What is metabolic health? A biochemist’s definition

Cecile Seth

Cecile Seth, MBA. STEM Journalist. Co-Founder. Harvard Business School. Wellesley College. Bain & Company. Ms. Seth's award-winning blog, STEMshoots, helps her suburb with community planning and strengthening its schools. Keto since 2017. Mom to 3 young adults.

16 Responses

  1. Mantra277 says:

    I enjoyed this article. Article brought to my mind some thoughts that I wish to share. In particular a bio-individuality addressed . If a healthy metabolism is a result of the healthy living, how we may define metabolism of the person whom is coping with own pathology while desperately tries to reach out for the “healthy” values of lucky one?.. His or her values would be well different from healthy subject and might never reach the defined “normal” … An obsessive comparing of the own data with “normal” one, would create further stress and will deep the disappointment, or possibly create sensation of failure from the beginning.. This why 4Ps are so crucial in elaborating personalized plan of actions. Lately, we have been achieving in our goal of the population longevity, but our current situation clearly shows we are failing in quality who made it?…Recovery from the metabolic syndrome may take longer that it might be expected by the subject. Realistic plan of actions shell focus on living this metabolic health journey, instead of fighting for a ” healthy” value in some kind metabolic boot camp… Sometimes, we have to accept the reality we are not able to change and stop fighting our “demons”.. Accepting own limitation is not a weakness but may give a moment of revelation..

    • Cecile Seth says:

      Mantra,
      Great points & I’m glad you enjoyed it. Yes, bio-individuality does argue for improving against one’s own markers. While biome research is in it’s infancy, so far it is emphasizing the complexity of all factors affecting each person’s metabolism. Did you have a life-saving, high dose of antibiotics as a child? Have you been athletic most of your life? Do you internalize stress or have you experienced trauma.

      Recovering from metabolic syndrome takes longer for some. I love your image of “living this metaboiic journey” in contrast to arriving at a metabolic health destination. Perhaps that’s why the clinicians and researchers want to define it in terms of what metabolic health is not vs. a state that one achieves.

      Great food for though in your comment. Thank you! — Cecile

    • Mantra,
      You make several very valid points. Our modern lifestyle has created conditions that seem to lead inevitably to chronic illness; and consider aging as inevitably associated with medical conditions.

      That being said, there is a fresh wind of new opinions and ideas about how to prevent and often reverse the illness that we have come to take for granted. We are on a journey of exploration of, sometimes ancient, but now scientifically validated concepts to help us improve our metabolic flexibility. It is a shift from our sick-care orientation to one of health-care. We are attempting to curate the best information that has been validated by scientific methods and make it available.
      Thank you for your thoughtful insights.

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