A recent University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) study published in Nature Mental Health finds that exposure to discrimination, as a psychological stressor, contributes to a heightened food-cue response and brain-gut-microbiome changes that promotes unhealthy eating habits. Food cues act as external stimuli that influence responses to food, and food intake.
The study utilized multi-omics analyses and stool samples, which showed that greater discrimination exposure was associated with changes in the brain-gut-microbiome. These changes are associated with increased risk of inflammation and obesity.
UCLA CTSI supported the study, in part, through lead co-author Arpana Gupta's, M.D., Ph.D., CTSI/CURE Pilot and Feasibility award which provided funding for the processing of stool samples. "As a faculty member on soft money in the Department of Medicine, I did not have start up funds to process samples for pilot data," said Dr. Gupta. "CTSI/CURE pilot grant funding allowed me to do this. Not only was I able to get pilot data for a R01 application but this also helped me put out some innovative and high risk high reward papers out that supported my research model…"
Read the full article here.
