Khaberni - A recent study revealed the role of social relationships, especially successful marriages, in contributing to obesity prevention through a complex biological pathway that links the brain and the intestines.
This study, conducted by the University of California, Los Angeles, is the first to demonstrate the impact of social bonds on weight and eating behaviors through an interaction that involves brain functions, metabolism, and the hormone oxytocin, known as the "love hormone".
The results indicate that the quality of social relationships might be as important as traditional factors like physical activity and diet in maintaining physical health.
About 100 people from Los Angeles participated in the study, providing data that included marital status, body mass index, ethnicity, age, gender, diet quality, and socio-economic status. They also underwent brain imaging while viewing food images, stool sample analysis to measure metabolic products, blood plasma tests to determine oxytocin levels, and psychological and behavioral assessments to measure perceived emotional support.
The results showed that married individuals who felt they received substantial emotional support were lighter and more able to resist food addiction compared to married individuals who reported their emotional support as low. Brain imaging also showed higher activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the area responsible for controlling appetite and desires.
Unmarried individuals had different brain activity patterns, and researchers speculate this is due to the diversity and inconsistency of their social support networks.
The study also highlighted positive changes in metabolism for those with strong social support, showing an increase in tryptophan metabolism products, compounds produced by gut bacteria that play a significant role in regulating inflammation, immunity, energy balance, and brain health. These metabolites also contribute to the production of serotonin and compounds that affect mood and social behavior.
The data indicates that oxytocin is a key element in this pathway; higher levels were recorded among married individuals who received substantial emotional support compared to unmarried individuals.
Dr. Urbana Church, the principal researcher of the study and a neuroscientist, said, "We have known for some time that supportive social relationships improve health, and may increase survival rates by up to 50%. However, the underlying biological mechanisms of this effect are not yet clear. Our study uncovers a new pathway directly linking marriage and emotional support to a reduced risk of obesity."
Church explains that oxytocin may act as an "orchestra conductor," coordinating between the brain and the intestines, thus enhancing the brain's ability to self-regulate and improving metabolic processes at the same time.
The study questioned popular notions that automatically associate marriage with weight gain, showing that the biological and behavioral benefits were more apparent among married individuals who actually experience supportive emotional relationships.
Church believes that the study paves the way for a new approach to obesity prevention and treatment, based on enhancing healthy social relationships alongside proper dietary habits and exercise.
She called for broader, more diverse, and long-term design studies to confirm the results and understand the participating biological mechanisms more deeply.
The study was published in the journal Gut Microbes.
