Metabolism plays a big role in our health, it’s not just about helping your digestive system work smoothly, but the way your body breaks down the food and helps nutrients get absorbed into the body that matters. But often due to one reason or the other, your metabolism can slow down, which then causes issues with people. Many people think that the reason they may be gaining weight could be because of their poor metabolism, so how does one go about fixing this issue and how do you even know that the fault lies with your metabolism.

To understand why your metabolism may be slowing down, we must understand what role it exactly plays. Metabolism is the process your body uses to turn food into energy. It's essential for everything from breathing and digestion to keeping you warm. Several things affect how fast your metabolism works, including your genes, health, and lifestyle. A slow metabolism means your body burns fewer calories, which can lead to tiredness, dry skin, weight gain, and cravings.

Why Does Your Metabolism Slow Down?

There can be many reasons why your metabolism may be slowing down. You inherit some of it, and it tends to slow down as you age, often due to changes in your body and less muscle. Men and women have different metabolisms because of body size, makeup, and hormones. What you eat matters too – not enough healthy food or a very low-calorie or high-fat diet can slow it down. A lazy lifestyle, lack of sleep, and stress can also make your metabolism sluggish. Certain health problems like diabetes or an underactive thyroid, and even environmental factors, may also play a role.

Signs You Need To Improve Your Metabolism

While these are some common signs, it is best to visit a healthcare professional and ask for their opinions before you try a solution. There are many underlying reasons as to why you are experiencing slow metabolism, it can also be a side-effect of some medicine. A healthy lifestyle goes a long way, especially for people who already have digestive issues, kidney or even mental health issues like stress and anxiety.

Constant Fatigue

Feeling tired all the time, even without a good reason, could mean your metabolism is slow. A slow metabolism means your body breaks down food into energy slowly, leaving you with low energy levels. You might feel sluggish or get tired easily throughout the day. Changes in what you eat or your body composition (how much fat and muscle you have) can also make you feel more tired.

Dry Skin

Dry skin is common in winter, but if you have it all the time, it could be a sign of a slow metabolism. Thyroid hormones help control your metabolism and also keep your skin hydrated. If your thyroid isn't working right and your metabolism is slow, your skin might get very dry.

Weight Gain

If you're eating healthy and exercising but still gaining weight, a slow metabolism could be the problem. A slow metabolism doesn't turn food into energy quickly, so you burn fewer calories. Extra calories are stored as fat, making it hard to lose weight.

Feeling Cold

Feeling cold even when it's not cold outside can be a sign of a slow metabolism. Your body generates heat through metabolism. If your metabolism is slow, your body temperature might be lower. Some studies show that people with an underactive thyroid or obesity may have lower body temperatures because of a slow metabolism. This can be because of problems with thyroid hormones, which help your body make heat.

Food Cravings

Craving sugary or fatty foods can be a sign of a slow metabolism. Studies show that cravings are related to metabolic health. This is especially true for people who don't eat enough healthy foods, have bad eating habits, or have low muscle mass and high fat mass. Cravings might also mean your body isn't getting enough energy from the food you eat, so it wants more energy.

Mood Swings

Everyone has mood swings sometimes. But if you have them often, it could be from a slow metabolism. Low energy and hormone problems that come with a slow metabolism can make you irritable and frustrated. Some older research also suggests a link between mental health issues and a slow metabolism.

Digestive Problems

Digestion and metabolism are connected. Digestion breaks down food, and metabolism turns it into energy. If your metabolism changes, like slowing down, it can affect your digestion. A slow metabolism can cause constipation, bloating, or diarrhea.

Fewer people are dying of heart disease, however, as per a new report from the American Heart Association (AHA), it is still the leading cause of death in the US. While the report noted a drop in rates of deaths by heart diseases for the first time in five years, the report also noted that it kills more American than any other condition. The report was published early Wednesday in the journal Circulation.

What Did The AHA Report Reveal?

The report found that annual rates of heart disease deaths have in fact decreased by 2.7% between 2022 and 2023. This means it went from 941,652 to 915, 973. However, cardiovascular diseases still killed more people in the US than cancer and accidents combined.

The report found that deaths caused by blockages in the coronary arteries, the blood vessels supplying the heart, fell by 5.9%, dropping from 371,506 to 349,470 over the same period. Coronary artery disease, a major cause of heart attacks, still claims two lives every three minutes. Other vessel-damaging chronic conditions also remain widespread.

The report found that the share of U.S. adults with high blood pressure edged up to 47.3%, while overall obesity rates dipped slightly to 50%. However, obesity is increasing among children and teenagers, rising from 25.4% to 28.1% in those aged 2 to 19.

Prevention remains the most powerful tool to reduce heart disease deaths, experts say. Because heart disease cannot be cured, waiting for symptoms often means focusing only on treatment rather than stopping the problem early. Early prevention, by contrast, has a much bigger impact on saving lives.

The report highlights four key lifestyle habits for heart health: eating a balanced diet, staying physically active, getting enough sleep and avoiding tobacco. It also stresses four important health measures: managing weight, cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure.

Together, these eight factors could prevent up to 40% of heart disease deaths and cut the risk of developing serious heart disease symptoms by as much as 74%. These same habits also benefit the brain, helping slow brain ageing and lower the risk of dementia, especially by keeping blood pressure under control.

Heart Health Is Also an Economic Issue

Cutting down cardiovascular disease in the U.S. would not only help people live healthier lives, it could also ease the strain on the economy, experts say. Heart disease carries a massive financial cost, with an estimated $414.7 billion spent each year on direct treatment and indirect losses between 2021 and 2022.

Even though the benefits of healthy habits are well known, getting people to prioritize heart health remains difficult. Only one in four U.S. adults meets national guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercise. Control of chronic conditions is also lacking, with less than half of Americans with type 2 diabetes managing their disease effectively.

Experts stress that regular physical activity, tailored to individual ability, can make a real difference. Simple, consistent movement and timely health checkups can go a long way in protecting both personal health and the wider economy.

Human Papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted virus, is most commonly known to cause cervical cancer and cancers affecting the vagina, vulva, anus and throat in women.

However, experts are now warning that it can also cause a variety of cancers in men, too, some of which are on the rise and young teenage boys should also receive the HPV vaccination for adequate protection.

The European Cancer Organisation noted in a LinkedIn post: "HPV affects everyone, regardless of gender. It can lead to cancers of the cervix, mouth and throat, anus and penis. This is why universal protection is so important.

"Yet, vaccination rates for boys remain much lower than for girls in many countries, creating an avoidable gap in protection that places countless young people at risk for cancers later in life."

According to Dr David Pfister, an oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, New York, the HPV vaccine protects men from penile, neck and head cancer. He also noted that while a pap test detects early-stage cervical cancer in women, no such test exists for penile, anal, or head and neck cancers in men, which can worsen their survival rate.

Dr Pfister explained: "Developing something like a pap test for throat cancer would be a game-changer. When you compare the throat to the cervix, the anatomy of sites like the tonsils and the base of the tongue have hard-to-reach crevices the virus can hide in.

"Until an effective and reliable screening test is developed, patients should stay up to date on their HPV vaccines, know how the disease is acquired, and take any suspicious symptoms like a lump in the neck or blood in the phlegm to their doctor or dentist."

How Does HPV Spread And Is It Life-Threatening?

HPV is primarily spread through skin-to-skin contact during sexual activity. While many HPV infections clear on their own, high-risk types of HPV can become life-threatening if they persist and lead to cancers, especially when detected late.

Regular screenings such as pap tests and vaccinations against high-risk types are crucial for prevention.

When Should You Get The HPV Vaccination?

The HPV vaccine is approved and recommended for:

• Girls aged nine to 45 years
• Boys aged nine to 26 years

The age limit for getting vaccinated is based on the assumption that most people have had sex and may have potentially been exposed to multiple strains of HPV by adulthood. If you’ve already been exposed to the virus, the vaccine will not be of benefit.

The HPV vaccine does not require a booster shot, according to the Cleaveland Clinic.

Are HPV-Caused Cancers On The Rise In India?

Recently, doctors have also observed a rise in HPV-linked neck and head cancers in young Indians, in their 20s and 30s. Studies have also shown a high incidence of HPV-associated cancers among men. About 25,000 HPV-associated cancer cases among men were reported in 2025.

Another study conducted in two Indian cities among 300 HIV-positive men who have sex with men found an anal HPV prevalence of 95 percent.

Britons who regularly take a commonly used supplement are being urged to cut back if they notice four particular symptoms, as excessive intake can be dangerous and, in some cases, life-threatening. Vitamins and minerals are essential for keeping the body functioning properly. While most nutrients should ideally come from a healthy, balanced diet, many people choose to top up their intake with supplements.

Iron is one such supplement. This mineral plays a key role in making haemoglobin, the substance in red blood cells that carries oxygen around the body. When iron levels are too low, it can lead to iron deficiency anaemia. This condition may cause symptoms such as constant tiredness, low energy, shortness of breath, and heart palpitations. To avoid this, some people turn to iron supplements.

Could You Be Overdoing Iron Supplements?

The NHS has issued guidance on its website, warning that taking “too much” iron can cause side effects. These include:

• Constipation
• Feeling sick
• Being sick
• Stomach pain

If these symptoms appear, it may be a sign that your iron intake needs to be reduced. In children, taking too much iron can be particularly dangerous and may even be fatal.

The NHS states: “Very high doses of iron can be fatal, particularly if taken by children, so always keep iron supplements out of the reach of children.” For adults, a high dose of iron is classed as more than 20mg.

How Much Iron Do You Need?

• 8.7mg a day for men aged 19 and over
• 14.8mg a day for women aged 19 to 49
• 8.7mg a day for women aged 50 and over
• Women who continue to have periods after the age of 50 may need the same amount of iron as women aged 19 to 49

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) says that “most people” should be able to meet their iron needs through a varied and balanced diet. But for those who do take supplements, the NHS advises: “Do not take too much as this could be harmful.”

It adds that taking 17mg or less of iron supplements each day is “unlikely” to cause harm. The guidance continues: “But continue taking a higher dose if advised to by a GP.”

Good sources of iron include:

• Liver (but this should be avoided during pregnancy)
• Red meat (though the DHSC advises limiting red and processed meat due to a possible link to bowel cancer)
• Beans, such as red kidney beans, edamame beans, and chickpeas
• Nuts
• Dried fruit, including dried apricots
• Fortified breakfast cereals
• Soybean flour

Symptoms Of Iron Deficiency Anaemia

• Tiredness and low energy
• Shortness of breath
• Noticeable heartbeats, also known as heart palpitations
• Skin that appears paler than usual
• Headaches
• Ringing, buzzing, or hissing sounds in the ears or head, known as tinnitus
• Food tasting unusual
• Itchy skin
• A sore tongue
• Hair loss, with more hair coming out during brushing or washing
• Craving non-food items such as paper or ice, a condition called pica
• Difficulty swallowing, known as dysphagia
• Painful open sores at the corners of the mouth
• Changes to the nails, including spoon-shaped nails
• Restless legs syndrome