Metabolism, Hormones & Mental Health—Are We Looking at the Wrong Cause?

A new paper in BMJ Mental Health highlights how menstrual cycle fluctuations impact psychiatric symptoms—proposing that hormonal changes act as a key sign of mental health shifts. But what if these changes are actually driven by underlying metabolic health? 🧠🔥

🔥 Key Takeaways:

✅ Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is now an official psychiatric diagnosis in ICD-11.

✅ Mental health conditions worsen during perimenstrual phases, with increased hospitalizations & suicide risk.

✅ Hormonal shifts influence neurotransmitters like serotonin & dopamine.

✅ But what drives these hormonal changes? Metabolic health—insulin resistance, inflammation, mitochondrial function—may be the real foundation of psychiatric & neurological disorders.

💡 If psychiatric symptoms fluctuate with hormones, and hormones are influenced by metabolism, shouldn’t we be looking at metabolic interventions (nutrition, lifestyle, circadian alignment) for mental health?

📖 Marwick, K. F. M., Reilly, T. J., Allan, S., & Golightly, E. (2025). The menstrual cycle: An overlooked vital sign in psychiatry? BMJ Mental Health, 28(1), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjment-2024-301463

#MentalHealth #MetabolicHealth #Hormones #PMDD #Psychiatry #PersonalizedMedicine #NutritionalPsychiatry #MetabolicPsychiatry