How Metabolism and Physical Health Can Affect Mental Health

A conversation with Dr. Kavosh Rouhani of Nevada Mental Health

People often talk about mental health and physical health as if they are separate. One belongs to the brain. The other belongs to the body.

In real life, they are deeply connected.

Dr. Kavosh Rouhani, a physician at Nevada Mental Health who is board certified in both internal medicine and psychiatry, said that connection shapes the way he thinks about care.

“The brain and the body are not two separate things,” Rouhani said. “They are very well connected.”

That matters for patients because symptoms do not always fit neatly into one category. Depression can show up with fatigue, pain, appetite changes, sleep disruption, or low motivation. Anxiety can affect breathing, digestion, muscle tension, and heart rate. Medical conditions can affect mood and concentration. Psychiatric medications can interact with other medications. Diet, movement, inflammation, gut health, and chronic illness can all become part of the larger picture.

That does not mean every mental health symptom is caused by metabolism or diet. It means psychiatric care works best when the whole person is considered.

What Does Metabolism Mean?

When many people hear the word metabolism, they think about weight, calories, or whether someone “burns food” quickly.

Rouhani said physicians often use the term more broadly. Metabolism can refer to how cells, organs, and body systems process what they need to function.

In everyday terms, metabolism is connected to how the body uses food and energy. That can affect how a person feels physically and mentally.

“There’s a very clear connection between metabolism and mental health,” Rouhani said.

Eating well, exercising, sleeping, managing medical conditions, and taking medications appropriately can all affect mental health outcomes. For some people, these factors are supportive. For others, they may be part of what is making symptoms worse.

Mental Health Symptoms Can Show Up in the Body

Mental health conditions can create physical symptoms. Rouhani said this is not a new idea. Depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and other psychiatric conditions can affect the body in very real ways.

“I think most people are aware that when they’re not feeling well mentally, their body pays the toll,” he said.

That toll may look like unexplained aches, fatigue, changes in appetite, digestive issues, sleep problems, or a general sense that the body is not functioning the way it usually does.

The reverse can also be true. Physical health conditions can affect mood, anxiety, energy, attention, and daily functioning. A person managing chronic pain, diabetes, thyroid disease, heart disease, sleep apnea, or another medical condition may also experience emotional and psychiatric effects.

That is one reason a psychiatric evaluation often includes questions about medical history, current medications, sleep, appetite, substance use, exercise, and recent health changes. Our guide to what to expect at Nevada Mental Health explains how the intake process begins.

Where Inflammation Fits In

Inflammation is another word patients hear often, especially in conversations about food, stress, and chronic disease.

Rouhani described inflammation as the immune system responding to a threat. If you fall and scrape your skin, the redness and warmth around the scrape are signs that the body is sending immune cells to help repair the injury.

That kind of short-term inflammation is part of healing. Chronic inflammation is different. When the immune system is repeatedly activated over time, it may contribute to worse health outcomes.

Food is not the only factor, but Rouhani said highly processed foods can be more inflammatory for some people. Chronic inflammation can affect the gut, organs, and even the brain.

“Higher levels of inflammation in certain patients is linked to worse health outcomes, both mental and physical,” he said.

For patients, the practical takeaway is not to chase a perfect anti-inflammatory diet or blame themselves for symptoms. It is to recognize that food, movement, stress, sleep, and medical health can all be relevant parts of the conversation.

Diet and Exercise Can Help, But They Are Not the Whole Answer

Lifestyle changes can support mental health. Eating nourishing foods, moving the body, getting enough sleep, and spending time outside can help many people feel better.

But Rouhani cautioned against treating metabolism as the single explanation for depression or anxiety.

For most people, he said, inflammation or diet is not the number one cause of depression. It may be a contributor, and the importance of that contributor depends on the person.

There can also be a cycle. Someone feels depressed or anxious, so they eat less well, move less, sleep poorly, or stop doing activities that usually support them. Then they feel worse, which makes it harder to restart those routines.

Good care looks at the pattern without turning it into shame. If someone is struggling to cook, exercise, sleep, or keep up with medical care because depression or anxiety has become severe, the answer may include treating the psychiatric condition directly.

Nevada Mental Health provides care for patients dealing with conditions such as depression and anxiety, while also considering the medical and life factors that may be affecting symptoms.

GLP-1s, Fasting, and Psychiatric Medications

Many patients are also asking questions about intermittent fasting, GLP-1 medications, weight loss, and mental health.

Rouhani said the research around some newer trends and medications is still developing. Intermittent fasting may help some people lose weight because it can reduce the window of time when they eat. For some people, weight loss may improve physical health and mental health. But that does not mean intermittent fasting is a mental health treatment for everyone.

GLP-1 medications bring another consideration: medication interactions.

Rouhani explained that GLP-1 medications slow the gut, which is one way they affect appetite and weight. Because they affect digestion, they may also affect how some medications are absorbed.

“If you are on a GLP-1 and you do feel poorly or worse than you did before, that might be a consideration that maybe some of your medications are being impacted,” he said.

Patients should not stop or change medications on their own. But they should tell their prescribing clinicians about all medications they are taking, including GLP-1s, psychiatric medications, supplements, and over-the-counter products.

If medication is part of your mental health care, a psychiatric medication evaluation can help review symptoms, side effects, medical history, current medications, and treatment goals.

The Gut-Brain Axis and Supplements

Rouhani also pointed to the gut-brain axis as an area patients are likely to hear more about.

The gut-brain axis refers to communication between the digestive system, immune system, nervous system, and brain. Research is exploring how the gut microbiome may affect mental health through inflammation, immune signaling, neurotransmitter-related pathways, and other mechanisms.

That research is interesting, but Rouhani said patients should be cautious about products that claim too much too quickly.

Probiotics, prebiotics, supplements, and wellness products are often marketed as mental health solutions. Some may be helpful in certain situations. Others may be ineffective, poorly supported by evidence, or not well regulated.

“The supplement industry isn’t super well regulated,” Rouhani said.

That does not mean every supplement is harmful. It means supplements can still affect the body. They may interact with medications or create health risks, especially if someone is taking multiple products or has liver, kidney, gastrointestinal, or other medical concerns.

Before starting a supplement for mood, anxiety, sleep, gut health, or inflammation, it is worth asking a physician whether it makes sense for your situation.

Why Communication Between Providers Matters

Because the brain and body are connected, communication between providers can matter.

Ideally, Rouhani said, there would be meaningful crosstalk between physicians and specialists. A primary care doctor should know about major psychiatric medication changes. A psychiatrist should know about medical conditions, new medications, chronic prescriptions, supplements, and physical health changes.

In the real medical system, that communication is not always easy. Primary care doctors and specialists often carry heavy administrative burdens. Patients can help by keeping an updated medication list, asking questions, and making sure each clinician knows about major changes in their care.

At Nevada Mental Health, adult psychiatry starts with understanding the full person. Mental health symptoms are part of the story, but so are medical history, medications, sleep, stress, substance use, physical health, and daily functioning.

Mental Health Care Should Look at the Whole Person

If you are dealing with depression, anxiety, fatigue, sleep problems, medication side effects, unexplained physical symptoms, or questions about how your body and mental health are connected, you do not have to figure it out alone.

Metabolism, inflammation, gut health, diet, exercise, medications, supplements, and medical conditions may all be part of the picture. They are not always the cause. They are not always the solution. But they are worth discussing.

The goal of psychiatric care is not to separate the brain from the body. It is to understand what is happening across the whole person and build a treatment plan that makes sense.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, thinking about suicide, or unable to stay safe, call 911 or call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.