Insulin Resistance and Mental Health: What’s the Connection?

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Discover how insulin resistance impacts brain health, mood, and anxiety—and how to rebalance your hormones to restore energy and emotional stability.

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This One Hormone Is Linked to 7 Mental Health Issues

When you hear the word “insulin,” you might think of it as the “diabetes hormone.” But it’s actually a key player in mental health too. This chemical messenger controls blood sugar and fuels how your brain cells communicate, regulate mood, and maintain focus.

When your body becomes resistant to insulin, it’s not only your metabolism that suffers. Your energy crashes, your concentration slips, and your emotions can become harder to manage.

Scientists are now discovering that insulin resistance may be the hidden thread connecting seven major mental health issues. Understanding this connection between insulin resistance and mental health could be the breakthrough you need to know why you feel the way you do and how to restore balance within your brain and body.

If you’ve been struggling with fatigue, mood changes, or difficulty concentrating, this one hormone, not just your habits, may be at the root of it. 

If you’ve been struggling with fatigue, mood changes, or difficulty concentrating, this one hormone, not just your habits, may be at the root of it.

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What Is Insulin And How Does It Work In The Body?

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that allows your body to use glucose from carbohydrates for energy. When you eat, your blood sugar rises, signaling the pancreas to release insulin so glucose can enter those cells, giving you sustainable energy.

However, when you have insulin resistance, your cells ignore these signals. The pancreas compensates by making more insulin, eventually exhausting itself.

Over time, this imbalance contributes to fatigue, weight gain, inflammation, brain fog, and metabolic syndrome—all of which impact brain health and mental wellness.

What Is The Link Between Insulin Resistance And Mental Health?

Insulin resistance and mental health are more intertwined than you might realize. Your nervous system and stress hormones play a major role in this process.

Chronic stress can spike cortisol, which in turn worsens insulin resistance, disrupts appetite, and drains energy. Because of this, you get a vicious cycle that causes imbalances in your body and brain.

Over time, this biochemical tug-of-war can contribute to depression, anxiety, and cognitive decline if left unaddressed. All of these are warning signs that your metabolism and mental health may be struggling.

Related: The Stress Hormone: How Cortisol Crushes Mental Health

How Is Insulin Resistance Connected To Anxiety And Depression?

There’s a growing body of evidence linking insulin resistance and depression as well as anxiety. Insulin directly influences neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, which regulate mood and motivation. When insulin signaling is disrupted, so is emotional regulation.

One study published in 2025 found a strong connection between insulin resistance and anxiety and depression. Rates were higher among those with both insulin resistance and diabetes but also present among nondiabetic people.

Mental Health Conditions Insulin Resistant + Diabetic Insulin Resistant + Nondiabetic
Depression 75% 60%
Anxiety 65% 55%

Another 2025 study published in Nature Mental Health found that young people with insulin resistance were more likely to develop mood disorders even without diabetes. The researchers noted that poor insulin sensitivity alters brain metabolism, particularly in regions involved in emotional control and stress response.

How Is Insulin Resistance Connected To Anxiety And Depression?

Emerging research suggests that insulin resistance and ADHD symptoms may share a biological connection. A 2021 study found that insulin resistance in the prefrontal cortex, which is your brain’s CEO for decision-making, can impair attention, planning, and impulse control.

At Amen Clinics, brain SPECT imaging has shown similar patterns: reduced blood flow and metabolism in the prefrontal cortex of people with ADHD and those with insulin resistance. Both conditions disrupt dopamine regulation, making focus and motivation harder to maintain.

Does Insulin Resistance Increases The Risk Of Dementia?

Poor insulin signaling has been identified as a key contributor to Alzheimer’s disease, sometimes referred to as “Type 3 diabetes.”

When insulin can’t properly fuel brain cells, neurons struggle to communicate, leading to cognitive decline and memory loss. Over time, this can increase the risk of various types of dementia.

Does Insulin Resistance Play A Role In Addiction And Cravings?

The reward centers of the brain depend on the neurotransmitter, dopamine, which is influenced by insulin. When insulin resistance develops, your dopamine signaling weakens, which increases cravings for sugar, alcohol, or other addictive substances.

Research in Frontiers in Psychology shows that this disruption makes it harder for the brain to feel pleasure naturally, pushing people toward unhealthy behaviors to get that same dopamine “hit.” Healing hormone imbalance and insulin resistance can therefore reduce compulsive eating and improve emotional self-regulation.

Related: Do You Need a Dopamine Detox?

Why Does Low Blood Sugar Trigger Anger And Irritability?

If you’ve ever felt irritable or anxious after skipping a meal, there’s a reason. Low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, causes your brain to release adrenaline and cortisol. These “fight-or-flight” hormones start to make you feel jittery, moody, or even panicked.

When insulin resistance causes your blood sugar to swing up and down, these emotional crashes can feel like mini anxiety attacks. This connection between blood sugar and mood explains why emotional stability often begins with metabolic balance.

Does Insulin Resistance Increase The Risk Of Schizophrenia?

The relationship between insulin resistance and mental health conditions goes far beyond mood. Psychiatrists have long known that many antipsychotic medications that are used to treat schizophrenia have side effects, such as glucose elevation, which may lead to diabetes, and in turn insulin resistance.

However, a pair of studies point to insulin resistance as a potential risk factor for schizophrenia.

  • Research in JAMA Psychiatry suggests that insulin resistance is a hallmark of schizophrenia and that multiple genes are involved in the co-occurring conditions.
  • A study in Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology suggests that insulin resistance may be a risk factor for the development of schizophrenia.
Insulin Resistance Is Linked To 7 Mental Health Issues:
1. Depression
2. Anxiety
3. ADHD
4. Dementia
5. Addiction
6. Anger
7. Schizophrenia

How Does Diet Influence Insulin Resistance Symptoms?

Food can be medicine or poison, depending on how it affects your hormones. Your diet plays one of the biggest roles in preventing and reversing insulin resistance symptoms.

Processed foods, refined sugars, and trans fats can inflame your body and worsen hormonal imbalances for a long time. In contrast, nutrient-dense foods help improve blood sugar levels and restore equilibrium.

five brain-healthy and hormone-friendly foods to start eating more to help you support insulin resistance treatment:

Herbal Teas

Yerba mate, mulberry leaf, chamomile, mint, hibiscus, and cinnamon teas may improve insulin sensitivity and reduce inflammation. Although not considered an herbal tea, green tea produces the same effects.

salmon plate

Quality proteins

Salmon, tuna, chicken, turkey, and tofu provide amino acids that stabilize blood sugar.

Non-starchy veggies

Broccoli, cauliflower, and asparagus are low in carbs but high in fiber and antioxidants.

Avocados

Healthy fats

Avocados, almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, and flaxseeds improve hormone balance and reduce cravings.

Berries, green apples, and pears

Fibrous fruits

Berries, green apples, and pears deliver fiber that slows sugar absorption, keeping energy steady.

What Are The Physical Consequences Of Insulin Resistance?

Do you want to address insulin resistance? Brain health support with the right interventions can improve insulin levels.

Healing begins with regulating the nervous system, because chronic stress is often the spark that ignites hormonal chaos. Simple lifestyle shifts can make a powerful difference:

  • Prioritize sleep – Aim for seven to eight hours to regulate cortisol and restore metabolic balance.
  • Practice mindfulness – Meditation, deep breathing, or gentle yoga calm the nervous system.
  • Eat protein-rich breakfasts – Start your day with 30 grams of protein to steady blood sugar and mood.
  • Get moving consistently – Daily walks, resistance training, or dancing improve insulin sensitivity.
  • Seek personalized support – At Amen Clinics, specialists can assess your brain function with SPECT imaging, behavioral patterns, hormone balance, and nutrition to create targeted insulin resistance treatment plans.

Remember, the goal isn’t just to stabilize your blood sugar, but to restore energy and emotional balance to your mind and body.

Rebalancing Insulin And Reclaiming Joy

When insulin levels stabilize, so does the mind. By addressing insulin resistance through nutrition, lifestyle, holistic care, and medication (when necessary), you’re not just preventing disease—you’re supporting a clearer mind, calmer mood, and longer life. Healing your metabolism is, quite literally, healing your brain.

FAQ About Insulin Resistance and Mental Health

At Amen Clinics, we use brain SPECT imaging along with lab tests to assess blood sugar, insulin, and other key biomarkers. This integrative approach helps uncover whether metabolic issues are contributing to symptoms like depression, anxiety, or focus problems.

Yes. Stabilizing blood sugar can reduce mood swings, improve memory, and decrease risks for conditions like dementia and schizophrenia. At Amen Clinics, we combine nutrition coaching, lifestyle strategies, and targeted therapies to support both brain and body.

Our team develops personalized treatment plans that may include dietary guidance, nutritional supplements, psychotherapy, and medical care when needed. We focus on the least toxic, most effective solutions to restore balance and improve mental health.

Amen Clinics

Founded in 1989 by double-board certified psychiatrist and neuroscientist Daniel G. Amen, MD, Amen Clinics Inc. (ACI) is known as the best brain and mental health company in the world. Our clinical staff includes over 50 healthcare specialists, including adult and child psychiatrists, integrative (functional) medicine physicians, naturopaths, addiction specialists, forensic psychiatrists, geriatric psychiatrists, nutritionists, licensed therapists, and more. Our clinicians have all been hand-selected and personally trained by Dr. Amen, whose mission is to end mental illness by creating a revolution in brain health. Over the last 35-plus years, ACI has built the world’s largest database of functional brain scans—over 250,000 SPECT scans on patients from 155 countries—related to how people think, feel, and behave.

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