprivation Impairs Cognitive Performance and Learning.” There, I discuss a multitude of useful tips, such as employing stress-reduction techniques and exercise, to improve sleep quality.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Muscle Clocks

Q: What is a muscle clock, and how does it affect aging?
A: A muscle clock refers to the peripheral clock located in your skeletal muscle tissue. It regulates daily cycles of protein breakdown, repair, and growth.

Q: Who is at higher risk of muscle clock disruption?
A: People who live outside natural light-dark patterns are most at risk. This includes shift workers, individuals with chronic sleep loss, and those with neurological conditions like dementia. These groups often experience disrupted circadian rhythms that interfere with muscle maintenance.

Q: What happens to muscle tissue when circadian rhythms are disrupted?
A: When circadian rhythms are disrupted, muscle tissue loses its ability to follow the normal cycle of daytime growth and nighttime repair. As a result, cellular waste accumulates inside muscle fibers, impairing their structure and function. Over time, this leads to reduced muscle quality, slower recovery, and earlier onset of age-related muscle loss.

Q: Can fixing the circadian rhythm slow muscle aging?
A: Yes. Aligning your lifestyle with natural circadian cues, particularly light exposure, restores the rhythm of your muscle clocks. This supports nighttime repair processes and helps reduce the risk of muscle decline.

Q: How can I support a healthy muscle rhythm through daily habits?
A: Get bright light exposure shortly after waking, eat meals during your active hours, and stick to a consistent sleep schedule. These actions keep your muscle clocks aligned.

Before bedtime arrives, the food choices you’ve already made today may be influencing how well you sleep. Research published in the preprint repository medRxiv found that everyday dietary habits — the ordinary decisions you make at breakfast, lunch, and dinner — were associated with measurable changes in sleep the very next night.1 The standout factor was fiber, which was tied to a more restorative night spent in the sleep stages most closely linked to physical recovery, memory formation, and brain health.

Most people think about sleep purely in terms of hours, but that approach misses an important part of the picture. What matters just as much is what happens during those hours. Deep sleep repairs tissues, supports immune function, and restores energy, while REM sleep helps you process emotions, strengthen memories, and maintain cognitive performance. A night that shifts more time toward these restorative stages is a fundamentally better night, even if the total hours stay the same.

The research surfaced another insight worth paying attention to: when you eat appears to matter alongside what you eat. The timing of meals influenced sleep through a different set of mechanisms than food quality did, which means there is more than one lever you can pull to sleep better.

Taken together, these findings challenge the idea that better sleep requires complicated routines, expensive devices, or specialized supplements. The evidence points somewhere much simpler — the ordinary food decisions you make throughout the day may create immediate physiological effects after you turn out the lights.

The Quality of Your Sleep Starts at the Dinner Table

This observational study examined 4,793 person-nights, meaning 4,793 separate days paired with the following night’s sleep data, from 3,598 adults enrolled in the Human Phenotype Project in Israel.2 Researchers tracked what people actually ate in daily life and then examined how those choices related to their sleep that same night. Because the study observed real-world eating habits rather than assigning diets, it can identify associations but cannot prove that food choices directly caused the sleep changes.

Participants, who averaged 52.7 years of age, logged meals in real time through a mobile app, while sleep was measured using a clinically validated home sleep-monitoring device capable of distinguishing deep sleep, REM sleep, and light sleep.

• Six dietary habits stood out from the other factors studied — Researchers evaluated 25 different nutrition-related variables, but only six showed significant links to sleep outcomes.

These included fiber density (how much fiber a person consumed relative to total calories), plant diversity (the number of different plant foods eaten), whole-plant food intake (the proportion of the diet coming from minimally processed plant foods), evening meal size, dinner timing, and the length of the daily eating window. Together, these factors showed the strongest relationships with sleep quality and nighttime physiology.

• Fiber produced the strongest improvements in sleep quality — Higher fiber intake was associated with a more restorative sleep architecture, meaning participants spent a greater proportion of the night in the stages linked to recovery and brain maintenance. Researchers observed increases in both deep sleep and REM sleep while seeing a reduction in lighter sleep stages.

Participants consuming more fiber experienced a 0.59 percentage-point increase in deep sleep compared to lower-fiber days. The night-to-night difference is small — a few minutes of deep sleep. What’s notable isn’t the size of any single night’s effect, but that an ordinary food choice registered in measured sleep biology at all.

• REM sleep also improved — REM sleep increased by 0.76 percentage points on higher-fiber days. REM sleep is the stage most closely linked to memory consolidation, emotional processing, and learning. More REM sleep means your brain receives additional time to organize information and recover from daily mental stressors.

• Lighter sleep declined as restorative sleep increased — Higher fiber intake was associated with a 1.35 percentage-point reduction in light sleep. Think of sleep as a fixed budget. If more of the night shifts toward deep and REM sleep, less time remains for lighter sleep stages. This redistribution reflects better sleep quality rather than simply more time spent asleep.

• The heart also appeared to recover more effectively overnight — Participants consuming more fiber had an average sleeping heart rate that was 1.14 beats per minute lower than those consuming less fiber. A lower nighttime heart rate often reflects stronger autonomic regulation, meaning the body enters a deeper state of rest and recovery while sleeping.

Plant Diversity and Meal Timing Influenced Sleep

Greater plant diversity was also associated with a lower sleeping heart rate and faster sleep onset. Individuals who consumed a wider variety of plant foods fell asleep about 0.68 minutes faster and experienced a 0.72 beat-per-minute reduction in nighttime heart rate. So, variety itself seemed to matter — not just total fiber, but the number of different plants. A practical version of this: aim to rotate a wide range of plants across the week, including herbs, spices, and legumes, not just vegetables.

• Whole-plant foods showed similar benefits — Higher intake of whole-plant foods was associated with a 0.94 beat-per-minute reduction in sleeping heart rate. This finding suggests that sleep quality improves through overall dietary patterns rather than through a single “magic” nutrient.

• Meal timing affected sleep differently than food quality — While fiber and plant-focused eating influenced sleep architecture, meal timing primarily affected sleep duration, sleep onset, and cardiovascular activity during sleep.

• Larger evening meals produced mixed results — Heavier evening meals were associated with 7.73 additional minutes of total sleep time. However, they were also associated with a 0.73 beat-per-minute increase in nighttime heart rate. In simple terms, participants slept longer but their bodies appeared slightly less relaxed during sleep.

• Earlier dinners changed sleep duration — Participants who ate dinner earlier slept about 12.39 fewer minutes compared to those who ate later. At the same time, their sleeping heart rate dropped by 0.74 beats per minute. Researchers interpreted these findings as evidence that meal timing influences sleep quantity and cardiovascular regulation independently of food quality.

• Longer eating windows altered nighttime physiology — Individuals who spread eating across a longer portion of the day experienced higher nighttime heart rates and differences in sleep onset latency. This suggests that the body’s internal clocks respond not only to what you eat but also to how long you continue eating throughout the day.

Researchers concluded that “routine daily dietary choices” create “immediate and measurable effects on objective sleep architecture.” In other words, better sleep doesn’t begin when your head hits the pillow. It begins with the food decisions you make throughout the day, which appear to influence your physiology within hours.

Note that the diet information was self-reported and the findings describe next-night effects rather than long-term change, so the results are best viewed as promising early evidence rather than proof.

Improve Your Sleep Before Your Head Hits the Pillow

The study’s most important lesson is that sleep quality begins long before bedtime. Your brain, nervous system, and metabolism respond to food choices throughout the day, and those decisions show up in your sleep that night. Instead of chasing sleep supplements or complicated nighttime routines, focus on the factors that shape sleep at its source — food quality, meal timing, and metabolic stability.

1. Build your meals around whole foods instead of ultraprocessed foods — Higher-quality, plant-forward eating patterns were linked to better sleep architecture and lower nighttime heart rates. Start by removing the foods most likely to disrupt metabolic health, including seed oils, ultraprocessed foods, packaged snacks, and sugary beverages. Replace those foods with whole-food options such as:

• Fresh fruit
• Properly prepared root vegetables
• White rice
• Well-cooked vegetables
• Quality animal protein, like grass fed beef
• Collagen-rich foods

Better sleep often starts when your body no longer spends the night dealing with inflammatory foods. While this study didn’t test specific foods to avoid, prioritizing whole over ultraprocessed foods is consistent with its findings. When your metabolism works more efficiently during the day, your nervous system is better prepared for restorative sleep at night.

2. Increase fiber gradually — Fiber was the strongest dietary predictor of better sleep in the study. However, more fiber is not always better for everyone. If your gut is healthy and you tolerate fiber well, slowly increase your intake from whole-food sources rather than fiber powders.

Whole fruits, cooked vegetables, and root vegetables are often easier starting points than large amounts of raw vegetables. If you tolerate them well, properly prepared legumes can provide additional fiber. If bloating, gas, or digestive discomfort appear, focus on restoring gut health before pushing fiber intake higher. Sleep improvements come from supporting your overall physiology, not from forcing a specific fiber target.

3. Create a consistent eating schedule — Meal timing affected sleep duration, sleep onset, and nighttime heart rate. Your body thrives on predictable rhythms. Eating at random times every day creates conflicting signals for the systems that regulate energy production, digestion, and sleep. A simple framework is:

• Eat meals at roughly the same times each day
• Avoid constant snacking from morning until bedtime
• Keep your daily eating window relatively consistent
• Maintain a regular bedtime and wake-up time

A consistent schedule helps reinforce your circadian rhythm — your body’s internal clock. The more predictable your eating pattern becomes, the easier it is for your body to transition from daytime activity into nighttime recovery.

4. Pay attention to your evening meal instead of skipping it — Many people assume eating less at night automatically improves sleep. This study found a more nuanced picture. Larger evening meals were associated with longer sleep duration, although they also slightly increased nighttime heart rate.

If you frequently wake during the night hungry or struggle to fall asleep, experiment with a satisfying evening meal that includes quality protein, easily digested carbohydrates, and healthy saturated fats such as grass fed butter, ghee, or tallow.

The goal is to feel nourished rather than overly full. Timing matters just as much as food choice. I recommend finishing your last meal at least three hours before bedtime. This gives your body time to digest food before sleep begins, reducing the metabolic workload during the night. When digestion and recovery compete for resources, sleep quality often suffers.

Turn this into a personal experiment. Keep your evening meal size relatively consistent for a week, stop eating at least three hours before bed, and pay attention to how quickly you fall asleep, how often you wake up, and how refreshed you feel the next morning.

5. Support the biological systems that control sleep — Food is only one part of the equation. Sleep quality tends to improve when cellular energy production is well supported. Your body relies on light exposure, movement, and metabolic health to maintain healthy sleep architecture. A few habits provide the biggest return:

• Get morning sunlight exposure daily
• Spend time outdoors throughout the day
• Walk regularly, especially after meals
• Include strength training twice per week
• Avoid alcohol

Just as importantly, make sure you consume enough carbohydrates to support healthy energy production. Most adults do better with adequate carbohydrate intake — about 250 grams daily — from whole-food sources than with restrictive low-carb approaches. Small improvements in sleep compound over time. Better sleep supports better recovery, sharper thinking, improved mood, and greater resilience throughout the day.

FAQs About Daily Food Choices and Sleep Quality

Q: What foods were linked to better sleep in the study?
A: The strongest benefits were associated with higher fiber intake, greater plant diversity, and a higher intake of whole-plant foods. Participants who ate more fiber spent more time in deep sleep and REM sleep, while also experiencing lower nighttime heart rates. These findings suggest that overall diet quality plays an important role in how well you sleep.

Q: Why is deep sleep and REM sleep so important?
A: Deep sleep is the stage where your body performs much of its physical repair and recovery. REM sleep supports memory formation, learning, emotional processing, and brain function. The study found that higher fiber intake increased both of these restorative sleep stages while reducing lighter sleep, leading to a more favorable sleep profile.

Q: Does meal timing affect sleep as much as food quality?
A: The study found that meal timing influenced sleep differently than food quality. While fiber and plant-focused eating affected sleep architecture, meal timing primarily affected sleep duration, how quickly people fell asleep, and nighttime heart rate. Both what you eat and when you eat appear to influence sleep quality.

Q: How long before bed should I stop eating?
A: Finishing your last meal at least three hours before bedtime is a practical starting point. This gives your body time to digest food before sleep begins, reducing the amount of digestive work that occurs overnight. Many people find that this simple change improves sleep quality and morning energy levels.

Q: What is the simplest way to improve sleep through diet?
A: Focus on consistent habits rather than searching for a single superfood or supplement. Build your meals around whole foods, increase fiber gradually as your digestion tolerates it, maintain a regular eating schedule, and avoid ultraprocessed foods. The study found that even modest day-to-day differences in dietary habits were associated with measurable changes in sleep physiology the very same night.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for personalized medical advice. Talk with a qualified health care provider before making significant changes to your diet or health routine.

Test Your Knowledge with Today’s Quiz!
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Where is the thymus located?

Behind the breastbone
The thymus is a small immune gland located behind the breastbone. Learn more.
Below the stomach
Beside the kidneys
Under the liver

Millions of adults in the U.S. fail to meet their daily dietary fiber requirements, a fact that often goes unnoticed until serious health issues emerge. According to a study published in Nature Metabolism by scientists investigating gene activity, certain molecules from fiber appear to latch onto specific regions in your DNA.1 This means you get more than digestive support: your body’s own genetic processes are influenced by the fiber on your plate.

You might not know that grains, vegetables and fruits containing this carbohydrate help maintain everything from heart function to cellular repair. Research published in Nutrients journal points to an even stronger connection between fiber intake and reduced cancer rates, underscoring how important it is to get enough of this unassuming nutrient.2

Some people believe fiber only matters for regularity, but these carbohydrates are also tied to hormone regulation, immune support, and overall metabolic stability.3 You deserve to see real results when you change your eating habits, and fiber offers that in straightforward ways. However, it’s important to get your gut healthy before adding fiber to your diet.

Fiber’s Role in Influencing Your Genes

A study published in Nature Metabolism4 set out to investigate how specific substances derived from dietary fiber interact with human cells at the genetic level. The main focus was on normal colon tissue and colorectal cancer (CRC) cells, giving researchers a chance to see whether these fiber-related compounds triggered beneficial or disruptive responses.

Unlike many broad dietary studies, this one narrowed its lens onto molecular events that happen inside cells when they come into contact with byproducts of fiber digestion, such as the short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) propionate and butyrate. Researchers conducted lab experiments on normal, non-cancerous cells and CRC cells to gauge whether these fiber byproducts encourage healthy development or slow down malignant growth.5

The findings showed that these compounds could physically attach to certain spots on the cell’s DNA “packaging,” which includes proteins known as histones.6 This attachment caused changes in how genes get turned on or off, a phenomenon called epigenetic regulation. For the healthy cells, gene regions associated with normal growth and stable functioning lit up more consistently, while genes connected to uncontrolled proliferation stayed relatively quiet.

Researchers noted that this pattern was far more pronounced when cells were exposed to higher doses of the fiber byproducts for a set period. One interesting detail is that the CRC cells exhibited a different response profile.7 When they encountered these same fiber-derived substances, genes tied to cancerous or aggressive behaviors were frequently dialed down.

The investigators emphasized that this doesn’t necessarily mean fiber alone stops cancer, but it suggests that certain molecules from fiber help guide cells away from harmful pathways. Another angle involved mapping how each DNA segment responded, showing that the compounds often targeted regions controlling growth. Scientists also noticed differences in how strongly these fiber-related molecules bonded to the cell’s genetic “landing sites.”8

In normal cells, the bonding was robust in areas that encouraged stability, meaning the system kept essential genetic circuits running smoothly. In CRC cells, binding patterns leaned toward shutting down or reconfiguring problematic circuits. This dual nature indicated that these fiber byproducts could sense if the cell was healthy or abnormal, then adjust accordingly.

Further analysis examined which genes were hit the hardest. Some controlled how fast cells multiply, while others governed defensive functions like apoptosis — the process that tells defective cells to self-destruct.9 This entire chain of events underscores how something as basic as eating enough fiber might help your body harness anticancer protection at the cellular level.

The Protective Role of Fiber in Reducing Cancer Risk

An umbrella review published in the journal Nutrients10 examined 11 large-scale meta-analyses that focused on the role of dietary fiber in reducing the likelihood of several common cancers. These meta-analyses collectively assessed a wide range of patient data, aiming to link dietary patterns to measurable shifts in cancer incidence.

Investigators compared individuals who regularly ate ample amounts of fiber — often exceeding the typical intake recommended by many national guidelines — to those whose eating habits were comparatively low in fiber.

Some of the analyses concentrated on populations that were already at higher risk for malignancies, while others looked at generally healthy adults who maintained diverse diets. The researchers behind this umbrella review11 looked for consistent patterns across different age groups and geographic regions.

They came away with a strong conclusion: the more fiber people consumed, the lower their chance of developing certain cancers, especially gastric, esophageal, ovarian, and endometrial tumors.

Investigators noted that in several meta-analyses, people with higher fiber consumption had a reduced likelihood of gastric cancer.12 Gastric refers to your stomach itself, and these findings are especially notable since stomach cancers often go unnoticed until they are advanced. The authors emphasized that even moderate increases in total daily fiber showed a measurable shift in the overall incidence of gastric tumors.

For endometrial cancer (cancer of the uterine lining), the researchers saw a consistent link with robust fiber intake.13 Endometrial tissue is highly responsive to hormonal factors, and disruptions in estrogen or other hormones set the stage for irregular growth.

According to the review, “Since estrogen stimulation is also a strong causative factor for endometrial cancer, the estrogen-inhibiting and pro-excretory effects of dietary fiber play a protective role against endometrial carcinogenesis.”14

Ovarian cancer findings stood out as well.15 While less common than breast or lung cancer, ovarian malignancies are typically more aggressive when they appear. The researchers suggested, “Dietary fiber may hinder the progression of ovarian cancer by modifying bacterial macroflora and enhancing excretion, resulting in reduced serum levels and availability of estrogens, and ultimately reducing the bioavailability of steroid hormones.”16

The authors also revisited a handful of studies about breast cancer.17 Those showed that greater fiber ingestion tracked closely with fewer instances of tumor growth, especially in postmenopausal individuals. One explanation offered across several discussions within the umbrella review was that dietary fiber might reduce estrogen reabsorption.

By preventing excessive hormone recirculation, fiber could help maintain balanced hormone levels, thus diminishing the conditions under which abnormal breast cells would flourish.

Beyond these disease-specific details, some of the meta-analyses examined an intriguing aspect of how fiber moderates inflammation.18 When inflammation runs rampant, it feeds the growth of malignant cells in various tissues. While the reviewed papers did not universally measure inflammatory markers, a few singled out fiber’s ability to keep inflammation in check.

In terms of a biological mechanism, fiber might help regulate hormone pathways for endometrial and breast tissues and also curb ongoing oxidative stress in the digestive tract.19 As an umbrella review, it drew from numerous research angles without fixating on one single mechanism, yet the unifying message is that a fiber-rich meal plan lowers the odds of several distinct cancers.

Fresh Perspectives on Fiber’s Benefits

A narrative review published in the journal Nutrients took a sweeping look at why people in modern society lag behind on daily fiber consumption and how this shortfall affects overall health.20 The researchers compiled evidence from diet surveys, biochemical studies, and broader population observations to uncover a pattern: people living in regions where fiber intake is minimized often report more issues with overall metabolic balance.

By highlighting this gap, the authors wanted to raise awareness about a mismatch between the way individuals eat today and what the body has evolved to handle. The review did not only examine those with obvious diseases; it also investigated generally healthy adults whose diets rely heavily on pre-packaged, refined products.

The key takeaway was that when fiber levels stayed low for months or years, the authors saw stronger signs of what they described as chronic metabolic strain.

The paper also touched on a specific area often overlooked in everyday health conversations: the structural role of fiber in digestive flow.21 Although many might assume fiber is just about “keeping things moving,” the authors explained that a lack of fibrous foods disrupts the way intestinal muscles contract and relax. This manifests as unpredictable bowel habits, occasional abdominal discomfort, and an overall sense of sluggishness.

Such shifts, they noted, are rarely instant but tend to build over a gradual period, especially when someone’s diet consistently leans on highly processed fare. Overall, the Nutrients narrative review22 underscored how the everyday process of choosing fibrous foods sets off a series of protective events.

Instead of discussing fiber solely for digestion, it emphasized how a well-structured diet based on both soluble and insoluble sources helps stabilize metabolic routines that impact long-term vitality. According to the authors:23

“Given the plethora of scientific evidence that corroborate the multiple and varied health benefits of dietary fiber, and the risks associated with a diet that lacks fiber, the optimization of fiber within our diets represents an important public health strategy to improve both metabolic and overall health. If implemented successfully, this strategy would likely result in substantial future health benefits for the population.”

Strengthening Your Gut (and Overall) Health with Butyrate

As mentioned above, when fiber is digested, it produces byproducts called SCFAs, which have distinct physiological effects and play an important role in human health. One particular type, butyrate, stands out for its unique properties that promote metabolic health.

Butyrate is produced by certain beneficial bacteria in your gut. When you nourish these bacteria with specific types of fiber, they ferment the fiber and release butyrate. Butyrate, in turn, helps nourish your colon cells, which rely on it as a main energy source.

Having optimal butyrate levels keeps your gut lining resilient, and is key for keeping unwanted substances out of your bloodstream. When you support your colon cells with butyrate, you help maintain tight junctions in your gut, which stop large particles or toxins from passing into your body. That’s why a shortage of butyrate weakens your intestinal barrier.

Butyrate also plays a role in curbing inflammation. When your gut lining weakens and allows pathogenic particles to slip through, your immune system goes into overdrive. This triggers extra inflammation, which spreads over time and affects not just your digestion but also your metabolism and mood.

However, remember that the goal isn’t to completely seal off your gut wall — it’s partially permeable because you need it to absorb nutrients, water, and other key substances. Rather, you want it to be selective. Your gut lining must let in the vitamins and minerals you need, yet block harmful germs and toxins. By promoting butyrate production through fiber-rich eating habits, you help your gut do exactly that, all while fueling the cells that keep your digestion on track and your health protected.

Having an Unhealthy Gut Microbiome Wrecks Your Butyrate Production

Butyrate is indeed a metabolic powerhouse, and there’s solid research supporting its multiple benefits for fat oxidation (helping curb obesity),24 glucose and insulin levels,25 and even brain health.26 However, keep in mind that your butyrate production relies on how healthy your gut microbiome is.

Your gut microbiome contains both helpful and not-so-helpful bacteria, and the balance between them can make or break your overall health. When the balance tilts in the wrong direction, you get what’s known as dysbiosis. This means you could have too many harmful bacteria or insufficient beneficial bacteria, which then leads to reduced butyrate production and a weaker gut barrier.

Over time, low butyrate production increases your risk for various health problems, from digestive disorders to struggles with body weight, fatigue, and blood sugar management. This stresses the importance of having a varied and fiber-filled diet, as it is essential in improving your gut environment to promote good health.

And while butyrate supplements do exist and could be an acceptable substitute, it is actually more cost-effective and sustainable if you encourage your own gut bacteria to produce it. Again, this can be done by gradually easing into a fiber-rich diet, which I’ll further discuss below.

Simple Ways to Boost Your Daily Fiber

If your daily meals revolve around processed snacks or quick grab-and-go options, you might notice sluggish digestion, uneven energy, and stubborn weight issues. I’ve seen so many individuals struggle with these exact concerns, and more often than not, the root cause is an overconsumption of processed foods and a steady lack of whole foods rich in dietary fiber.

What’s more, beneficial bacteria groups like Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Roseburia, which produce butyrate, thrive on fiber-rich diets, so when you skip whole fruits and vegetables and rely on low-fiber options like processed foods, you starve these good bacteria, limiting their ability to ferment the fibers that create butyrate. Overall, your digestive rhythms get thrown off, gut healing slows down, and metabolic balance shifts in an unhelpful direction.

However, keep in mind that if your gut health is poor, simply increasing your fiber intake to promote SCFA production is highly counterproductive. Why? Because when you eat fiber with an imbalanced gut microbiome, the bad bacteria will ferment the fiber and produce endotoxins — a mitochondrial poison that undermines metabolism and cellular function.

Hence, to truly benefit from a high-fiber diet, you need to first heal and seal your gut so that beneficial bacteria can thrive, and getting enough carbs is an important part of that process. Here are five steps to safely add fiber into your life and increase your butyrate production effectively:

1. Begin with gradual carbohydrate increases — Start by aiming for around 200 to 350 grams of carbohydrates each day. This range helps support cellular energy by giving your body the fuel it needs without pushing your system too hard. If you don’t know your current carbohydrate intake, you might try tracking your meals for a day or two to get a rough baseline. Then, work up slowly to land within that zone.

2. Start with simple, easy-to-digest carbs — If your gut is sensitive or compromised, avoid jumping straight into whole grains or raw vegetables. Instead, begin with easier-to-digest carbohydrate sources like white rice, whole fruits, or fruit juices with pulp. This helps reduce digestive strain while allowing your body to adjust gradually.

3. Support your gut with dextrose water (if needed) — If you experience extreme bloating, intense discomfort, or chronic irregularity, consider using dextrose (glucose) water for a short time. Sipping small amounts throughout the day can help stabilize energy levels while giving your gut time to heal. This step should only be used for one to two weeks before moving on to fiber-containing foods.

4. Gradually introduce fiber-rich foods — Once your gut starts to feel more stable, begin adding more fibrous carbs. After white rice and whole fruits, try root vegetables before progressing to leafy greens or whole grains. This gradual approach allows your gut bacteria and mitochondria to adjust without overwhelming your system.

5. Expand your diet with variety — Once your digestion feels balanced — meaning bowel habits, bloating, and overall comfort are under control — diversify your fiber sources. Slowly introduce non-starchy vegetables, starchy options like sweet potatoes or squash, legumes, and eventually whole grains. A wide variety of fiber-rich foods helps support beneficial gut bacteria and keeps your diet both nourishing and satisfying.

Each year, millions of people battling cancer or chronic illness face a hidden, life-draining enemy: their bodies begin to waste away from the inside out. Muscles shrink, energy fades, and strength disappears — even when food intake stays the same. This wasting process, known as cachexia, isn’t caused by poor appetite alone. It reflects a deeper breakdown in your body’s ability to produce and use energy, leaving people weaker by the day despite their best efforts to recover.

What makes cachexia especially devastating is how quietly it develops. Early signs like fatigue, declining stamina, or subtle muscle loss are often dismissed as side effects of aging or illness. Yet behind these symptoms lies a profound shift in metabolism — one that turns your body from a builder into a burner, consuming its own tissues just to keep systems running.

Over time, this internal energy crisis accelerates frailty, worsens treatment outcomes, and robs people of the vitality needed to heal. Researchers are now rethinking this condition through the lens of metabolism rather than malnutrition.

By tracing how energy production falters deep within the cell, researchers have begun uncovering why muscle and strength vanish even in well-fed individuals — and how restoring the body’s energy balance could stop or even reverse that decline. This emerging science points to a powerful idea: rebuilding strength isn’t just about calories or protein, but about reigniting your body’s capacity to generate life-sustaining energy.

Stopping Muscle Wasting Starts with Restoring Energy

A study published in Molecular Metabolism found that muscle loss during cancer and chronic illness happens because your body’s energy system breaks down — not just because of inflammation or poor nutrition.1

The researchers discovered that muscles in animals with severe wasting had much lower levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), a key molecule that fuels energy production inside mitochondria — the “power plants” of your cells. When NAD+ runs low, cells can’t convert food into energy, forcing your body to break down its own muscle tissue to survive.

• Energy failure drives muscle loss — When scientists examined muscle tissue, they found that the mitochondria were barely working. This energy shortage caused muscles to weaken and shrink. At the same time, NAD+ levels had collapsed, showing that the body’s entire energy-making system was out of balance.

• Restoring NAD+ brought muscles back to life — When researchers used a treatment that blocked the harmful signals driving this breakdown, NAD+ levels bounced back, and energy production restarted. The enzyme that helps your body make NAD+ from nutrients like vitamin B3 also returned to normal. As a result, muscle cells began repairing themselves and regaining strength.

• Muscles got stronger even without shrinking the tumors — Treated animals lived longer and maintained muscle mass, not because their cancer improved, but because their cells could once again make energy efficiently. That finding showed that fixing metabolism, not just treating disease, is key to rebuilding strength.

• Inflammation plays a role but isn’t the main cause — While inflammation was present, the real problem came from the cells’ loss of energy capacity. Once NAD+ and mitochondrial function were restored, muscle repair resumed even in the presence of ongoing inflammation.

• Energy restoration, not calories, reverses wasting — NAD+ acts like a rechargeable battery that keeps your cells running. When that battery drains, your body loses the ability to power movement, repair tissue, and stay resilient. Restoring NAD+ recharges the system, helping you regain energy, preserve strength, and slow the spiral of wasting from the inside out.

Low Metabolism Is the Real Cause of Wasting

A commentary on the Molecular Metabolism study2 by bioenergetic researcher Georgi Dinkov reinforced that cachexia reflects a breakdown in metabolism, not just inflammation.3 Muscle wasting in cancer and other chronic conditions happens when oxidative metabolism — your body’s main energy-producing process — slows down.

• Energy loss begins inside the mitochondria — When these engines stop working properly, levels of NAD+ drop sharply. This loss of energy is not just a symptom of disease but one of its main causes — the engine driving the wasting process.

• Inflammation and environmental factors worsen the decline — This drop in cellular energy is often made worse by long-term inflammation and by polyunsaturated fats like linoleic acid (LA) found in seed oils. These factors further weaken your body’s ability to make energy. Dinkov emphasized that inflammation happens after the energy system breaks down — it doesn’t start the problem.

• Cancer shifts energy production into an inefficient state — When mitochondrial metabolism fails, Dinkov explained, cancer cells compensate by producing energy in the cell’s fluid compartment instead of the mitochondria. This process regenerates small amounts of NAD+ but produces large quantities of lactate — a form of metabolic “emergency mode” that feeds further dysfunction.

• Supporting NAD+ regeneration helps block wasting — According to Dinkov, preventing NAD+ depletion or restoring mitochondrial NAD+ levels could stop or even reverse muscle wasting. He highlighted that simple compounds that sustain oxidative metabolism — including niacinamide (vitamin B3), methylene blue, CoQ10, vitamin K, and emodin — help maintain mitochondrial energy, block the wasting process, and support recovery.

Niacin Recharges Your Body’s Energy System and Slows Muscle Wasting

A study published in Nature Communications found that giving niacin, a form of vitamin B3, replenished NAD+ in both muscle and liver tissue of mice with severe cancer-related wasting.4 When NAD+ levels were restored, muscle mass and strength improved, mitochondrial function rebounded, and energy production stabilized, even during chemotherapy.

While this study demonstrates NAD+ repletion’s therapeutic potential, I disagree with the use of niacin as the optimal delivery form. Based on my review of the literature, niacinamide (nicotinamide) is a far more effective NAD+ precursor with several critical advantages: it converts more efficiently to NAD+ via the salvage pathway. For oral supplementation, an effective dose is approximately 50 mg three times daily.

However, we’re launching far superior next-generation formulations early next year that utilize advanced liposomal delivery to place niacinamide directly into cells with near-complete absorption efficiency. This targeted delivery eliminates first-pass metabolism and allows us to achieve equivalent or superior NAD+ repletion with dramatically lower doses — as little as 1-2 milligrams — while avoiding the gastrointestinal and hepatic burden of higher oral doses.

These innovations represent a significant leap forward in NAD+ optimization, combining the correct biochemical precursor with delivery technology that maximizes cellular uptake and minimizes waste.

• Muscle loss was traced to a failure in the cell’s ability to make NAD+ — In cancer cachexia, the enzyme responsible for turning nutrients like vitamin B3 into NAD+ was found to be dramatically reduced in both animals and human cancer patients.

This drop meant that even when nutrients were available, the muscle cells couldn’t convert them into energy. In humans, low expression of this enzyme was linked with abnormal metabolic profiles, even before patients began losing weight, suggesting that energy failure begins long before visible wasting.

• Niacin helped rebuild energy balance in multiple organs — In mice with aggressive cancer and those with slower-growing tumors, niacin increased NAD+ in both skeletal muscle and liver tissue. This not only boosted adenosine triphosphate (ATP) — your body’s main energy molecule — but also improved mitochondrial health and protein synthesis.

Muscles treated with niacin regained mass, showed fewer signs of breakdown, and partially recovered grip strength. These benefits occurred without shrinking the tumors, showing that the improvement came from fixing metabolism, not suppressing cancer.

Niacin also increased the number and quality of mitochondria by raising levels of a protein that controls mitochondrial growth and renewal. Treated animals had higher mitochondrial DNA, greater energy capacity, and stronger muscle fibers. This effect was consistent across both fast and slow models of wasting, meaning niacin worked regardless of disease severity.

• The findings open the door to simple metabolic therapies — The study revealed that both muscle and liver NAD+ deficiency are central to cancer wasting, making energy repair a system-wide issue. By correcting NAD+ metabolism, niacin helped maintain energy homeostasis and prevent further tissue breakdown.

• Clinicians are exploring early, targeted treatments to complement metabolic repair — A review in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology noted that millions live with undiagnosed muscle wasting, often before visible weight loss occurs.5

Researchers are testing new drugs like selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) and ghrelin agonists to stimulate muscle protein synthesis. Yet, results so far show these drugs boost muscle size more than strength, underscoring that restoring NAD+ and metabolism — not just building tissue — remains the true key to lasting recovery.

Rebuild Your Energy from the Inside Out

If you’ve been losing strength, struggling with fatigue, or watching your weight drop even when you’re eating enough, the problem isn’t just what’s on your plate — it’s how your body is using that energy.

The research shows that muscle wasting, weakness, and metabolic decline all start when your cells lose their ability to make energy efficiently. To reverse that, you need to recharge your metabolism and restore NAD+, the molecule that powers your mitochondria and keeps your body’s repair systems running. Here’s how to start rebuilding your strength and energy from the inside out:

1. Restore your cellular “battery” with niacin-rich foods and niacinamide — If your energy feels drained no matter how much you rest, it’s often because your NAD+ levels are low. Niacin and its gentler form, niacinamide, provide the raw materials your body needs to make NAD+ again.

Adding small daily doses — whether through food sources like grass fed beef liver or mushrooms, or through a supplement — helps your cells switch back to efficient energy production. This change supports your muscles, liver, and brain at the same time. Long-term use of niacin carries a risk of side effects, so consider taking niacinamide instead, at a dosage of 50 milligrams three times daily, to increase NAD+ production.

2. Feed your mitochondria with the right nutrients — Your mitochondria need more than calories — they need cofactors like CoQ10, vitamin K, and riboflavin to generate ATP. If you’ve been feeling persistently tired or weak, restoring these nutrients helps your body “remember” how to produce steady, clean energy again. Think of them as tools that rebuild your inner power plant.

3. Eliminate the metabolic “brakes” hiding in your diet — If you’re using seed oils like soybean, corn, sunflower, or canola oil, it’s time to stop. These seed oils are high in LA that interferes with how your cells produce energy and triggers chronic inflammation. Replace them with stable fats such as grass fed butter, ghee, or tallow. Over time, this swap lightens the oxidative load on your body and helps your metabolism run smoothly again.

4. Lower your stress hormones through deep rest and real food — When you’re in a prolonged stress state, your body floods itself with cortisol and adrenaline, which accelerate tissue breakdown. Balanced meals with enough protein, natural carbs like fruit or white rice, and mineral-rich salt calm your nervous system and bring your metabolism back into balance. Avoid long-term fasting or extreme calorie restriction — these approaches only drain your energy further.

5. Use light and movement to activate recovery — If you’re able, get daily exposure to natural sunlight and gentle activity like walking or stretching. Sunlight stimulates mitochondrial enzymes that boost ATP production, and even short bursts of movement tell your muscles to stay active and responsive. The goal isn’t intensity — it’s consistency.
Every step, every ray of light, is a signal to your cells that you’re rebuilding strength from the inside out. When you nourish your metabolism this way, you’re not just treating symptoms — you’re resetting your body’s ability to generate energy, heal tissue, and regain vitality on its own terms.

FAQs About Low Metabolism, NAD+, and Muscle Wasting

Q: What exactly is cachexia, and how is it different from normal weight loss?
A: Cachexia is a wasting syndrome that causes muscle and weight loss even when you’re eating enough. Unlike dieting or starvation, it isn’t caused by calorie restriction. Instead, your body’s metabolism shifts into crisis mode — it stops producing energy efficiently and begins breaking down muscle tissue to stay alive. This process drains strength, weakens immunity, and makes recovery from illness more difficult.

Q: What role does NAD+ play in preventing muscle wasting?
A: NAD+ is a molecule every cell needs to convert food into usable energy. When NAD+ levels drop, your mitochondria — the parts of your cells that make energy — stop working properly. This leads to fatigue, weakness, and muscle loss. Restoring NAD+ helps your cells generate energy again, rebuild tissue, and protect against further breakdown.

Q: How does niacin help restore energy and strength?
A: Niacin, also known as vitamin B3, replenishes NAD+ in your cells. Research from Nature Communications showed that niacin restored NAD+ in both muscle and liver tissue of cancer patients and animals with severe wasting.6 Once NAD+ levels normalized, muscle strength, energy production, and mitochondrial health all improved — even during chemotherapy.

Q: Why are seed oils like soybean or canola oil harmful to metabolism?
A: Seed oils are high in LA, a type of polyunsaturated fat that disrupts how your cells produce energy. These unstable fats oxidize easily, promoting inflammation and damaging mitochondrial function. Over time, this slows metabolism and worsens fatigue and muscle loss. Replacing seed oils with stable fats such as grass fed butter, ghee, or tallow helps restore healthy energy production.

Q: What are the best ways to support healthy energy metabolism naturally?
A: Start by nourishing your body with niacin-rich foods or niacinamide, CoQ10, vitamin K, and other nutrients that feed your mitochondria. Avoid seed oils and processed foods, eat balanced meals with natural carbohydrates and protein, and manage stress with rest and sunlight exposure. Gentle movement, such as walking or stretching, helps reactivate muscle function. Together, these steps recharge your metabolism and help you rebuild strength from the inside out.

You might think that if your doctor says your vitamin B12 levels are “normal,” your brain is safe and sound. But what if even “normal” levels could be hiding sneaky problems with your thinking or memory? This research is shaking things up, showing that what’s “normal” might not be enough.1

Vitamin B12 is a nutrient your body needs to keep your blood pumping and your brain sharp. You get it from foods like grass fed meat, eggs, and dairy, and it’s like a power-up for your nerves and cells. As you age, your brain leans on B12 to stay fast and clear.

However, a 2025 study with healthy older adults found that even if your B12 isn’t super low, it could still affect how well your brain works.2 Let’s dig into what this study uncovered, how B12 keeps your brain buzzing and simple steps to protect your mind as you get older.

Why Vitamin B12 Is Your Brain’s Best Friend

Vitamin B12 is a big deal for your brain health. It’s like a key that unlocks energy in your body. It helps your cells build DNA — think of DNA as your body’s instruction book — and it wraps your nerves in a protective layer, kind of like insulation on electrical wires. This keeps your brain signals moving fast and smooth. But what happens if you don’t have enough B12? It’s like those wires getting frayed — signals slow down, and you might feel it in your hands, legs, or even your memory.

• What does vitamin B12 do for your brain? You need B12 to keep your nerves healthy and your brain sharp. It builds that protective coating, called myelin, around your nerves. This coating makes sure signals zip from one part of your brain to another without a hitch. Without enough B12, that coating wears thin, and your brain doesn’t work as well as it should.

• What happens when your B12 is low? If your B12 dips, your nerves and brain feel the pinch. You might notice tingling in your hands or feet, feel weaker than usual, or struggle to remember things. It’s like a phone with a bad signal — messages don’t get through clearly. Low B12 even messes with your mood, leaving you feeling down or jittery. The tricky part? These changes sneak up on you slowly.

• Is “normal” B12 really enough? Doctors usually say your B12 is “normal” if it’s above 148 pmol/L — a number they measure in your blood. This cutoff is based on what’s average for most people, not necessarily what keeps your brain at its best. It’s like saying your car’s OK as long as it starts — but is it running smoothly? For older adults, this study, published in Annals of Neurology, hints that “normal” doesn’t cut it for top-notch brain health.3

• Should you rethink “normal”? Here’s the big question: What if “normal” B12 levels aren’t enough as you age? Even if your levels aren’t dangerously low, they might not fully shield your brain from slowing down or wearing out. Think of it like having just enough gas to limp to the next station — you’ll get there, but it’s not the smoothest ride.

What Scientists Discovered About B12 and Your Brain

Scientists studied 231 healthy older adults, averaging 71 years old, to see how B12 affects the brain. These weren’t people with obvious B12 troubles — their average level was 414.8 pmol/L, well above the “low” mark. But the researchers used some tricks to peek at their brain health. They tested how fast signals travel from the eyes to the brain, how quick these adults were at thinking tasks and used MRI scans to check inside their heads.

• What did they find? Lower B12 levels — even if still “normal” — were linked to:

◦ Slower brain signals, like a lagging internet connection.

◦ Slower thinking, especially as you get older.

◦ More white spots on brain scans, showing possible damage or aging. Those spots are like scuff marks on your brain’s wiring, showing wear and tear.

• What’s the deal with active vs. inactive B12? B12 has two faces. The “active” form is like a worker fixing your nerves, keeping your brain sharp. The “inactive” form is like that worker taking a nap — it’s there but not helping. The study showed that too much inactive B12 might actually signal trouble, even if your total B12 looks fine.

How to Keep Your Brain Happy with Vitamin B12
So, what does this mean for you? If you’ve had a blood test, you might see a B12 number like 300 or 400 pmol/L. That’s above the “low” line, but this study suggests it’s not enough to keep your brain in peak shape as you age. You might feel a bit foggy, take longer to recall names, or notice your thoughts aren’t as quick. These could be signs your brain needs more B12.

• What signs should you watch for? Your brain might nudge you if your B12’s lagging. Look out for:

◦ Feeling foggy or slow, like your thoughts are stuck in mud.

◦ Struggling to remember names or little details.

◦ Tingling in your hands or feet.

◦ Mood swings, like feeling blue or edgy.

These clues are often quiet, so pay attention, as they could mean your brain needs a B12 boost. Not sure where you stand? Talk to your doctor — they can check your levels.

• How do you read your B12 number? Your B12 level shows up as a number like 300 pmol/L on a blood test. Above 148 is “normal,” but this study hints that for brain health, you need more, especially as you age.

How Can You Boost Your B12?

Here are simple tips to optimize your B12:

1. Eat B12-rich foods like grass fed meat, eggs, and dairy.

2. Consider supplements — If you’re vegan or your body doesn’t absorb B12 well, a supplement could be your best bet. Oral or intramuscular vitamin B12 supplements help restore adequate levels, depending on the severity of the deficiency.4

Oral supplementation is generally effective for mild to moderate deficiency, with dosages ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 micrograms daily. Intramuscular injections, typically administered monthly, are more suitable for patients with severe deficiency or those with malabsorption issues.

3. Check your levels — Ask your doctor for a test, especially if you’re over 50 or feel off. Routine blood tests every six to 12 months allow for early intervention to maintain B12 levels.

4. Check your medications — Certain medications, like metformin, are linked to vitamin B12 deficiency. Patients on long-term metformin therapy should discuss supplementation options with their health care providers to determine the best approach based on individual needs and risk factors.

Wrapping It Up

You’ve seen how vitamin B12 is a superstar for your brain. Even “normal” levels aren’t enough to keep your mind sharp as you age. This study of older adults showed that lower B12 — even if it’s not super low — slows your thinking and leaves wear marks on your brain. Plus, too much “inactive” B12 spells trouble.

Your brain deserves better than the bare minimum. By eating B12-rich foods or taking a supplement, you help keep it humming. So, check your B12 — grab some eggs or grass fed meat, think about a supplement if needed, and talk to your doctor if you’re wondering where your levels stand. Your brain’s your control center; give it the boost it craves.

FAQs — Your B12 Questions Answered

Q: What are the best foods for B12?

A: Grass fed meat, eggs, and dairy. If you’re vegan, consider supplementation.

Q: How do I know if my B12 is too low?

A: You might feel tired, foggy, or tingly in your hands or feet. A blood test is the sure way to find out. Pay attention to subtle symptoms, as they can indicate an early stage of deficiency.

Q: Can I get too much B12?

A: It’s usually safe — your body flushes out extra. But super high levels hint at other issues, so ask your doctor.

Q: Should I take a B12 supplement?

A: If you eat B12-rich foods, you might not need one. But if you’re vegan, older, or taking medications like metformin, a supplement helps keep your brain happy. Consult with a health care professional to determine the appropriate dosage and form of B12 supplementation for your individual needs.

Q: How does B12 help my brain?

A: It protects your nerves and speeds up brain signals. Low B12 slows you down and muddles your memory. Optimal B12 levels are important for helping your brain stay sharp.

Your thymus begins shrinking in your 20s, and it doesn’t stop. This small gland tucked behind your breastbone slowly transforms from active immune tissue into fat, and for years, scientists treated that decline as a harmless quirk of aging. New research suggests they had it backwards — that the thymus’s quiet disappearance may be one of the most consequential events in how your body ages.

Inside your thymus, specialized immune cells called T cells mature and learn how to recognize infections, damaged tissue, and abnormal cells before they spiral into disease. When thymus function declines, your immune defenses weaken, inflammation rises, and your body loses one of its most important early-warning systems. But that breakdown doesn’t happen equally in everyone.

Some adults maintain strong thymus function far longer than others, and the difference appears to shape how well you age, influencing everything from cancer risk to cardiovascular health to how your body responds to modern cancer treatments. Those findings challenge one of the oldest assumptions in immunology — that the thymus stops mattering after childhood — and they set the stage for a much bigger discussion about how your immune system influences longevity itself.

Your Thymus Predicts How Well You Survive Aging

A study published in Nature examined CT scans from 25,031 adults in the National Lung Screening Trial and 2,581 participants in the Framingham Heart Study to determine how strongly thymus health influences long-term disease risk and lifespan.1

Scientists developed an artificial intelligence system that analyzed the thymus from routine chest imaging and sorted people into low, average, or high thymus health categories. Instead of assuming the thymus becomes useless after childhood, the researchers tested whether preserving this immune organ into adulthood changes how you age.

• Adults with healthier thymus tissue lived far longer — The differences were massive. Participants with high thymus health had a 13.4% mortality rate over 12 years, compared to 25.5% among those with poor thymus health. People with stronger thymus function were about half as likely to die during the study period. Even after researchers adjusted for smoking, age, sex, and chronic illness, the relationship stayed strong.

• Cancer risk dropped sharply when thymus health stayed intact — Researchers found that adults with healthier thymus tissue were 36% less likely to develop lung cancer than those with low thymus health. Lung cancer death rates also fell dramatically. High-thymus participants had nearly half the risk of dying from lung cancer compared to the low-thymus group.

• Cardiovascular disease followed the same pattern — Adults with high thymus health had a cardiovascular mortality rate of 2.9%, compared to 7.5% in those with poor thymus function. In the Framingham Heart Study, the difference looked even more dramatic. Participants with healthier thymus tissue showed up to a 92% lower risk of cardiovascular death.

Researchers also found fewer new heart-related events such as congestive heart failure, heart attacks, and cerebral embolism, meaning blocked blood vessels in the brain.

• The thymus appeared to influence the entire body, not just immunity — Mortality rates from pulmonary disease, metabolic disorders, digestive disease and endocrine conditions all dropped when thymus health remained strong. Deaths linked to metabolic diseases such as diabetes were 68% lower in people with high thymus health compared to those with severe thymus decline.

Digestive disease deaths, including liver and pancreatic disease, also fell sharply. Instead of acting like a narrow immune organ, the thymus behaved more like a master regulator of healthy aging.

How Your Daily Habits Accelerate Immune Aging

The study revealed that lifestyle habits strongly shaped thymus health.2 Smoking duration, pack-years, and obesity all showed strong negative associations with thymus function. The more someone smoked, the worse their thymus health became. Researchers also found that higher body mass index correlated with greater fatty degeneration inside the thymus.

On the other hand, healthier metabolic markers correlated with better thymus scores. Higher HDL cholesterol — often called “good cholesterol” because it helps remove excess cholesterol from the bloodstream — was linked with healthier thymus tissue, while elevated triglycerides, blood sugar and blood pressure were linked with worse thymus health.

• Physical performance also reflected immune aging — Individuals with lower thymus health showed higher frailty scores and struggled more with walking speed, exhaustion and physical activity. That finding gives you a real-world picture of immune aging. Poor thymus health showed up in how people moved, how much energy they had, and how resilient their bodies remained under stress.

• Inflammation emerged as one of the biggest drivers of thymus decline — Researchers measured inflammatory proteins in blood samples and found that adults with lower thymus health carried higher levels of several inflammatory chemokines. These molecules fuel chronic inflammation throughout the body.

The study also tracked C-reactive protein, or CRP, a marker doctors use to measure systemic inflammation. People with chronically elevated CRP over five to 10 years had substantially lower thymus health scores.

• As your thymus deteriorates, your immune defenses lose their ability to keep disease under control — Your thymus trains T cells, which identify infected cells, damaged tissue and abnormal growths before they spiral into disease. As the thymus deteriorates, it produces fewer fresh T cells. Immune diversity shrinks. Surveillance weakens. Chronic inflammation rises.

Researchers explained that this loss of immune adaptability leaves the body less capable of controlling cancer development, infections, and tissue damage over time. However, some adults preserved strong thymus function decades longer than others, even later in life. That means immune aging doesn’t follow a fixed timeline. Your daily habits shape how quickly your immune system ages, which gives you control over long-term health.

Immune Age Shapes Cancer Treatment Survival

A second paper published in Nature focused on adults with multiple forms of cancer who received immune checkpoint inhibitors, also called ICIs — drugs designed to remove the “brakes” from the immune system, so T cells attack cancer more aggressively.3

Researchers analyzed imaging and clinical data from thousands of patients across several independent cancer cohorts, including people with lung cancer, melanoma, breast cancer, bladder cancer, and kidney cancer. Instead of looking only at the tumor itself, scientists examined the condition of each patient’s immune system through thymus health measurements taken from CT scans.

• Patients with healthier thymus tissue survived longer across multiple cancers — The strongest findings appeared in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC, which is the most common form of lung cancer. Individuals with average to high thymus health consistently showed longer progression-free survival and overall survival than patients with poor thymus health.

Progression-free survival means the cancer stayed under control longer before worsening. Overall survival refers to how long patients remained alive after treatment began.

• The benefits extended beyond one specific cancer type — Researchers expanded the analysis across a pan-cancer group of 3,476 patients treated with immunotherapy, including a subgroup of 2,258 patients with cancers other than lung cancer (melanoma, renal, breast, bladder, and others). Better thymus health correlated with lower death risk across nearly every cancer category examined, including melanoma, renal cancer, breast cancer, and several pooled cancer types.

The paper described this effect as “tumor-agnostic,” meaning the association appeared regardless of where the cancer started in the body. In other words, healthier thymus function was associated with better outcomes whether the cancer started in the lungs, breast, kidney, or skin — a finding that complicates the standard model focused almost entirely on tumor genetics.

• The study revealed why some people respond dramatically to immunotherapy while others don’t — Researchers found that thymus health acted like a marker of “immune competence,” meaning the immune system’s ability to mount a strong attack against disease. Patients with healthier thymus tissue appeared better equipped to generate diverse, active T cells capable of recognizing and destroying cancer cells.

In contrast, individuals with poor thymus health had weaker immune adaptability and reduced cancer-fighting capacity.

The largest effects appeared in patients receiving immunotherapy before chemotherapy, though this interaction was a trend rather than a statistically significant finding. Citing prior evidence, the researchers noted that chemotherapy can impair thymic activity, which may reduce the body’s ability to generate fresh immune cells.

Patients who entered treatment with healthier immune reserves, therefore, appeared more resilient during therapy. This finding shifts attention toward preserving immune strength before aggressive treatments begin, instead of waiting until the immune system is already exhausted.

• Researchers also found evidence that thymus health reflects active T-cell production in adults — One of the most important biological findings involved T-cell diversity, the immune system’s ability to recognize a wide variety of threats. Better thymus health strongly aligned with broader T-cell diversity and stronger adaptive immune capacity.

Adaptive immunity refers to the branch of your immune system that learns from exposures and creates targeted defenses against infections and abnormal cells. A more diverse T-cell population gives your body a much larger “library” of immune responses.

Researchers noted that aging shifts the immune system away from flexible, adaptive responses and toward a more inflammatory state dominated by older immune cells. As thymus function declines, fewer fresh T cells enter circulation. Cancer cells then gain a greater opportunity to hide from immune surveillance and continue multiplying unchecked. This immune exhaustion also reduces how effectively immunotherapy drugs activate anticancer responses.

• The paper challenged another major assumption in medicine — that the thymus is expendable in adults — Researchers pointed out that the thymus receives little attention during cardiothoracic surgery or radiation therapy and is sometimes exposed to high-dose radiation or even removed during procedures. Their findings suggest that damaging the thymus carries long-term consequences for immune resilience and cancer survival.

Protect Your Immune System Before It Collapses

Your thymus responds to the choices you make every day. The research showed that smoking, metabolic dysfunction, inactivity, chronic inflammation, and poor overall resilience were tightly linked to faster thymus decline and worse long-term outcomes. That means your goal isn’t simply “boosting immunity.”

The real goal is preserving immune adaptability: keeping your body capable of generating fresh, diverse T cells decades into adulthood, so it can still recognize new threats rather than reacting blindly to old ones. The earlier you support that process, the more protection you build against cancer, cardiovascular disease, and immune exhaustion later in life.

1. Lower the inflammatory burden that ages your immune system faster — Chronic inflammation repeatedly showed up as one of the strongest predictors of poor thymus health. If your body constantly fights inflammatory stress, your immune system burns through resources faster and loses flexibility over time. Your immune system functions far better when it is not stuck in constant low-grade defense mode. Start with the biggest inflammatory triggers:

• Cut seed oils (soybean, canola, sunflower, safflower, corn, grapeseed) and the restaurant meals and packaged foods built on them. These oils deliver large amounts of linoleic acid (LA), a fatty acid that, in excess, gets incorporated into your cell membranes and mitochondria, where it can oxidize and contribute to the chronic inflammation associated with faster thymus aging

• Replace seed oils with grass fed butter, ghee, or tallow

• Reduce exposure to plastics and heavily fragranced products that contain xenoestrogens, meaning hormone-disrupting chemicals that interfere with cellular signaling

2. Feed your thymus with the nutrients it requires to maintain T-cell strength — Your thymus relies heavily on specific vitamins and minerals to maintain immune resilience. If your diet lacks nutrient density, your thymus loses some of the raw materials needed to sustain immune adaptability over time.

Zinc supports T-cell development and signaling, vitamin A helps regulate thymus structure and immune coordination, and vitamin C may help support the gland and T-cell production. Whole foods work best for building this foundation:

• Oysters and ruminant meats provide highly absorbable zinc
• Egg yolks and properly raised dairy contain vitamin A
• Citrus fruits, berries, and kiwi supply vitamin C along with supportive plant compounds
• Collagen-rich proteins support tissue repair and immune recovery

3. Use movement, heat, and light to stimulate natural growth and repair signals — Your body contains built-in repair systems that support tissue repair, recovery, and cellular regeneration. Rather than using costly hormone products, the following lifestyle measures may support these pathways:

• Blood flow restriction training, also called blood flow restriction (BFR) training or KAATSU, creates a temporary low-oxygen environment inside working muscles, allowing you to build strength and muscle mass using lighter loads

• Sauna sessions combined with exercise help improve circulation and detoxification

• Whole body vibration training using a high-quality vibration platform has been studied for its effects on musculoskeletal and metabolic health

• Red and near-infrared light therapy have been studied for their effects on mitochondrial energy production and cellular repair processes

4. Support immune resilience with targeted compounds that may influence thymic signaling — Some natural compounds have traditionally been used to support immune resilience. One example is astragalus (known in Traditional Chinese Medicine as Huangqi), which has also been used to support stamina. Some early research suggests compounds in astragalus may:

• Lower inflammatory stress
• Increase antioxidant protection
• Improve immune signaling

Other compounds under investigation include thymic peptides such as thymalin, thymosin beta-4, and thymosin alpha-1, which researchers have studied for their roles in immune signaling, tissue repair, and antiviral effects. Thymic protein A, derived from calf thymus tissue, has also been studied for its effects on helper T lymphocytes and thymus atrophy.

Many of these compounds remain experimental and are not FDA-approved for general use, and some are available only by prescription. In regenerative and integrative medicine settings, they have been explored in the context of chronic infections, immune exhaustion, and age-related immune decline — though anyone considering these therapies should consult a licensed physician.

5. Protect your thymus from chronic immune exhaustion — Your immune system is not separate from the rest of your body. When your metabolism strengthens, inflammation falls, and cellular energy production improves, your thymus and your long-term resilience improve alongside it. Smoking showed one of the strongest negative relationships with thymus health.

Tobacco exposure continuously overloads your immune system with oxidative stress and abnormal cell damage. You also reduce immune strain by:

• Prioritizing deep sleep and circadian rhythm consistency
• Getting morning sunlight to regulate immune signaling and mitochondrial function
• Avoiding excessive alcohol, which disrupts gut integrity and immune regulation
• Lowering exposure to chronic stress that keeps inflammatory hormones elevated
• Maintaining daily movement and preserving muscle mass as you age

These findings come from observational and clinical research. Associations do not prove that changing one factor will change another, and results may not apply to all individuals.

FAQs About Thymus Health, Longevity, and Cancer

Q: What does the thymus actually do in your body?
A: Your thymus is a small gland located behind your breastbone that trains T cells, which are specialized immune cells responsible for identifying infections, damaged tissue, and abnormal cells before they develop into larger problems. As the thymus shrinks and fills with fat over time, your body produces fewer fresh T cells, reducing immune diversity and weakening your ability to control inflammation, infections and cancer growth.

Q: Why does thymus health matter for longevity?
A: Researchers found that adults with healthier thymus tissue had dramatically lower death rates over a 12-year period compared to those with poor thymus health. Strong thymus function was linked to lower risks of lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and several other chronic illnesses. The findings suggest the thymus acts as a major regulator of healthy aging rather than a useless organ left over from childhood.

Q: What daily habits are linked to worse thymus function?
A: Smoking, obesity, chronic inflammation, inactivity, and poor metabolic health were all strongly linked to faster thymus deterioration. Researchers also found that elevated blood sugar, triglycerides, and blood pressure correlated with worse thymus health, while healthier HDL cholesterol levels tracked with stronger thymus tissue. Long-term inflammatory stress appears to accelerate immune aging and reduce your body’s ability to maintain flexible immune defenses.

Q: How does thymus health affect cancer treatment outcomes?
A: Patients with healthier thymus tissue responded better to immunotherapy treatments across multiple cancer types, including lung cancer, melanoma, breast cancer, and kidney cancer. Better thymus health was associated with stronger T-cell diversity, longer survival, and improved ability to keep cancer under control. Researchers concluded that preserving immune resilience before aggressive treatments may improve how well patients tolerate and respond to therapy.

Q: What helps protect or support your thymus as you age?
A: Lowering chronic inflammation, improving metabolic health, and maintaining strong cellular energy production appear central to protecting thymus function.

Several supportive strategies include removing seed oils and ultraprocessed foods, prioritizing nutrient-dense foods rich in zinc and vitamin C, exercising regularly, using sauna and red-light therapy, getting morning sunlight, and maintaining consistent sleep patterns. Avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol also reduces long-term immune strain.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. It is not a recommendation to use any specific supplement, peptide, hormone, or therapy. Consult a qualified health care provider before making changes to your health regimen, especially if you have cancer or a serious medical condition.

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Fatty liver disease is becoming a widespread condition, affecting nearly 25% of adults globally.1 In other words, about one in every four people around you likely have a fatty liver without even realizing it.

As the name implies, fatty liver is characterized by an abnormal buildup of fat in your liver cells, which triggers inflammation, damages healthy tissue, and eventually leads to permanent scarring known as cirrhosis. Most people living with fatty liver disease don’t experience clear symptoms at first, but as it worsens, fatigue, persistent abdominal discomfort, or unexplained weight loss begin to appear.

Without proper intervention, fatty liver disease progresses to severe liver damage and also significantly raises your risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and even liver cancer. Even more alarming, research shows that it is directly linked to increased mortality, even in its earlier stages.

Linoleic Acid and Choline Deficiency — A Deadly Combination That Leads to Fatty Liver Disease

In the context of fatty liver disease, excessive linoleic acid (LA) intake is one of the biggest factors because of how it affects your cellular health. Alongside this issue is the lack of choline from your diet. I cover these topics in a study I wrote, which I will share more about in the near future.

• Excess LA creates toxic metabolites — When LA, an omega-6 polyunsaturated fat (PUF), becomes peroxidized, it creates metabolites such as 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), which is a reactive aldehyde known to affect mitochondrial membrane integrity that leads to a buildup of fat in the liver.

As noted in a Nutrients study, “[A] few studies suggested that omega-6 PUFA is related to chronic inflammatory diseases such as obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and cardiovascular disease.”2

• Choline deficiency contributes to fat buildup — Choline helps maintain cell membrane integrity, and research shows that if there’s a deficiency, fat accumulates in the liver because of impaired very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) secretion.3

Your liver produces VLDL to transport fat and cholesterol to the cells throughout your body by way of your bloodstream.4 But if there’s not enough phosphatidylcholine (which is synthesized via enough choline intake), fat stays in the liver instead.

• LA and choline deficiency undermine your health — According to independent nutrition researcher Chris Masterjohn, Ph.D., eating foods high in LA while not getting enough choline creates a vicious cycle that ends up with fatty liver disease:5

“I currently believe that dietary fat, whether saturated or unsaturated, and anything that the liver likes to turn into fat, like fructose and ethanol, will promote the accumulation of fat as long as we don’t get enough choline.

Once that fat accumulates, the critical factor igniting an inflammatory fire to this fat is the consumption of too much PUFA (polyunsaturated fat from vegetable and perhaps fish oils).”

Excess Fructose — Another Factor Linked to Fatty Liver Disease

As noted earlier, fatty liver disease is on the rise in America. The original assumption is that alcohol consumption contributed to this pervasive public health issue. However, research shows that you don’t even need to drink to develop fatty liver disease, and another culprit is a common ingredient excessively used in most processed foods — fructose.

• Too much processed fructose harms your liver — Your liver is able to handle modest amounts of fructose by converting it into energy. But when it suddenly receives an influx beyond what is normal (example, when you consume a sweetened drink), your liver undergoes de novo lipogenesis, which means it creates new fat.

• Increased risk of insulin resistance — Consuming high amounts of processed fructose makes your cells more susceptible to insulin resistance. Under normal conditions, insulin helps move sugar from the bloodstream into your cells to be used as energy. But once your cells don’t respond to insulin as they used to, the sugar remains in your blood, causing blood sugar levels to rise and contribute to disease.

• Excess refined sugar shifts your body’s metabolic priorities — To make matters worse, the fructose-driven processes in your liver reduce your body’s ability to burn fat because the bulk of the metabolic effort is aimed at managing the incoming flood of sugar. If this becomes chronic, your body will create more fat that it can comfortably use, increasing your risk of health issues such as heart disease and fatigue.

To be clear, fructose by itself isn’t necessarily harmful. It’s also found in fruits, which contribute to optimal health. The difference is that fruit also contains dietary fiber, vitamins, and other bioactive compounds that slow down fructose absorption. It’s really only processed and refined fructose that is problematic.

So, to protect your liver from developing fatty deposits, even if you’re not drinking alcohol, the solution is obvious — choosing natural sources of sweetness is better compared to processed drinks and foods.

A Deeper Look Into Cause-Specific Mortality Findings

A study published in the Journal of Hepatology6 set out to uncover exactly how fatty liver disease relates to different causes of death. Instead of solely focusing on common cardiovascular or liver-related outcomes, the researchers dug deeper, looking into a wide range of medical issues to show if some conditions were more sharply elevated than others under the influence of fatty liver disease.

• Endocrine-related issues stand out — One noteworthy finding by the study is a noticeable increase in the likelihood of death from endocrine-related causes for people dealing with fatty liver disease.

Endocrine disorders involve hormonal imbalances in organs like the pancreas or thyroid. While you may think of heart or liver complications whenever you hear the phrase “fatty liver disease,” this study showed that hormone-related mortalities were also significantly higher in patients diagnosed with fatty liver disease. Specifically, the risk for these endocrine causes of death are three times more than that of individuals without fatty liver disease.

• Fatty liver disease makes you more susceptible to other chronic conditions — The researchers also addressed deaths attributed to infections, gastrointestinal disease (excluding direct liver conditions), and mental health disorders.

Infections and gastrointestinal problems saw an elevated risk overall, theorizing that fatty liver disease sets off a chain reaction that reduces resilience to certain bacterial or viral threats, as well as creating an environment that is more prone to digestive imbalances.

Furthermore, the researchers noted that the risk of mortality specifically from mental health conditions was not meaningfully increased. However, this is still a noteworthy finding nonetheless.

• Liver cirrhosis causes a cascade of disease — One aspect that deserves mention is the comparison of mortality risk in different subgroups who also suffered from cirrhosis.

Those with advanced cirrhosis showed the greatest vulnerability when it came to non-liver causes of death, even beyond what people usually imagine from hearing “cirrhosis.” Once the liver is significantly compromised, the effects on multiple organ systems become more pronounced.

• The earlier you get treatment, the better the outcome — The research indicated that the mortality hazard was particularly high during the first year after participants received their fatty liver disease diagnosis. That means if you’re diagnosed with this condition, it would be wise to take positive steps sooner rather than later — the health and lifestyle changes you choose will have the biggest impact in those early months.

• Fatty liver disease sets the stage for more severe outcomes — The authors proposed that the metabolic environment surrounding fatty liver disease fosters widespread inflammation and an overload of fatty substances in the bloodstream, which wears down tissues beyond the liver. This chronic state of bodily “alert” reduces a person’s ability to handle secondary complications like infections or hormonal imbalances in the thyroid or pancreas.

Overall, these findings shed light on how fatty liver disease escalates health risks in ways that go well beyond heart or cancer concerns. By uncovering which conditions spike the most, medical professionals and affected patients will be able to adopt a more targeted approach to prevention and eventual healing.

Additional Insights Into Fatty Liver Disease-Related Mortality

A supporting study published in Clinical Molecular Hepatology7 focused on the different ways fatty liver disease impacts a person’s survival. Similar to the Journal of Hepatology study, the researchers assessed which ailments hit hardest, investigating the relative importance of heart complications, cancer, liver failure, and diabetes-related deaths. In addition, they analyzed how those risks shift when fatty liver disease progresses and interacts with other conditions.

• Cardiovascular disease ranks as a top threat — This finding is not just in terms of incidence, but also how often it resulted in mortality for people with fatty liver disease. This challenges the assumption that liver complications always dominate the list, hinting that heart health could be even more urgent for this group.

The team also looked at extra-hepatic cancers, which means cancers that develop outside the liver. According to their findings, extra-hepatic malignancies rose markedly in fatty liver disease patients, intensifying the likelihood of fatal outcomes in that population compared to those who don’t have it.

• A big part of the puzzle is advanced fibrosis — For some people, fat accumulation gradually causes a chain reaction, scarring the liver extensively. This reduces the organ’s ability to detoxify and regulate essential metabolic processes.

The researchers observed that, once the scarring reaches a certain threshold, the risk of serious complications — heart attacks, strokes, and aggressive cancer developments — increases even more than expected from fatty liver disease alone. They also highlighted that metabolic factors, such as high blood sugar or lipid abnormalities, further compound these dangers.

• Certain genetic and hormonal factors influence risk of complications — Carrying variants of the PNPLA3 gene ramps up the severity of fatty liver disease and speeds up its progression. For context: PNPLA3 is involved in how the liver handles fats, so if the gene is slightly altered, fat piles up more rapidly, leading to extra stress on the body.

Another point the researchers stressed involves thyroid function — having low thyroid hormone levels or even borderline levels heighten the all-cause mortality risk in fatty liver disease cases. That link is rooted in how thyroid hormones help control metabolism. If your metabolism slows or becomes erratic, more fat accumulation occurs, fueling inflammatory processes that eventually jeopardize your health.

• Sarcopenia also increases mortality — Muscle tissue is metabolically active, so losing it not only slows metabolism but also undermines the body’s ability to process glucose, regulate insulin, and maintain robust immune defenses.

By tracking patients who had both fatty liver disease and significant muscle loss, the researchers found a higher death rate that extended beyond liver issues alone. This finding shows that maintaining healthy muscle mass — through strength training or adequate protein intake — will be beneficial for those who already have a compromised liver profile.

• Healthy lifestyle adjustments protect your liver — Losing weight was deemed hugely impactful, specifically when people combined healthy eating with consistent physical activity. Essentially, when you burn excess body fat, the inflammatory load on the liver drops.

Less stored fat means less likelihood of insulin resistance, which the study pinpointed as a driver of advanced disease. Meanwhile, the researchers observed that people who followed a healthy diet noticed sharper reductions in their overall mortality risk.

• Chronic inflammation is a central factor — Fatty deposits, once they accumulate enough, trigger inflammatory cells to release substances that undermine vascular integrity, hamper immune responses, and encourage unchecked cell growth. Over time, that escalates everything from minor arterial plaque formation to the emergence of malignant tumors.

Practical Strategies to Fight Fatty Liver Disease

If you’re dealing with fatty liver disease, addressing the core reasons behind it is important to achieve lasting improvement. No one-size-fits-all approach exists, but committing to different targeted, meaningful lifestyle shifts will set you on a path toward healing. Here are my recommendations:

1. Improve your diet — The most immediate way to tackle the root cause of fatty liver is by switching to a healthy diet. Focus your meals on whole, unprocessed foods, especially vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, and healthy carbohydrates. Remember to boost your choline intake as well, which is found in pastured egg yolks, arugula, and grass fed beef liver.

Lastly, remove ultraprocessed foods and anything that contains high-fructose corn syrup and other added sugars.

2. Prioritize physical activity — Exercise is one of the best things you can do for your health. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity most days of the week, such as brisk walking, cycling, or swimming.

Increased physical activity helps your body burn off excess fat stores, especially around your liver, and boosts insulin sensitivity, directly reducing the inflammatory cycle caused by fatty liver disease.

3. Actively manage your weight — In relation to the previous point, excess body weight is a culprit in fatty liver development. Losing even a modest amount — around 7% to 10% of your total body weight — has dramatic benefits.8

If you’re obese or overweight, set achievable, incremental weight goals rather than extreme dieting. Steady, consistent reduction is the most effective way to reverse liver fat accumulation.

4. Build and maintain muscle mass — Muscle isn’t just for strength — it’s crucial for metabolism. Engage in resistance training at least twice weekly to build and preserve your muscle mass. This boosts your body’s ability to process sugar, regulate insulin, and reduce harmful fat deposits. Essentially, healthy muscle mass directly supports liver function by lowering systemic inflammation and improving overall metabolism.

5. Address underlying metabolic imbalances — If you’re diabetic, pre-diabetic, or insulin-resistant, improving your blood sugar control is essential. Pay close attention to your carbohydrate intake, choosing complex carbs (like white rice) over simple sugars. To understand the impact of carbohydrates on your metabolic health, read the article “The Hidden Health Benefit of Carbohydrates.”

6. Consider citicoline supplementation — As noted earlier, choline deficiency creates fatty deposits in your liver because the organ is not able to send the produced VLDL throughout your body. To boost your intake, consider taking supplements. However, not just any choline supplement will do — I recommend citicoline because most forms of choline supplements have poor availability.

Citicoline is the immediate precursor for the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine, and increased intake helps your fat to be transported out of your liver. Formulations differ depending on the manufacturer, ranging from 500 to 2,500 mg per day. To find out your ideal dose, consult with your health care provider because choline toxicity, while rare, is a real condition.9

Frequently Asked Questions About Fatty Liver Disease and Chronic Disease

Q: What exactly is fatty liver disease, and why is it a concern?
A: Fatty liver disease occurs when excess fat accumulates in liver cells, leading to inflammation, damage, and eventually, cirrhosis. It significantly increases risks for health complications such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, liver cancer, and endocrine disorders. This leads to higher overall mortality rates.

Q: What are the common signs of fatty liver disease?
A: Initially, fatty liver disease usually shows no clear symptoms, making early detection challenging. As it advances, symptoms like fatigue, persistent abdominal discomfort, and unexplained weight loss appear. Early screening and proactive treatment will greatly improve outcomes.

Q: How does fatty liver disease affect health beyond liver damage?
A: Beyond liver damage, fatty liver disease significantly elevates the risk of cardiovascular diseases, endocrine-related deaths, gastrointestinal issues, infections, and extra-hepatic cancers. The chronic inflammation associated with fatty liver disrupts multiple organ systems, leading to heightened vulnerability to other health problems.

Q: What lifestyle factors contribute most to fatty liver disease?
A: Dietary factors, especially excessive fructose from sugary foods and drinks, play a major role. High fructose intake triggers fat creation in the liver, promotes insulin resistance, and reduces fat-burning capacity, exacerbating liver fat accumulation. Other critical factors include obesity, physical inactivity, and loss of muscle mass (sarcopenia).

Q: What are the best ways to treat or reverse fatty liver disease?
A: Fatty liver disease can be effectively treated or reversed by adopting a healthy diet rich in whole foods, engaging in regular physical activity, losing excess body weight, maintaining muscle mass through resistance training, and addressing underlying metabolic conditions, such as insulin resistance or diabetes. Early intervention significantly improves prognosis.

The best formula on earth does nothing in a cabinet. Open almost anyone’s cabinet and you’ll find the same quiet graveyard. Half-finished bottles. A pill organizer with good intentions caked with dust on its lid. A few things bought after a podcast and abandoned three weeks later. Most people look at that shelf and feel a flicker of guilt, as if it were proof of some personal failing.

It isn’t a willpower problem. It’s a design problem. That distinction is the whole point of this article, and of the series it begins. For decades the supplement industry has told a story in which the burden of results rests entirely on you. Buy the right ingredient, in the right form, and the rest is up to your discipline.

When the bottle ends up forgotten on a shelf, the unspoken verdict is that you failed. I want to flip that story on its head, because the evidence — and two decades of watching real people try to take care of themselves on difficult ground — points to a different conclusion. Most supplements were not built to fit into real life in the first place.

The Imaginary Person Your Supplements Were Built For

Most supplements are designed for someone who does not exist. Picture the person the typical regimen assumes you are. Calm. Unhurried. Sitting down to a tall glass of water at the same time every morning, with nothing else on your mind, happy to count out a small handful of capsules and get them all down before moving serenely into a well-ordered day. A second round at lunch. A third at dinner. A pill organizer refilled every Sunday without fail.

That person is a fiction. The real you is in a car full of kids, answering a text at a red light, grabbing a bagel because you’re busy and you’re hungry and the day already got away from you. You skipped breakfast or ate it standing up. You forgot the noon dose somewhere between two meetings. The bottle you meant to reorder ran out four days ago.

A supplement that demands a perfect life will always lose to an imperfect one. Not because you failed but because it wasn’t designed to fit your life in the first place.

Most of us live in an environment that has been quietly engineered to make the unhealthy choice the easy one at every single turn. The drive-through is faster than the kitchen. The vending machine is closer than the farmer’s market. The default option, almost everywhere you go, is the one that works against you.

When your supplement routine asks you to perform a flawless daily ritual on top of all that, it isn’t asking for a small favor. It’s asking you to win a fight that the environment is rigged to make you lose.

So, we began to design supplements for real life. That shift now guides everything we make: fewer steps, simpler routines, and a food-first focus. In short, supplements built to fit into your day, not interrupt it. The aim is a supplement you’ll actually use daily.

A handful of companies have done this for other industries — taken something complicated and faintly miserable and made it easy. Nest did it with the thermostat, turning a fussy household control panel into something people could understand at a glance. Nutrition is long overdue for the same rescue.

Over the next nine weeks we’ll look at the hidden reason most people stop taking their supplements, why pills often don’t fit modern life, the moment when more stops working, why food changes everything, and how staying consistent can finally become easy.

It’s Not About Willpower

Here is the part the industry rarely says out loud: the reason people quit is almost never a sudden loss of motivation. It’s the slow accumulation of friction. Think about what a typical regimen actually asks of a busy person. Remember which bottles to take, and when. Count out the capsules. Find water. Get the big one down without gagging. Do it again at lunch with a different set. Refill the organizer every Sunday. Reorder before you run out.

No single step is difficult by itself. However, when stacked together, every day, against an already full life, the friction becomes too great and the routine falls apart. The research on this is sobering, and it’s worth taking seriously. Based on articles retrieved from PubMed, one of the strongest levers on whether people stick with a daily regimen appears to be not willpower but how heavy and complicated the regimen is.

A retrospective study of nearly 1,000 patients found that simplifying the regimen was associated with a large, sustained improvement in adherence over three years, with the biggest gains in the people who had been struggling most or carrying the heaviest pill load.1

A 2024 systematic review of patients carrying a heavy medication load pointed in the same direction: in most of the studies it examined, a heavier daily pill burden was associated with poorer adherence, though the authors noted the evidence was mixed.2 The pattern is fairly consistent — when a routine demands less, people tend to follow it; when it piles on, they tend to drift away.

Swallowing itself is a barrier, and not a trivial one. Difficulty getting pills down is common enough that clinicians routinely crush tablets or open capsules for people who struggle — a workaround that can backfire by altering the dose and how the ingredient behaves.3 For a great many people, the physical act of swallowing a fistful of capsules is the reason the bottle ends up at the back of the shelf.

How Habits Actually Form

The behavioral science is refreshingly clear: lasting habits are not built on motivation but rather repetition in a stable context. A habit is best understood as a behavior triggered automatically by a cue you encounter every day — cue-dependent, efficient, and largely free of the need for conscious effort.4
Experimental work confirms the mechanism: when people repeat an action in the same setting, they build cue-response associations in memory that fire automatically the next time that context appears — no willpower required.5

The most useful finding of all, for our purposes, comes from a randomized trial of everyday nutrition behaviors. When people anchored a new behavior to an existing daily routine and simply repeated it, automaticity climbed steadily — reaching its peak in a median of about 59 days, with repeated enactment in the same context being the key predictor of success.6
In plain terms: the way you make something stick is to tie it to something you already do, every day, without thinking. And almost nothing in your life is more reliably repeated, in a more stable context, than eating.

That single insight reframes the whole problem. A supplement that floats on its own — depending on memory, motivation, and a separate ritual with a glass of water — is fighting the way habits are built. A supplement folded into a meal you were going to eat anyway borrows a cue that’s already there. One approach asks for discipline you have to summon. The other asks for a behavior your day already contains.

Making Supplements That Fit the Life You Actually Live

The fix was never to demand more from you. It was to ask less. Once you accept that the failure is in the design and not the person, the path forward changes completely. The industry’s usual answer to “I keep forgetting” is to sell you a better pill organizer or another phone reminder. We drew the opposite conclusion. If burden is what makes people quit, then removing the burden is the entire job.

So we stopped designing for the lab and started designing for your life. Where an ingredient allows it, that can mean a powder you stir into food rather than another capsule to choke down, thereby borrowing the one daily cue the science says habits are built on instead of demanding a separate ritual that you have to remember.

The fact is, a well-designed supplement can feel like part of a meal instead of a medical event. It can be simple enough to survive a chaotic Tuesday. It can expect you to be human.

Food First, Always

This is the principle upon which everything else is built. If you’ve followed my work for any length of time, you already know the throughline: real food first. Supplements were only ever meant to support a foundation of whole, real food — never to replace it.
For too long the format itself worked against that idea, turning nourishment into pharmacy, separating the “health pills” from the meal as though the two had nothing to do with each other. A food-first format finally puts the supplement back on the same side as the food, where it belongs.

That matters for behavior, and it matters for self-honesty too. A supplement is not a license to eat badly and “make up for it” with capsules. It’s a way to support real meals more intelligently. When the format itself reinforces that order — food first, targeted support second — it stops asking you to treat caring for yourself as something separate from, and in competition with, simply eating well.

The Bottom Line

If you take one idea from this, let it be this: the best supplement in the world is worthless if it ends up sitting in your cabinet. The reason most supplements don’t work isn’t the ingredient and isn’t your willpower — it’s that they were designed for a person who doesn’t exist, then burdened you with the task of making the mismatch work.
The fix is building supplements around how people actually live: fewer steps, less to choke down, a format that anchors to a meal you were going to eat anyway, and a foundation of real food first. Make a routine light enough to survive a hard day, and people keep going — not because they finally found their willpower, but because there was never much required. That’s what it means to make supplements work for real life again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is this saying willpower doesn’t matter?
A: Not quite. It’s saying that designing a routine to depend on daily willpower is often a setup for failure, because motivation comes and goes for everyone. The behavioral research is clear that lasting habits are built on repetition in a stable context, not on summoning discipline each morning. The smarter move is to make the routine so simple it barely asks for willpower at all.

Q: Why does folding a supplement into food help?
A: Because eating is one of the most reliably repeated behaviors you have, in one of the most stable daily contexts. Habits form when a behavior is tied to a cue you already encounter every day. A supplement that rides along with a meal borrows a cue that’s already there, instead of demanding a separate ritual you have to remember.

Q: Are you saying supplements can replace a good diet?
A: Just the opposite. This entire shift is built on the idea that supplements support a foundation of real, whole food — they can never replace it. Food first, targeted support second.

Q: Is every product changing to a powder?
A: No. Some ingredients genuinely belong in a capsule, a softgel, or a specialized format. The point isn’t to abolish any one format — it’s to choose the format that best fits both the ingredient and the life of the person using it, rather than defaulting to a pill out of habit.

These statements have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

This article is for general education. The products described are dietary supplements intended to support normal health and wellbeing as part of a food-first lifestyle. They are not a substitute for a varied diet, a healthy lifestyle, or the advice of your physician. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or managing a health condition, talk with your healthcare provider before beginning any supplement.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health regimen.

Test Your Knowledge with Today’s Quiz!
Take today’s quiz to see how much you’ve learned from yesterday’s Mercola.com article.

What does colony forming units (CFU) measure in a probiotic?

Live microbes that can grow into colonies
Colony forming units (CFU) count live bacteria or fungal cells that can divide under lab conditions. Learn more.
Total bacteria, whether active or inactive
Enzyme activity from probiotic strains
Dead cells left after processing

1 How does the body make butyrate?

Beneficial gut bacteria ferment dietary fiber
Butyrate forms when helpful gut bacteria ferment fiber that reaches the lower gut. Learn more.
Colon cells break down stored body fat
The pancreas releases it after large meals
Stomach acid converts protein into butyrate

2 What are the specialized cells that send messages throughout the body?

Glial cells
Neurons
Neurons are specialized nerve cells that send messages through the brain and body. Learn more.
Neurotransmitters
Synapses

3 What could be considered a reasonable upgrade to glass jars for supplement packaging?

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) jars
Polycarbonate plastic bottles
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) jars
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is lighter and less breakable than glass, but it still does not fully solve oxygen exposure. Learn more.
Metallized film pouches

4 What is the medical term for high uric acid?

Hypoglycemia
Hypertension
Oxidative stress
Hyperuricemia
Hyperuricemia means uric acid is building up faster than the body can remove it. Over time, this may raise the risk of gout, kidney stones, and metabolic strain. Learn more.

5 How many cell-cultivated meat and seafood products have completed the U.S. federal review process?

3
5
As of October 2025, products from UPSIDE Foods, GOOD Meat, Mission Barns, Wildtype, and Believer Meats had completed federal review, though Believer Meats later shut down. Learn more.
8
12

6 Why should people taking blood-thinning medications be careful with turmeric water?

Turmeric blocks hydration after drinking water
Curcumin prevents the body from using vitamin C
Turmeric raises sodium levels when taken daily
Curcumin may increase the risk of bleeding
Curcumin has mild natural anticoagulant effects, meaning it can slow clotting. Learn more.

7 Why do many Akkermansia probiotic makers use active fluorescent units (AFU)?

Akkermansia grows faster than most probiotics
Akkermansia can be hard to count with standard plate testing
Akkermansia is a strict anaerobe, meaning oxygen can harm it. Active fluorescent units (AFU) can capture viable-but-non-culturable cells that standard colony forming units (CFU) may miss. Learn more.
Active fluorescent units (AFU) count only dead bacteria
Colony forming units (CFU) measure packaging strength

Test Your Knowledge with
The Master Level Quiz

1 How do colonocytes help maintain a healthy gut lining?

They use butyrate to support the gut barrier
Colonocytes are the cells that line the colon. When they have enough butyrate, they help keep the gut barrier tight, intact, and better protected. Learn more.
They remove oxygen from the bloodstream
They turn stomach acid into digestive enzymes
They store glucose for long-term energy use

2 What brain chemical is involved in restless legs syndrome (RLS)?

Serotonin
Cortisol
Acetylcholine
DopamineDopamine helps regulate movement. Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is linked to dopamine signaling, which is why some treatments mimic dopamine activity. Learn more.

3 If fermentable fiber causes bloating, how should it be reintroduced?

Add olive oil to salads and sauces first
Choose only inulin-rich foods at first
Add one source at a time in small amountsFermentable fiber can overwhelm a sensitive gut when added too quickly. Small amounts, one source at a time, help butyrate-producing bacteria adjust. Learn more.
Use large servings to feed gut bacteria faster

4 What is the function of the glymphatic system?

Clears waste from the brain during sleepThe glymphatic system acts like the brain’s cleanup network during sleep. It helps clear waste products and metabolic debris that build up during the day. Learn more.
Stores extra water inside brain tissue
Produces hormones that control thirst
Sends oxygen from the lungs to the brain

5 What vitamin does the Bacillus genus help produce by converting sugar?

Vitamin D
Vitamin B12
Vitamin K
Vitamin CThe Bacillus genus helps convert sugar into vitamin C. It is also involved in producing vitamin K in the gut, which works with vitamin D. Learn more.

6 Which of these physical activities can help improve sleep quality?

Sprinting
WalkingRegular walking, especially during the day, helps support melatonin production and a healthy circadian rhythm. Learn more.
Heavy lifting
Long-distance cycling

7 What is the main barrier material in real foil supplement packaging?

Polycarbonate
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
AluminumAluminum does the main barrier work in real foil packaging by helping keep oxygen away from sensitive powders. Learn more.
Bisphenol A (BPA)

8 Which of these strategies can help lower high iron levels?

Taking extra vitamin C
Eating more red meat
Drinking more iron supplements
Donating bloodDonating blood helps lower excess iron. If blood donation is not an option, a doctor may use therapeutic phlebotomy to remove blood safely. Learn more.

9 What toxic compound does alcohol produce in the liver?

Glutathione
Lactic acid
AcetaldehydeWhen alcohol is broken down in the liver, it produces acetaldehyde. This harmful toxin increases oxidative stress and damages liver cells through free radicals. Learn more.
Bile acid

10 What hydrogen level, measured in parts per million (ppm), should hydrogen-rich water tablets generate?

2 to 4 ppm
8 to 10 ppmHydrogen-rich water tablets should generate 8 to 10 ppm. Drink the water right after the tablet fully dissolves and turns cloudy, since hydrogen escapes quickly. Learn more.
15 to 20 ppm
25 to 30 ppm

11 What immune cells does butyrate help increase to maintain immune tolerance?

Natural killer cells
Dendritic cells
Regulatory T cells (Tregs)Butyrate helps increase regulatory T cells (Tregs), especially in the gut. These cells help maintain immune tolerance and prevent excessive inflammatory responses. Learn more.
Th17 cells

12 What’s the safest way to sanitize a toothbrush head?

3% Hydrogen peroxideA toothbrush head can be soaked in 3% hydrogen peroxide for 10 to 15 minutes, then air-dried. Boiling, using a dishwasher, or soaking in alcohol-based solutions may damage the bristles. Learn more.
Boiling water
Alcohol-based mouthwash
0.5% Phosphoric acid

13 What court ruled that Florida’s cell-cultivated meat ban does not conflict with federal poultry law?

U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh CircuitThe U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit ruled in March 2026 that federal poultry law did not override Florida’s ban on cell-cultivated meat. Learn more.

14 Which type of exercise is typically better for strength, performance, and muscle growth?

Concentric exercise
Eccentric exerciseEccentric exercise happens when muscles lengthen while resisting force. It is often better for building strength, improving performance, and supporting muscle enlargement. Learn more.
Blood flow restriction (BFR) training
Mitochondrial training

15 Which vibrant, reddish fruit is known for its antioxidant-rich seeds?

Cranberry
PomegranatePomegranate contains antioxidant compounds such as punicalagins, ellagic acid, and urolithins. These nutrients help support heart health, circulation, cellular protection, and healthy aging. Learn more.
Blood orange
Red grapefruit

16 What compound in black pepper helps the body absorb curcumin better?

Capsaicin
Limonene
PiperinePiperine is the natural compound in black pepper that helps the body absorb and retain more curcumin. Learn more.
Allicin

17 What food is not a significant source of vitamin K2?

White riceVitamin K2 is found in foods like natto, Gouda cheese, Brie, egg yolks, liver, but not in white rice. Learn more.
Gouda cheese
Egg yolks
Natto

18 How much sun exposure, and when, is recommended for the most benefit?

Ten minutes of sun exposure after sunset
One hour of sun exposure around solar noonSun exposure around solar noon provides stronger solar benefits. Time in peak sunlight should be increased gradually, especially after reducing seed oil intake. Learn more.
Thirty minutes of sun exposure before sunrise
Two hours of sun exposure at sunset

19 What is Akkermansia?

A keystone gut bacterium linked to the microbiomeAkkermansia is a gut bacterium studied for its role in the microbiome. It appears to interact with the mucin layer that helps support the gut lining. Learn more.
A digestive enzyme that breaks down protein
A vitamin made by stomach acid
A fiber found in fermented foods

20 What hormone is released by your body when it’s deprived of glucose?

Insulin
Melatonin
Estrogen
CortisolWhen glucose stays too low for too long, the body may release cortisol to help the liver produce glucose. Learn more.

21 Which dietary factor can make the skin more susceptible to ultraviolet (UV) damage?

Low intake of colorful fruits that provide antioxidant compounds
Not drinking enough mineral-rich water before spending time outdoors
Excess linoleic acid (LA) from vegetable oils in the dietExcess linoleic acid (LA) from vegetable oils can build up in skin and oxidize under UV exposure. This may increase inflammation, DNA damage, and sunburn risk. Learn more.
Eating too little protein to support normal skin repair

Editor’s Note: This article is a reprint. It was originally published May 21, 2023.

In this interview, Georgi Dinkov and I continue our discussion about diet, diving into some of the finer details that can make or break your health. Dinkov is a student of Ray Peat, who passed away around Thanksgiving 2022, leaving behind a legacy of iconoclastic wisdom on how to optimize biological health.

For example, a ketogenic diet can be very useful initially when transitioning people who are metabolically inflexible, which is about 95% of the population of the United States. So, in the short term, the vast majority of people can benefit from going keto. However, if you continue in ketosis long term, you’re going to run into problems.

Elevated Cortisol Leads to Central Obesity

As just one example, while weight loss is a typical response when going on a ketogenic diet, months later, maintaining that weight loss often becomes a struggle again. Dinkov experienced this firsthand. Once he started following Ray Peat’s recommendations, he lost the weight again and kept it off.

“My take is it’s an endocrine problem,” Dinkov says. “So if you’re struggling with weight you cannot lose, I think it’s a good idea to do a blood work [panel] for the steroids … Every single person that has been struggling with excessive weight that has emailed [me] their blood results, without exception, their cortisol is either high-normal or above the range, both the AM and the PM value.

Their thyroid is less than optimal, in fact, pretty bad for most people … They’re at the upper limit of normal. A very large number of people are basically hypothyroid … I think we are eating foods that are lowering our metabolic rate. We’re living an excessively stressful lifestyle.

That’s probably not a surprise for anybody. Many people think, well, stress is good for you. It’s good as a hormetic response in an acute situation, but not when you have chronically elevated cortisol. Every doctor will tell you if you have a chronic elevated cortisol, you will develop the so-called spectrum of Cushing syndrome …

One of the defining features of elevated cortisol is that you have central obesity. So that, to me, is really the problem. We have higher than desirable levels of stress, suboptimal diet, and we’re surrounded by a number of different endocrine disrupters which are now proven to reliably cause obesity in animal models, even in very small amounts. Most of those are found in plastics.”

Why I Changed My Mind About Low-Carb Diets

One of the foundational concepts of health that I’ve had to radically revise my thinking on, based on the work of the late Ray Peat and his student Georgi Dinkov, is the idea that eating a low-carb diet long-term is the best way to optimize your metabolic and mitochondrial health.

I now realize that this was misguided, and the reason for that has to do with the fact that your body requires glucose and if you aren’t eating it you will go into a hypoglycemic coma and die. Obviously, your body has safeguards to prevent that and the major one is the hormone cortisol.

In medical school, we learned that cortisol is a glucocorticoid. Gluco means glucose (sugar) and cortico means it comes from the adrenal cortex. It’s also another word for steroid. We were told that cortisol is responsible for maintaining glucose homeostasis but led to believe its primary purpose was for inflammation.

Well, that’s just not true. While cortisol certainly contributes to glucose balance, its primary purpose is to raise your blood sugar when it is too low and you don’t have enough glycogen reserves in your liver.

How Does Cortisol Work?

But just how does cortisol increase your blood sugar? It does it by breaking down your muscles, bones, and brain. It sacrifices your lean muscle mass to release amino acids that your liver converts to glucose in a process called gluconeogenesis.

So, ultimately, cortisol also is going to cause inflammation and impair your immune function. And it increases food cravings. So, you do not want your cortisol to be elevated. For a long time, I was a proponent of a low-carb diet, but now I realize that chronic low-carb is not a good idea.

As a fuel, glucose is vastly superior to fat, and this was something I simply got wrong. The same thing goes for fasting. Both low-carb and fasting are great interventions in the short-term for those who are overweight and metabolically inflexible.

However, once you’ve regained your metabolic flexibility, it is important to revise your strategy and add healthy carbs back in, or else these strategies will backfire and lead to decreased metabolic health, compromised mitochondrial function, and impaired metabolism.

Cortisol happens to be the primary aging hormone. If it is chronically elevated, you simply will die prematurely as it is highly catabolic, meaning it will break down your body tissues. To stay healthy as you age, you need to be anabolic and build healthy tissues like muscle and mitochondria. Elevated cortisol will seriously impair those efforts.

Important Cautions Before You Increase Carbs

So, it is clear that you need to be doing everything you can to keep your cortisol levels and chronic inflammation low. But it would also be a major mistake to increase your carb intake if you are still on a high-fat diet. I did this experiment in the mid-80s after I read the book by the Diamonds called Fit for Life.

They suggested having fruit only for breakfast which I tried. Then I did my lab work and found my fasting triglycerides and lipoprotein profiles had exploded for the worse. I prematurely concluded that a high fruit diet was nonsense and remained relatively low carb for nearly four decades.

This was until I encountered Ray Peat’s work and reevaluated my initial impression. I now understand that I was missing important parts of the strategy. And now I eat 3 to 4 pounds of watermelon (without the rind) virtually every morning at 5:30 as my first meal, followed by three eggs and eight ounces of white rice and two ounces of maple syrup 1 to 2 hours later.

That sounds like a lot of carbs, and it is. I have additional fruits later in the day and now my carb intake is about 475 grams a day and comprises about 60% of my daily calories. You might wonder what has happened to my weight and blood sugar with all these extra carbs.

Well, I thought my weight was good at 192 as I increased my muscle mass, but it has decreased by ten pounds to 182 with no change in muscle mass. My fasting blood sugar has dropped ten points. So far it seems to be working for me.

The Vital Metabolic Switch You Need to Understand

This is one of the most important principles in food science that I never learned or understood until later. My strong guess is that this is also true for most natural medicine clinicians. Low-carb diets have helped at least tens of millions of people improve their health for a very good reason and that is there is a stealth switch that controls what fuel your mitochondria can burn as they can only burn one fuel at a time, either fat or glucose.

The switch has been given the name the Randle Cycle, but it is more helpful to visualize it as a railroad switch that changes the tracks of the train, and the train can only travel down one track not both. This is because only one type of fuel can be burned at a time.

The best-case scenario is you metabolize, or burn, glucose in your mitochondria without any reductive stress (a term I will explain in my upcoming interview with Georgi Dinkov). When you do this, you will only generate 0.1% reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Not only does this route generate less ROS but is also incredibly efficient at energy production by creating 36 to 38 ATP for every molecule of glucose that is metabolized. It will also generate metabolic water and carbon dioxide which are also important for your health.

For this to occur you will need to consume less than 30% of your calories as fat. When you consume significantly more than that amount the switch changes to burn fat in your mitochondria and you will not be able to burn glucose until your fat decreases to less than 30% of calories.

Since glucose is unable to be shuttled into the mitochondria to burn it winds up backing up into your blood stream raising your blood sugar. This is a major contributor to diabetes. What little glucose is burned for fuel is done by using glycolysis which is a primitive pathway that bacteria and cancer cells use.

It is great we have this pathway as you absolutely need it for quick fuel when you are activating your type II muscle fibers. But if this is the primary way you burn glucose you are in a catastrophic metabolic state as you are creating loads of lactic acid as a waste product instead of healthy CO2, and you are only generating 2 ATP for every molecule of glucose, which is 95% less energy.

Lactic acid increases reductive stress, which causes reverse electron flow in the mitochondria and causes reductive stress which increase the ROS to 3% to 4% which is 30X to 40X more than when glucose is burned efficiently in the mitochondria. You likely don’t yet understand reductive stress, the opposite of oxidative stress, but will have done an interview with Georgi on this and will be posting it later this month.

How High-Fructose Corn Syrup Causes Disease

One factor that makes a big difference in your metabolic rate is the type of sugar you consume. Contrary to popular belief, there’s a dramatic difference between high-fructose corn syrup and cane sugar. They’re really two different foods. If the high-fructose corn syrup is properly processed to remove all starch, then it’s very similar to cane sugar because it’s about 55% fructose and 45% glucose.

However, studies have shown beverages sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup contain a tremendous amount of starch, which isn’t accounted for in the calories listed on the label. Once the starch is factored in, the caloric content of many sodas can easily quadruple that on the label, so you’re getting FAR more calories than you think.

Additionally, because the starch is made up of such tiny particles, they can enter your blood circulation unprocessed via your digestive system, causing an allergic reaction.

They can also trigger a low-grade inflammatory reaction, which will trigger the release of histamine, nitric oxide, and serotonin. As noted by Dinkov, if you’re sneezing and have itchy eyes even though it’s not allergy season, you may well be having a reaction to something you ate or drank, and high-fructose corn syrup may be the culprit.

Starch particles also serve as fuel for pathogenic bacteria in your gut, and the endotoxins from these bacteria contribute to inflammatory conditions. Small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is one example of what can happen, especially if you’re on a proton pump inhibitor, as these drugs decrease the amount of stomach acid you’re producing. Stomach acid is there not only to help with digestion but also to keep bacteria in check.

“If you’re not producing a sufficient amount of acid, you’re going to get bacteria colonizing your small intestine, either from food or creeping up from the large intestine. And that’s not a good thing. Basically … the portion of the intestine that is supposed to be clean and just focused on absorbing food is now harboring a microbiome.

And then, if you give it any kind of a food that the bacteria can process, you’re increasing the turnover [which] result in the endotoxemia that is now accepted to cause a large number of diseases, especially cardiovascular disease, obesity, and neurological disease.

Alzheimer’s has been conclusively tied to chronic low-grade endotoxemia. They’re still claiming there’s a genetic component to it, but they’re now admitting that endotoxin is a causative factor in Alzheimer’s disease,” Dinkov says.

Can Cane Sugar Be Part of a Healthy Diet?

Most people who embrace natural health believe sugar is a pernicious evil, but Peat’s and Dinkov’s position is that the negative effects are primarily caused by high-fructose corn syrup, and that pure cane sugar can actually be a useful strategy to counteract some of the challenges that people can get into when on a strict low-carb diet. Dinkov explains:

“Cane sugar, if it’s pure, has a very different overall systemic health effect than high-fructose corn syrup … I think most of the sugar sold in the crystal form, especially organic ones, is pretty safe. Heavy metal contamination used to be a problem in sugar distillation but it looks like most of the western countries have sorted this out …

Now, some people that have an issue with sugar are saying, ‘Well, it’s just empty calories and whatnot.’ Multiple studies demonstrated that honey, which is very similar in composition to plain white sugar, does not trigger the normal hyperglycemic response that most of the other simple carbohydrates do. In fact, it improves the hyperglycemia in Type 2 diabetic patients despite being pure sugar.

I think that’s the greatest confirmation that we have that sugar is not evil. It depends how you’re getting it and in what form. One animal study demonstrated that rats, when given free access to [Mexican] Coke sweetened with cane sugar, they were eating the equivalent of 8,000 calories daily … without gaining an ounce of fat.

So sugar is not dangerous. It’s perhaps the only nutrient that we evolved to metabolize for fuel. But the other two micronutrients, even though we can metabolize them as fuel, come with a lot of strings attached …

If you’re oxidizing PUFA, then all hell breaks loose. If you’re oxidizing saturated fats, it’s far less dangerous. But in the long run it still puts you, due to the Randle cycle, into the semi-diabetic state because it decreases your insulin sensitivity.

So pure sugar is what we are meant to oxidize for fuel. If you get it from ripe fruit, great. If you can get it from [raw unadulterated] honey, probably just as good if not even better. But if not, then the pure white variety, preferably organic, that you get from the store, I think is a very good source of most of the carb calories that you intend to eat throughout the day.”

The Glucose-Cortisol Link

In my book “Fat for Fuel,” I argued that healthy saturated fats generate fewer free radical species in the electron transport chain than sugar. However, I’m starting to revise my views on this, based on Peat’s work.

The problem is that if your glucose level is low because you’re on a low-carb diet, your body is going to compensate by self-generating glucose, and that stimulus to make glucose is part of the obesity puzzle, because one of the ways in which your body produces glucose is by secreting cortisol.

And, as explained by Dinkov, if your cortisol is chronically elevated, you end up with central obesity and chronic inflammation, which clearly isn’t good. So, you’ve got to have a certain amount of glucose, and it’s best to get it from your diet rather than forcing your liver to make it, as cortisol is then also being churned out. Dinkov explains:

“If glucose is oxidized properly going through the Krebs Cycle and electron transport chain, it generates more carbon dioxide per molecule of glucose oxidized than do fats.

Now, carbon dioxide has this kind of controversial role in medicine. It used to be considered a metabolic byproduct that could be dangerous. People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have higher than normal levels of carbon dioxide in the blood.

But then, medicine started to look into this more closely, I think, over the last 10 years, outside of Dr. Pete’s research, and said, ‘Hm. Carbon dioxide seems to have a lot of positive effects in the body.’ One of them is vasodilation.

So basically, if your metabolism is not working properly, if you’re not oxidizing glucose properly, you’re not going to produce sufficient amounts of carbon dioxide. What happens then? Vasoconstriction. And since that is actually a problem, it raises blood pressure and all kinds of other things; all hell breaks loose. The body then releases an emergency vasodilator, known as nitric oxide. And that is now acquiring a bad reputation.

Even in mainstream medical circles, they’ve started seeing that people who are taking the drug nitroglycerin, which used to be the mainstream drug for angina — chest pain — for cardiovascular disease and blood pressure.

With nitroglycerin, you’ll quickly lower blood pressure. But over time, the inflammatory nature of nitric oxide ensures that these people actually get worse. And, in fact, most people who take nitroglycerin on a long-term basis die from a heart attack or ischemic stroke.

So, if you’re not eating enough glucose, your body will make it. And, in fact, the primary evolutionary role of cortisol, the acute role, is actually preventing blood glucose from dropping too low, because that will put you into a hypoglycemic coma.

In the longer run its secondary role is to dampen down inflammation. So really, the acute, the lifesaving role of cortisol on a daily basis, is to prevent you from dropping into a coma because your blood glucose went too low.

But we don’t want that process because it’s going to get the glucose from the tissues. So, we need glucose [in our diet]. I think even the ketogenic proponents are now getting to the point of saying, ‘We cannot be always in ketosis.’ In the long term, it’s not good.”

Will Sugar Feed Cancer?

Ketogenic diets have also been hailed for their ability to prevent and treat cancer, but even this may turn out to be a misunderstanding in the end.

“I think some of the ideas around glucose feeding cancer stem from two basic misunderstandings,” Dinkov says. “One is that cancer is an evil cell, genetically mutated, and that your only chance is to kill all of those cells because they’re not going away by themselves.

First of all, that’s not true. Spontaneous remissions of cancer are known, and they vary depending on the cancer. Prostate cancer has a pretty high rate of spontaneous remission … A paper that came about five years ago … from the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas … said it’s always been the position of medicine that cancerous mutations [happen] and after that, the cell becomes metabolically deranged.

But it looks like we’ve had it backwards. It’s the metabolic derangement that happens first, and, over time, this triggers the genetic mutations, because the cell, being in an energetic deficiency, cannot properly maintain its structure. That was a huge admission …

So what we need to be doing here is not trying to kill the cancer cell, because it is not a cancer cell. It is actually a normal cell that is metabolically deranged.

If we could compare it to anything, it’d be a diabetic cell [and] diabetes is now known to be caused by hyperlipidemia — too much fat in the body, too much fat in the blood. Basically, the cells are getting stuck in oxidizing fats, due to the Randle cycle.

And then, the glucose that’s floating around in diabetes, a good portion of it — because it cannot be metabolized — is being peed out … or you’re converting it into lactic acid. This [MD Anderson] paper said the exact same thing is happening in cancer.

We are seeing an abnormal rate of fatty acid oxidation, because the cell is stuck in the cycle due to oversupply of fat.

The glucose, the ‘cancer cell’ cannot actually metabolize it, but because the cell needs its glucose for a variety of purposes — not just synthesizing energy, but also synthesizing DNA and RNA, and those two … can only be synthesized from glucose, not from fats — the cancer cell says, ‘Oh, I’m in a state of extreme deficiency of glucose. Give me more.’

So, it increases the synthesis of these glucose transporters known as GLUT1 through GLUT4. Basically, that’s why when you give a patient with cancer a little bit of radioactive sugar, it accumulates mostly into the tumor, because the tumor has a much higher capacity for uptake of sugar.

However, and this is the key difference, it has a much lower capacity for oxidizing that sugar. So, you’re going to see a lot of radioactive sugar accumulation in the tumor, but most of it will get converted to lactic acid. So this paper that came out said, ‘We need to do something that gets the cell out of its stressed state.’

And I think we already agreed that excessive oxidation of fat is a stress state. Right? We don’t want to produce lactic acid, and as long as we are over-oxidizing fat, we will be producing lactic acid, and we will be uptaking more glucose …

Several studies have come out since then … and they said, ‘OK, how can we restrict the supply of fat?’ assuming the fat is the problem. There’s only really two macronutrients that can go to the cell. Assuming cancer is a metabolic disease, and assuming a cell can only oxidize fat or sugar, then if it’s not the sugar, it’s got to be the fat. There’s nothing else.

And if it’s not the mutations, if the mutations are secondary to the metabolic derangement, it’s got to be one of these two macronutrients that we can manipulate to actually try to cure the cancer. They already tried glucose restriction … That did not cure cancer. It did have a sensitizing effect to chemotherapy, but it did not result in actual cancer remission.

So now we’re back to the other micronutrient, restricting the supply of fat. Multiple studies … I have at least 30 on my blog … have shown that restricting lipolysis by administering the beta blocker propranolol … lowers lipolysis.

The way [propranolol] lowers blood pressure is by blocking adrenaline. If you’re blocking adrenaline, you’re also lowering lipolysis, because adrenaline is the primary activator of the hormone-sensitive lipase enzyme. Basically, you’re going to be restricting the supply of fat from your own tissues to the tumor.

What else can be done? Well, that’s not the only source of fat. You’re also getting it through the diet. Other studies have tried doing low-fat diets for cancer, and are getting actually good results. Not cure, but good results. The propranolol induced full remission in the cancer.”

Summary

Dinkov also cites research in which the beta oxidation inhibitor etomoxir, prescribed for heart disease, induced full remission in neuroglioblastoma, which is thought to be incurable. So, in summary, either restricting dietary fat or blocking the oxidation of fat inside the cell appears to have strong therapeutic effects against cancer by forcing the cell out of its excessive fatty acid oxidation state.

“And, once you do that, there’s no metabolic damage preventing the cell from oxidizing glucose,” Dinkov says. “It’s all functional. If you flood the cell with fat then, basically, that’s what the cell will oxidize, because it’s overabundant relative to the glucose that is getting to the cell. If you stop that process, or at least greatly restrict it, the cell starts oxidizing glucose again.”

The Devil in the Details

Here, I’d like to share a personal story. In an effort to adopt this new knowledge, I increased my carbohydrate intake to about 250 grams to 300 grams, depending on the day and the fruit availability. When I got my blood work back, I was surprised to find my triglycerides were in the low triple digits, just over 100, which is abnormal.

Normally, I’m closer to 50. In my clinical experience, elevated triglycerides is almost always related to excessive carbohydrate intake, which seems to conflict with what Dinkov just explained. But here’s the key: When you increase carbohydrates, you also have to lower fat. If you don’t, you could end up with complications, as just happened to me. So, now I’m lowering my fat intake. Dinkov confirms my experience:

“Most of the animal studies say, ‘High sugar diet causes this. High sugar diet causes that.’ But if you look at their diets, these animals are already on a high-fat diet. All they did was add more sugar on top of it. Well, of course, in a situation like that, you’re going to have an increase in the triglycerides, increase in LDL cholesterol, because the body can synthesize cholesterol from the sugars.

So, you’re going to get these biomarkers associated with cardiovascular disease to increase, but it’s actually not really a fair comparison. What you should be doing is keeping the diets isocaloric, the same. And also, not increase the total amount of calories, just replace some of that fat with sugar …

Another thing that is probably important is that since there’s always some baseline lipolysis going on, when you’re increasing the carbohydrate intake, the excess that cannot get metabolized will get converted to triglycerides and then stored.

When you are increasing the carbohydrate intake, you should be decreasing the amount of fat. If you’re not, then at least you should be taking something that stimulates the oxidation of carbohydrate so that it doesn’t result in the raising of triglycerides.

Aspirin, caffeine, especially vitamin B-3 niacinamide, all of these are known to lower triglycerides and, by now, the consensus mechanism of action is that all three of these components are increasing the oxidation of carbohydrates.

So, if you’re increasing carbohydrates and you’re getting an increase in triglycerides, two things, either you’re eating too much fat or your baseline metabolic rate is not where it should be, so you can use some metabolic stimulation from these substances.”

In addition to increasing the oxidation of glucose as fuel, aspirin, caffeine, and niacinamide may also inhibit the oxidation of fatty acids, specifically linoleic acid, and the most foundational strategy that anyone could implement to improve their health is to lower their linoleic acid, the omega-6 intake. These supplements will also lower inflammation, which in turn will lower your baseline cortisol.

The metabolite of aspirin, salicylic acid, also has an inhibitory effect on the enzyme 11-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase Type 1. This enzyme synthesizes active cortisol from the inactive precursor cortisone.

“So, aspirin will actually lower your synthesis of cortisol directly, not just by lowering inflammation, but also lowering the actual synthesis of cortisol,” Dinkov explains. “A study demonstrated that baby aspirin, 81-100 milligrams daily, decreased fatty acid oxidation by about 30% …

Aspirin also has an anti-lipolytic effect, not as strong as niacinamide, but it’s got these three different things that are basically helping to lower both the supply of fat to the cell and excessive oxidation of fats even at these tiny dosages.”

Be mindful about the aspirin you use, though. Immediate-release aspirin made with cornstarch is the preferred version that is now hard to find. Extended-release aspirin is not recommended due to the additives they put in it. Your best option would be to use a salicylic acid or willow bark supplement.

Benefits of Vitamin E

Dinkov also reviews the benefits of other supplements, such as vitamin E, which inhibits lipolysis, improves glucose metabolism, acts as an estrogen antagonist and helps counteract much of the damage caused by linoleic acid and other polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs).

According to Dinkov, research suggests your need for vitamin E can be directly calculated by your PUFA intake. You need about 2 milligrams of vitamin E from all sources per gram of PUFA that you’re eating. So, if you’re eating 50 grams of PUFA daily — which is about 10 times what you should be getting — you need about 100 mg of total tocopherol.

Importantly, PUFAs aren’t just the omega-6s. It’s also omega-3. In the interview, Dinkov goes into detail as to why omega-3 supplements such as fish oil are mostly garbage and shouldn’t be used. I also wrote an article about this very topic.

Whole food, in this case, small fatty fish and wild-caught Alaskan salmon are really your best bet. It’s virtually impossible to find fish oil that’s not rancid. So, to review, when you’re calculating your PUFA intake you also need to include your omega-3s. Ideally, your daily PUFA intake would be below 10 grams.

Dinkov’s Dietary Suggestions

In closing, Dinkov reviews some of his top dietary recommendations for optimal health. No. 1 is keeping PUFA intake below 10 grams; below 5 grams would be even better. No. 2 is to avoid high-fructose corn syrup when adding carbs. Stick with the simple sugars from ripe fruit, raw honey (make sure it’s not adulterated with high-fructose corn syrup, as many are) and/or pure organic cane sugar.

As for the macro composition of your diet, equal amounts of fat, healthy carbs, and protein seem to be best for otherwise healthy individuals, so he recommends getting one-third or 33% of your daily calories from each. If you have metabolic problems or some kind of inflammatory disease, he recommends cutting down on fats.

Lower fat intake will also allow your body to digest protein better, as bile acids are released in response to fat, and bile interferes with the absorption of protein. Next, he recommends adding:

• Vitamin E, based on your PUFA intake (as detailed above)

• Aspirin or willow bark extract

• Niacinamide at a dose of 50 mg to a max of 100 mg, three times a day. In addition to antiobesity effects, niacinamide will also help synthesize NAD+, which has important health benefits

• Caffeine — BC powder, sold as a headache remedy, contains both aspirin and caffeine. According to Dinkov, research has shown that taking caffeine with aspirin increases the blood concentrations of both and prolongs their effects. Taking 50 mg of aspirin with 50 mg of caffeine can raise your metabolic rate by about 7% and keep it elevated for up to 12 hours

• Copper — Copper is the rate limiting factor for cytochrome c oxidase (Complex 4). With aging, the amount of copper in that enzyme decreases while iron increases, and the less copper you have, the lower your metabolic rate. Ideally, get your copper from whole foods such as liver, oysters, shrimp, or acerola cherry. If using a supplement, bisglycinate is a good option with high bioavailability

How to Apply This When Using Time-Restricted Eating (TRE)

If you’re using time-restricted eating, or considering starting, then this final side note will be important. If you’re metabolically inflexible, insulin resistant, and unable to easily switch between burning sugar and fat as your primary fuel, then a TRE program, such as that described by Dr. Mindy Pelz in my interview with her, may be quite beneficial, and this is true whether you’re eating a ketogenic diet or not.

However, once you regain your metabolic flexibility, which can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, you will need to increase your eating window. The reason for this goes back to the glucose-cortisol connection, Dinkov explains in this interview. Your body needs glucose, and if you deprive it for too long, it will produce cortisol to stimulate your liver to make it.

This increased cortisol can contribute to chronic inflammation and cellular damage. Therefore, once you are no longer insulin resistant, it is best to vary your eating window between eight and 12 hours, and avoid going lower or higher than that window. It is also best to avoid eating before sunrise or after sunset and at least three hours before bedtime.

More Information

To learn more, be sure to listen to the entire interview, as we dive into far greater detail than what I’ve summarized here. Georgi is an absolute fire hydrant when it comes to biochemical details.

Also check out Georgi’s blog at www.haidut.me or follow him on Twitter. You can also obtain a major sampling of Ray Peat’s work for free by going to these two sites: wiki.chadnet.org/Ray-Peat and RayPeat.com.

The video above features an interview with Dr. Colleen Cutcliffe, a molecular biology scientist and the CEO and cofounder of Pendulum, a company creating microbiome products. This interview was done as part of my early explorations into the obligate anaerobe microbiome field. I was particularly drawn to Dr. Cutcliffe’s work with Akkermansia.

How Your Gut Microbiome May Influence Health

Yogurt and probiotics have been popular for decades, but what really catalyzed interest in the human microbiome was the advent of DNA sequencing. This allowed scientists to begin identifying and differentiating the various microorganisms found in the human body — along with the introduction of fecal transplants. As explained by Cutcliffe:

“One of the interesting things that people realized was that the gut microbiome has the ability to change symptoms and change diseases. This discovery largely came about as a result of research into fecal microbiome transplants (FMT), where you take feces from a healthy person and place it into a sick one.
That may sound really disgusting until you know that it actually has incredible medical value. Some of the first places where these fecal microbiome transplants were used were for treating Clostridium difficile infections.
[When] you take an antibiotic, it kills off most of the bacteria in your gut. This strain called Clostridium difficile now has no competitors, so it can start to divide and replicate. When it gets to high levels, it becomes extremely toxic and ultimately fatal.
What they found was that if you transplanted stool into these people who were suffering from this infection, and you basically inundated the microbiome with all these new competitors and were able to swamp out [C. difficile], you could save a person’s life better than the therapies that were being used.”

In conventional antibiotic treatment of C. difficile, recurrence has been reported in roughly 20% to 30% of patients, with materially higher rates in severe or refractory cases. FMT cure rates reported in published trials vary widely, but are generally in the range of 80% to 90%. Despite these positive outcomes, FMT has still not become standard of care for C. difficile infections.
Small, early-stage studies have explored FMT in other contexts as well, including metabolic, gastrointestinal, and neurological conditions, though the evidence base is preliminary and quality varies considerably. That said, a key, open question is: which of the many microorganisms transferred are responsible for the observed effects?

Potential Safety Concerns of FMT

Important safety questions remain, as there’s much we do not yet know about the microbiome. For example, a pathogenic microorganism that has not yet been fully characterized could be inadvertently transferred via FMT.
Your microbiome is made up not just of bacteria, but also viruses, bacteriophages, fungi, and yeast, and we don’t yet understand exactly how all these organisms affect human health, let alone their interactions.
What’s more, your microbiome changes depending on location, so the microbiome of someone living in the U.S. will not be the same as that of someone living in India or Norway. The reason for this is because your microbiome is heavily influenced by diet, medical interventions, toxic exposures, and the natural environment, all of which vary from one person and location to the next.
To address some of these issues, companies are now working on developing manufacturing processes to survey and clean up the stool, and then deliver the final product in pill form.

“There are several companies out there that are doing this kind of an intervention, which I think is a little bit safer than the pure stool,” Cutcliffe says.

Surveying the Human Gut Microbiome

Many scientists are now working on surveying the gut microbiome. It started with the American Gut Project, where academics from around the U.S. surveyed all the different parts of the human microbiome, not just the gut microbiome but also the microbiome in your nasal passages and ears, and on your skin.

“They’re trying to understand, what does the population look like? One of the really interesting high-level themes that’s come out is that the more so-called advanced or industrialized a country is, the less diverse their microbiome.
You can go into populations in the rainforest, where they’ve been relatively untouched by Western civilization, and they have incredibly diverse microbiomes, meaning they have lots and lots of different types of strains that are doing lots and lots of different activities.
As you get to more industrialized countries, like the United States, we have a less diverse population of strains. One of the other interesting things is that if you look at an individual as they age, younger people have a more diverse microbiome compared to people who are older.
So, one of the overriding theories is that this loss of diversity represents a loss in functionality that is tied to reduced health, and potentially even perpetuating disease. And so, can you give these [microorganisms] back and help people improve disease?
For example, as people age, many experience new food sensitivities that they didn’t used to have, or they experience more GI distress more frequently than they used to. Unfortunately, many feel like there’s nothing they can do about that; that it’s just part of aging. But that’s not true. It’s [due to] this depletion in the microbiome, and there is something that you can do about it.
Ultimately, all of these guys are housed inside your body, so you are in complete control over who’s living, who’s dying, who you’re feeding through the foods that you’re eating. You can get to a point where you’re sensitive to these foods because you’ve lost [certain] strains in your gut, but you can replenish them and get back to eating those foods.”

The traditional strategy has been to improve your diet, eat more real food. This will work over time, but it’s a slow process that can take many months. A more efficient strategy would be to repopulate your gut with essential strains in addition to the appropriate dietary changes. The question is which strains matter most.

What Is Akkermansia and What Does It Do?

Since it was first described 20 years ago, considerable research has been published on Akkermansia and its possible roles in health. Much of Cutcliffe’s work has focused on this bacterium, given the breadth of research interest in it. “Akkermansia is quickly becoming known as a keystone strain in your microbiome,” she states.
While the microbiome is an ecosystem of many strains, certain strains like Akkermansia appear to play disproportionate roles. Akkermansia was first described in 2004 by Derrien and colleagues in a study published in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology.1 Subsequent research has examined associations between Akkermansia levels and metabolic markers, including body weight. Here are examples:

• Associations with glycemic status — Observational research has linked low or absent Akkermansia levels to populations with prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes.
• Interacts with the gut mucin layer — Researchers have found through both human and animal studies that Akkermansia is a key strain associated with maintenance of the mucin layer.2 Cutcliffe describes it as “the ‘glue’ that keeps your gut lining strong.” She further explains:
“You have these epithelial cells and the junctions between them are held together by glue, which is called mucin. When the mucin layer gets too thin, you lose those tight junctions, and that’s where you can start to get things moving across that boundary that are not supposed to move across it.
So, it’s important to have a strong gut lining and Akkermansia is one of the strains we know of that is there at the mucin layer, both interacting with and helping regulate that layer. That’s why it’s of interest in research on a range of conditions.”

• Akkermansia and the gut-immune axis — Researchers have hypothesized that reduced mucin-layer integrity may contribute to immune dysregulation in some contexts. This remains an active area of investigation. Akkermansia helps support mucin-layer integrity, which in turn may influence what crosses the intestinal barrier.
• Akkermansia and gut-barrier function — When the mucin layer is thin, larger molecules may cross more readily. Some research suggests that supporting Akkermansia levels may help support mucin-layer function and, by extension, gut-barrier integrity.

How Akkermansia May Influence GLP-1 Signaling

Drug companies are now promoting injectable glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists for weight loss, and these drugs can have troublesome side effects. Researchers have noted overlap between GLP-1 agonist activity and pathways involving Akkermansia, though the mechanisms and contexts differ substantially. Cutcliffe explains how Akkermansia is thought to influence GLP-1:

“When it was observed that people with Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes were low in Akkermansia, it was believed that it was because of this mucin deficiency. But as people started to study Akkermansia more, and the microbiome in general, what’s become clear is that it’s a lot more direct than just the mucin layer.
What happens in your body naturally, if you’ve got all the right microbes, is that you eat a meal, your microbiome metabolizes that food and generates postbiotics [excretions from beneficial bacteria] like butyrate [and] a protein called P9. Some of these postbiotics then signal your body to produce GLP-1.
All that signaling is happening from the microbiome directly to the L cells. And so you eat a meal, your microbiome digests them, these postbiotics get created and tell your L cells, ‘Hey, go produce GLP-1,’ and then you get a spike in GLP-1 in your body.
GLP-1 stimulates your body, too. It says, ‘We’ve got to metabolize the sugar in the bloodstream, release insulin.’ It also signals to your brain, ‘We just ate, we’re full, we don’t need to eat again.’ After a period of time, GLP-1 goes down — until the next time you eat a meal. Then it spikes again.
So, that’s the natural way of things. There are only two strains that have been published, to date, that have been shown to be able to stimulate L cells to produce GLP-1, and one of them is Akkermansia. It actually secretes three different [postbiotics] that stimulate L cells to produce GLP-1.
So, what’s been found is that if you are low or missing Akkermansia, your body is not naturally producing as much GLP-1 as it’s supposed to be. By giving people back Akkermansia, you can now have these physiological benefits of reducing A1C and lowering blood glucose spikes.
To be clear, the natural GLP-1 you produce is different from the drug. The drug is a mimic. It’s an analog. It looks like GLP-1. It gets injected into the bloodstream directly, which means that rather than the natural spike after you eat [followed by a decline], the [drug] is keeping those levels really high all the time.
So, this signaling of ‘we got to metabolize sugar in the blood and we’re full, we just ate’ is going on constantly. That’s why people experience these incredible, amazing overnight effects because that’s how those drugs are working. But if you actually have the right microbes, you can generate your body’s natural GLP-1 and get back into this natural cycle.”

Akkermansia and Food Cravings — Emerging Research

Early research has examined whether Akkermansia supplementation may influence food cravings, with some studies reporting effects on sugar-related cravings.

“What that tells us is that your microbiome has the ability to change your cravings, and that can really guide you to better eating habits and then, in turn, replenish the good microbes,” Cutcliffe says. “So, you end up being on a good cycle and getting off of that bad one.
To reiterate, the GLP-1 drugs are not what we’re talking about with the microbiome. They’re two different things. One is your body’s natural way to increase GLP-1. The other is a synthetic drug, and we are in no way suggesting that [Akkermansia] is a drug.
When you do it naturally, you’re not going to see that immediate overnight result because it’s not going to be hammering your body with high levels of GLP-1 signaling all the time. It’s going to do it the way your body naturally does it, which is that you eat a meal and then your body tells you we’re full. Over a period of time you will start to see the benefits. So, it’s not going to be an overnight change, but it will be a sustainable way.”

Probiotic Potency Explained: CFU, AFU, and TFU

When evaluating the potency of probiotics, there are three units of measurement you need to be aware of: colony forming units (CFU), active fluorescent units (AFU), and total fluorescent units (TFU).

• Colony forming units (CFU) — This is the most widely recognized and utilized metric for quantifying the number of viable bacteria or fungal cells in a probiotic product. One CFU represents a single microorganism capable of dividing and forming a colony under specific laboratory conditions. This measure is important because the activity of probiotics is associated with the number of live microorganisms that reach your gut.
Probiotic manufacturers typically list CFU counts on product labels, indicating the number of live organisms per serving. Higher CFU counts are often marketed as more potent, though the optimal CFU level can vary depending on the specific strains and the health context.
Consumers are also advised to check that the CFU amount listed on the label is specified as the CFU level at the end of shelf life (its expiration date).3 As noted by The Probiotics Institute,4 “The amount of probiotic (CFU) present on the ‘manufacturing date’ is not as important as the amount present at the ‘end of shelf life.'”
• Active fluorescent units (AFU) — This unit is a less conventional and not widely standardized measure in the context of probiotics, with the exception of Akkermansia. While CFU shows the number of bacteria that are alive, AFU refers to the total number of bacteria present, both dead and alive. It is primarily a unit used to measure enzymatic activity.
For instance, AFU could be used to evaluate the activity levels of specific enzymes produced by probiotics, which contribute to their function, such as breaking down lactose or producing vitamins. In some specialized applications, AFU is also used to assess the metabolic activity or functional potency of probiotic strains beyond mere viability.
Most companies that sell Akkermansia probiotics use AFU instead of CFU, and there’s a scientific reason for that. Akkermansia is a strict anaerobe and as such it plate-counts poorly under standard probiotic quality control conditions. Many viable-but-non-culturable (VBNC) cells aren’t captured by CFU even though they’re metabolically active.
Flow cytometry (AFU) was developed in part to address this conundrum. It labels cells with fluorescent dyes that distinguish intact membranes (live) from compromised ones, and counts each cell as it passes through a laser. In short, flow cytometry captures VBNC cells that plate counts miss.
• Total fluorescent units (TFU) — This unit measures the total bacterial mass including both live and dead cells through fluorescent labeling, and is typically used only for pasteurized products. Like AFU, TFU values are higher than CFU counts for the same sample since they include both viable and non-viable cells.

The primary difference between CFU, AFU, and TFU lies in what they measure: CFU quantifies the number of live microorganisms; AFU assesses the functional activity of those microorganisms; and TFU measures the total bacterial mass, regardless of their functional activity. While CFU is an indicator of the potential for colonization and survival of probiotics in the gut, AFU could offer additional insights into the functional capabilities of the probiotic strains.

Current Akkermansia Clinical Trials: Dosages and Applications

As research advances, numerous clinical trials are underway to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Akkermansia-based interventions.5 Published data in 2024 investigating Akkermansia have reported preliminary results,6 highlighting its potential across a range of health conditions, including infectious disease,7 immune-related disease,8 liver fibrosis,9 stress management,10 intestinal-related diseases,11 metabolic health,12 and brain function.13
These studies, which include both animal and human trials, have used therapeutic doses ranging from 100 million to 10 billion CFU per day.
In studies of obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome populations, doses around 10 billion CFU per day have been used. Researchers have examined effects on markers such as insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism, with study sizes and durations varying.
Conversely, lower doses around 1 billion CFU per day have been examined for more gut-specific conditions and liver health,14 and even at these reduced levels, some studies report reductions in markers of intestinal inflammation.

*These findings are from research conducted in clinical settings, often in small or proof-of-concept trials. Results may not apply to all individuals.

Akkermansia Delivery and Form — What the Research Suggests

When choosing an Akkermansia probiotic, bacterial counts in the billions are typically used in published trials, though dose alone is not the whole story — the delivery method appears equally important.
For live formulations, delayed-release capsules and microencapsulation have been designed to help bacteria reach the colon intact. Without such protection, much of the live bacterial load may not survive the journey through the digestive tract.
Akkermansia is highly sensitive to oxygen, and these microbes thrive in oxygen-free environments, which makes the journey through the digestive tract challenging. Even a brief exposure to oxygen can be fatal for live cells, which is why formulations with delayed-release capsules or microencapsulation have been designed to protect the bacteria until they reach the colon.
Theoretically, a lower-dose probiotic that successfully reaches the colon may be more effective than a higher-dose product that does not, which is why the delivery method may be a far more important consideration than the labeled bacterial count.
If you are considering an Akkermansia supplement, formulations with timed-release capsules or microencapsulation have been designed to keep Akkermansia protected until it reaches the colon, typically within two to four hours.

Frequently Asked Questions About Akkermansia

Q: Does Akkermansia help with weight loss?
A: Research has examined and found associations between Akkermansia levels and metabolic markers, including body weight, appetite-related signaling, and gut health.

Q: Is Akkermansia safe?
A: Akkermansia is naturally present in a healthy microbiome. Available studies on Akkermansia supplementation, which remain limited in size and duration, have not identified serious adverse effects,15 though longer trials are needed to confirm long-term safety.

Q: Does Akkermansia cause diarrhea?
A: Akkermansia has not been linked to diarrhea in the published trial data to date. One study reported that its presence in the gut was associated with reduced occurrence of diarrhea in children.16 That said, as with any change to gut bacteria, sudden increases in any beneficial bacteria, including Akkermansia, may cause temporary digestive discomfort; gradual introduction is generally preferable.

Q: What causes low Akkermansia levels?
A: Low Akkermansia levels can be influenced by diet quality — high intake of processed foods, added sugars, and harmful fats like seed oils is associated with lower Akkermansia levels. Aging, antibiotic use, chronic stress, sedentary lifestyle,17 and metabolic conditions can also affect the composition of the gut microbiota,18 including Akkermansia levels.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a qualified health care provider before making changes to your health regimen.

Test Your Knowledge with Today’s Quiz!
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Which plant compound in turmeric is linked to anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects?

Ocherine
Quercetin
Curcumin
Curcumin also helps calm inflammatory activity and supports antioxidant protection against free radicals. Learn more.
Resveratrol