GLP-1s, Urolithin A & Urolithin B: Uncovering the Mitochondria-Metabolism-Brain Axis

Could metabolic aging, chronic anxiety, and depression all share the same biological root?

In this episode of The Energy Code, Dr. Mike Belkowski reviews three newly published studies that, when viewed together, point toward an emerging concept he calls the mitochondria-metabolism-brain axis.

The first paper explores how GLP-1 medications may influence mitochondrial biology beyond weight loss by interacting with pathways involved in mitochondrial biogenesis, oxidative stress, and cellular resilience. The second investigates how Urolithin A restored mitophagy and eliminated anxiety-like behavior in animal models. The third demonstrates how Urolithin B improved depression-like behavior by activating mitochondrial quality-control pathways through SLP2 and the PINK1/Parkin signaling system.

While much of the evidence remains preclinical, the convergence across these independent research groups is striking.

Rather than focusing on three different diseases, the episode explores one shared biological thread: mitochondrial quality control.

If these findings continue to translate into humans, they could fundamentally reshape how we think about metabolism, aging, inflammation, resilience, and brain health.

(Educational content only, not medical advice.)

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Articles Discussed in Episode:

The GLP-1–Mitochondria Axis in Metabolic Aging

Urolithin A Abolishes High Anxiety and Rescues the Associated Mitochondria-Related Transcriptomic Signatures and Synaptic Function

Urolithin B Ameliorates Depressive-Like Behavior and Hippocampal Neuronal Damage in Depressed Rats via Regulation of the SLP2/PINK1/Parkin Signaling Pathway