November 03, 2025

Are Mood Disorders Actually Metabolic Diseases Rooted in Insulin Resistance?

8 minutes

Bipolar disorder and depression affect tens of millions globally, long treated as strictly brain-based illnesses, yet both consistently show high rates of insulin resistance and metabolic disturbances
A 2025 Nature Neuroscience study found that pancreatic insulin release and hippocampal activity are linked through a circadian feedback loop. This suggests bipolar mood shifts arise from disrupted metabolism, not brain chemistry alone
Earlier research in 2022 showed lithium stabilizes mood partly by restoring insulin signaling, while a clinical trial found metformin improved both insulin sensitivity and psychiatric symptoms in treatment-resistant bipolar depression patients
Insulin resistance is extremely widespread, with around 40% of Americans affected, driven by refined sugars, seed oils, stress, sleep loss, and environmental exposures that disrupt the body's natural energy regulation
Supporting insulin sensitivity involves stepwise changes, replacing damaged fats and ultraprocessed foods, introducing gut-friendly carbs and fibers gradually, managing stress, improving sleep, and staying active to stabilize both metabolic and mental health

...more

By Dr. Mercola

4.6

14871,487 ratings

November 03, 2025

8 minutes

Bipolar disorder and depression affect tens of millions globally, long treated as strictly brain-based illnesses, yet both consistently show high rates of insulin resistance and metabolic disturbances
A 2025 Nature Neuroscience study found that pancreatic insulin release and hippocampal activity are linked through a circadian feedback loop. This suggests bipolar mood shifts arise from disrupted metabolism, not brain chemistry alone
Earlier research in 2022 showed lithium stabilizes mood partly by restoring insulin signaling, while a clinical trial found metformin improved both insulin sensitivity and psychiatric symptoms in treatment-resistant bipolar depression patients
Insulin resistance is extremely widespread, with around 40% of Americans affected, driven by refined sugars, seed oils, stress, sleep loss, and environmental exposures that disrupt the body's natural energy regulation
Supporting insulin sensitivity involves stepwise changes, replacing damaged fats and ultraprocessed foods, introducing gut-friendly carbs and fibers gradually, managing stress, improving sleep, and staying active to stabilize both metabolic and mental health

...more