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Zhang X, Wang H, Kilpatrick LA, Dong TS, Gee GC, Labus JS, Osadchiy V, Beltran-Sanchez H, Wang MC, Vaughan A, Gupta A. Discrimination exposure impacts unhealthy processing of food cues: crosstalk between the brain and gut. NATURE MENTAL HEALTH 2023; 1:841-852. [PMID: 38094040 PMCID: PMC10718506 DOI: 10.1038/s44220-023-00134-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Experiences of discrimination are associated with adverse health outcomes, including obesity. However, the mechanisms by which discrimination leads to obesity remain unclear. Utilizing multi-omics analyses of neuroimaging and fecal metabolites, we investigated the impact of discrimination exposure on brain reactivity to food images and associated dysregulations in the brain-gut-microbiome system. We show that discrimination is associated with increased food-cue reactivity in frontal-striatal regions involved in reward, motivation and executive control; altered glutamate-pathway metabolites involved in oxidative stress and inflammation as well as preference for unhealthy foods. Associations between discrimination-related brain and gut signatures were skewed towards unhealthy sweet foods after adjusting for age, diet, body mass index, race and socioeconomic status. Discrimination, as a stressor, may contribute to enhanced food-cue reactivity and brain-gut-microbiome disruptions that can promote unhealthy eating behaviors, leading to increased risk for obesity. Treatments that normalize these alterations may benefit individuals who experience discrimination-related stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaobei Zhang
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hao Wang
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- School of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Lisa A. Kilpatrick
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Tien S. Dong
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Goodman–Luskin Microbiome Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Gilbert C. Gee
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Community Health Sciences Fielding School of Public Health, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- California Center for Population Research, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jennifer S. Labus
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Goodman–Luskin Microbiome Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Vadim Osadchiy
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Urology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hiram Beltran-Sanchez
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Community Health Sciences Fielding School of Public Health, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- California Center for Population Research, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - May C. Wang
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Community Health Sciences Fielding School of Public Health, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Allison Vaughan
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Arpana Gupta
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Goodman–Luskin Microbiome Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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