Your Bones Are Talking to Your Brain

This is one of those pieces of science that sounds like it cannot be true. But it is. And it may be one of the most important discoveries in brain health in recent decades.

There is a protein hormone called osteocalcin. It is made by your bone cells, inside your bones. It sends messages to your pancreas telling it how much insulin to make. It even triggers your GLP-1 receptors, the same ones that weight loss injections target.

But the extraordinary part is what happens in the brain. Osteocalcin crosses the blood-brain barrier and stimulates neurogenesis in the hippocampus. That means the creation of brand new brain cells, in the part of the brain most associated with memory and learning. The very part that Alzheimer's attacks first.

Your bones are making a hormone that creates new brain cells. Let that sink in.

But osteocalcin production requires low insulin. When insulin is chronically elevated, osteocalcin is suppressed. The signal from your bones to your brain gets weaker. Fewer new brain cells are created. And the decline towards dementia accelerates.

Osteocalcin also triggers the production of serotonin and dopamine, two of the brain's most important signalling molecules. When osteocalcin drops because insulin is high, both fall. This is one of the reasons why depression, anxiety and low motivation are so common in people with metabolic dysfunction. It is not just a psychological problem. It is a biochemical one.

Your action today: Protecting your brain starts with managing your insulin. Weight-bearing exercise stimulates your bones, which boosts osteocalcin. Go for a brisk walk today and log it in the Clubwell app. Your bones, your brain, and your mood will thank you.