Metabolism refers to all the chemical reactions that take place within each cell and are essential for life. It involves many interconnected pathways that can be divided into anabolism and catabolism. Anabolism uses energy to synthesise sugars, fats, proteins and nucleic acids, whereas catabolism releases energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), alongside carbon dioxide, water and ammonia.
All living organisms, including humans, use their environment to survive by taking in nutrients to support movement, growth, development and reproduction. Most are metabolically flexible, enabling them to adapt to environmental changes and challenges such as scarcity of nutrients (famine), cold and hot climates, and oxygen availability (high altitude).
In recent decades, many populations have experienced increased availability of high calorie, low fibre, processed foods, which alongside decreased physical activity have contributed to metabolic dysfunction, and ultimately metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, these conditions are also affected by genetic make up, quality and composition of food, psychosocial stressors, environmental pollutants and gut microbes. Indeed, over a billion people, about a quarter of the world's population, is now affected by MetS – characterised by abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, hypertension and hyperlipidemia; which can lead to type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases and cancer.
This Metabolics report describes how nutrients are absorbed and metabolised, and the genetic, nutrient and environmental factors that support metabolic flexibility or can lead to dysfunction. It provides six interconnected personalised pathways and detailed results, followed by a generic metabolics guide.
The pathways covered are: • Appetite regulation • Nutrient sensing • Sugar metabolism • Fat metabolism • Cholesterol and bile • Mitochondria and inflammation