By Susan Kreimer
Based on the study, researchers predicted with 91% accuracy which participants faced discrimination by using stool samples to analyze their gut microbiome.
Photo by cottonbro studio/Pexels
NEW YORK, Oct. 25 (UPI) -- Discrimination -- prejudiced actions toward people based on their identity -- may cause stress that impairs gut health and lead to the growth of unhealthy bacteria that promote inflammation, a new study has found.
The study was published Friday in Frontiers in Microbiology.
When stress compromises the signals between the brain and the gut, it weakens the immune system and alters gut microbiome -- microorganisms that live in the digestive tract. The resulting inflammation prompts the gut to leak nutrients, lose good bacteria and disrupt the normal function of genes.
Advancing knowledge about the interaction between the brain and the gut enables scientists to learn about the impact of discrimination-induced anxiety on disease and perhaps offset some of the risk.
"It helps us understand the biological link between discrimination, stress, and potentially other social determinants of health and how they affect the body," the study's lead author, Dr. Tien Dong, an assistant professor of gastroenterology in the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA in Los Angeles, told UPI.
Dong, who also is director of the Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center Biorepository Core at UCLA, and his co-authors wrote that belonging to either an "advantaged" or "disadvantaged" group can affect healthcare outcomes.
Based on the study, the researchers predicted with 91% accuracy which participants faced discrimination by using stool samples to analyze their gut microbiome.
They surveyed 154 Asian, Black, Hispanic and White male and female adults about everyday types of discrimination -- including gender, race or religion -- and their psychological health.
Then they sequenced participants' stool samples and divided the individuals into two groups: those who ranked high on perceived discrimination and those who ranked low.
Individuals in the high-discrimination group had lower levels of Prevotella, a bacteria linked to anti-inflammatory properties, compared to the low-discrimination group.
Meanwhile, the low-discrimination group had higher levels of Ruminococcus, an anti-inflammatory bacterium, compared to the high-discrimination group.
Gene activity also varied between the two groups. A particular set of genes was triggered in the high-discrimination group, and a certain set of genes was switched on in the low-discrimination group.
Aside from these changes in the gut, the high-discrimination group also was more likely to have experienced early trauma. Participants in this group reported higher levels of anxiety and more profound sensations in their gut.
"Discrimination likely elevates your level of stress," Dong said.
"Stress is manifested in your body in multiple ways, including changes in your immune system, hormone signaling and signaling in your brain -- all of which can affect your gut microbiome," he added.
Although people may not be able to address systemic discrimination, they have the freedom to make decisions that will influence their health in positive ways, researchers said.
They suggested potential coping mechanisms, such as making dietary changes or taking probiotic supplements.
"People who are under stress tend to eat more processed foods high in simple carbs and fat," Dong said.
Other experts expressed great interest in the findings.
"This study demonstrates that discrimination -- a pervasive social stressor -- can significantly alter the gut microbiome, potentially contributing to negative health outcomes," said Ashutosh Mangalam, an associate professor of pathology and director of the Microbiome Core at University of Iowa Health Care in Iowa City. He was not involved in the study.
"Understanding this connection can raise awareness, inform public health initiatives and potentially lead to interventions that promote health equity," Mangalam said.
Based on this study, it's premature to recommend specific interventions, he said, adding that it wouldn't hurt to prioritize self-care strategies that support gut health, such as a balanced diet, stress management techniques, and possibly probiotic or prebiotic options in consultation with a healthcare professional.
Dr. Aasma Shaukat, director of outcomes research for gastroenterology and hepatology at NYU Langone Health in New York City, said the study doesn't demonstrate that changes in gut microbiome lead to more physical health conditions, such as cancer, lower immunity, infections or other symptoms.
It's conceivable that other factors played a role -- perhaps lack of sleep, differences in food intake and use of antibiotics or medications due to high stress and mental health disorders, Shaukat said.
However, she called the study "thought-provoking" and noted that additional research could shed more light on the connection between mind and body and its effects on gut microbiome.
The composition of gut microbiome differs greatly in healthy individuals compared to people with a broad range of chronic diseases, said Reza Hakkak, professor and chair of the department of dietetics and nutrition at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock.
Other reports have associated unhealthy gut microbiomes with the development of obesity, chronic conditions of the liver and cardiovascular system, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, mental health disorders, type 2 diabetes and certain malignancies, including colon cancer, Hakkak noted.
It's important to eat more fruits and vegetables and consume less fat, while maintaining a normal body weight and exercising more, he said, adding that "our diets and lifestyles play a major role in maintaining a healthy gut microbiome."
NEW YORK, Oct. 25 (UPI) -- Discrimination -- prejudiced actions toward people based on their identity -- may cause stress that impairs gut health and lead to the growth of unhealthy bacteria that promote inflammation, a new study has found.
The study was published Friday in Frontiers in Microbiology.
When stress compromises the signals between the brain and the gut, it weakens the immune system and alters gut microbiome -- microorganisms that live in the digestive tract. The resulting inflammation prompts the gut to leak nutrients, lose good bacteria and disrupt the normal function of genes.
Advancing knowledge about the interaction between the brain and the gut enables scientists to learn about the impact of discrimination-induced anxiety on disease and perhaps offset some of the risk.
"It helps us understand the biological link between discrimination, stress, and potentially other social determinants of health and how they affect the body," the study's lead author, Dr. Tien Dong, an assistant professor of gastroenterology in the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA in Los Angeles, told UPI.
Dong, who also is director of the Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center Biorepository Core at UCLA, and his co-authors wrote that belonging to either an "advantaged" or "disadvantaged" group can affect healthcare outcomes.
Based on the study, the researchers predicted with 91% accuracy which participants faced discrimination by using stool samples to analyze their gut microbiome.
They surveyed 154 Asian, Black, Hispanic and White male and female adults about everyday types of discrimination -- including gender, race or religion -- and their psychological health.
Then they sequenced participants' stool samples and divided the individuals into two groups: those who ranked high on perceived discrimination and those who ranked low.
Individuals in the high-discrimination group had lower levels of Prevotella, a bacteria linked to anti-inflammatory properties, compared to the low-discrimination group.
Meanwhile, the low-discrimination group had higher levels of Ruminococcus, an anti-inflammatory bacterium, compared to the high-discrimination group.
Gene activity also varied between the two groups. A particular set of genes was triggered in the high-discrimination group, and a certain set of genes was switched on in the low-discrimination group.
Aside from these changes in the gut, the high-discrimination group also was more likely to have experienced early trauma. Participants in this group reported higher levels of anxiety and more profound sensations in their gut.
"Discrimination likely elevates your level of stress," Dong said.
"Stress is manifested in your body in multiple ways, including changes in your immune system, hormone signaling and signaling in your brain -- all of which can affect your gut microbiome," he added.
Although people may not be able to address systemic discrimination, they have the freedom to make decisions that will influence their health in positive ways, researchers said.
They suggested potential coping mechanisms, such as making dietary changes or taking probiotic supplements.
"People who are under stress tend to eat more processed foods high in simple carbs and fat," Dong said.
Other experts expressed great interest in the findings.
"This study demonstrates that discrimination -- a pervasive social stressor -- can significantly alter the gut microbiome, potentially contributing to negative health outcomes," said Ashutosh Mangalam, an associate professor of pathology and director of the Microbiome Core at University of Iowa Health Care in Iowa City. He was not involved in the study.
"Understanding this connection can raise awareness, inform public health initiatives and potentially lead to interventions that promote health equity," Mangalam said.
Based on this study, it's premature to recommend specific interventions, he said, adding that it wouldn't hurt to prioritize self-care strategies that support gut health, such as a balanced diet, stress management techniques, and possibly probiotic or prebiotic options in consultation with a healthcare professional.
Dr. Aasma Shaukat, director of outcomes research for gastroenterology and hepatology at NYU Langone Health in New York City, said the study doesn't demonstrate that changes in gut microbiome lead to more physical health conditions, such as cancer, lower immunity, infections or other symptoms.
It's conceivable that other factors played a role -- perhaps lack of sleep, differences in food intake and use of antibiotics or medications due to high stress and mental health disorders, Shaukat said.
However, she called the study "thought-provoking" and noted that additional research could shed more light on the connection between mind and body and its effects on gut microbiome.
The composition of gut microbiome differs greatly in healthy individuals compared to people with a broad range of chronic diseases, said Reza Hakkak, professor and chair of the department of dietetics and nutrition at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock.
Other reports have associated unhealthy gut microbiomes with the development of obesity, chronic conditions of the liver and cardiovascular system, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, mental health disorders, type 2 diabetes and certain malignancies, including colon cancer, Hakkak noted.
It's important to eat more fruits and vegetables and consume less fat, while maintaining a normal body weight and exercising more, he said, adding that "our diets and lifestyles play a major role in maintaining a healthy gut microbiome."
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