The four horsemen of the metal health apocalypse
The four horseman of the metal health apocalypse
By:
Patrick Holford
BSc, DipION, FBANT, NTCRP
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The Four Horsemen of the Mental Health Apocalypse is an over 3 hour, online, on-demand video course designed specifically for nutritional therapists, dieticians, and other health practitioners. Led by renowned nutrition expert Patrick Holford, this training explores four powerful biochemical drivers of brain health - brain fats, methylation, glycation, and oxidation - and how they interact to influence cognition, mood, and long-term mental wellbeing.
Across four in-depth units, you’ll gain a clear understanding of the evidence behind each “horseman,” including how omega-3s, B vitamins, blood sugar balance, and antioxidant status shape neurological function. Patrick breaks down the mechanisms, relevant nutrient interactions, medication impacts, and key markers to watch for in clinical practice. Each module includes practical guidance on food sources, supplementation strategies, testing approaches, and how these factors connect to real-world client presentations.
This course is ideal for practitioners seeking to deepen their confidence in addressing mental health from a nutritional and functional perspective. It can be viewed at your own pace and revisited whenever needed, making it a valuable resource you can return to as you integrate these insights into client support plans.
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- Horseman 1: Brain fats
- Horseman 2: Methylation
- Horseman 3: Glycation, sugar, fructose and ultra processed foods
- Horseman 4: Oxidation
- How to: Tools to support change and modify the risk factors
With a background in psychology, he has led pioneering research, including a groundbreaking study on multivitamins and children’s IQ, featured in a Horizon TV documentary in the 1980s.
Patrick was among the first to highlight the role of zinc, essential fats, low-GL diets, and homocysteine-lowering B vitamins in mental health and Alzheimer’s prevention, collaborating with Professor David Smith of the University of Oxford. Patrick directs the Alzheimer’s is Preventable campaign at the Food for the Brain Foundation and chairs the Scientific Advisory Board.
He has authored 46 books, translated into over 30 languages, including The Optimum Nutrition Bible, Optimum Nutrition for the Mind, Food is Better Medicine than Drugs, The Hybrid Diet, Upgrade Your Brain and Alzheimer’s:Prevention is the Cure.
A member of the Orthomolecular Medicine Hall of Fame and former visiting professor at the University of Teeside, Patrick brings over 40 years of expertise to the field of nutrition, promoting innovative approaches to health and wellbeing.
