Overview
- Published in Gut Microbes, the study assessed nearly 100 Los Angeles adults using brain imaging during food cues, fecal metabolomics, plasma oxytocin tests, BMI, and behavioral evaluations.
- Married participants who reported strong emotional support had lower BMI and fewer food-addiction behaviors than those in less supportive marriages.
- Brain scans showed heightened dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activity when viewing food in the high-support married group, a pattern not seen in unmarried participants.
- Supportive marriages were linked to higher plasma oxytocin and beneficial changes in tryptophan-related gut metabolites tied to inflammation, immune function, energy balance, and brain health.
- The authors suggest oxytocin may connect self-control circuits with gut metabolism and they urge larger, longitudinal, more diverse studies to test causality.