Discrimination can cause changes in the gut microbiome, study says

In a new study published in Frontiers in Microbiology, UCLA Health researchers have found that people who experienced discrimination had pro-inflammatory bacteria and gene activity in their gut microbiome that was different from those who did not experience discrimination. The researchers could also predict with 91% accuracy which study participants faced discrimination just by analyzing their gut microbiome using stool samples. Arpana Church, PhD, co-director of the Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center and co-lead author, said researchers tend to study the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which is the body’s stress management system, to gauge how discrimination affects the body. But she and Tien S. Dong, MD, PhD, director of the Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center Biorepository Core and co-lead author, were interested in how discrimination affects the brain-gut axis. “There’s a lot of research on how discrimination affects the HPA axis and how that leads to disease, but that’s only one part of the story,” Dong said. Read more in UCLA Health News & Insights and Healthnews


The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) selected paper on air pollution inhalation exposure and the microbiome as a ‘Paper of the Month’

A new study led by UCLA Health researchers Jesus Araujo, MD, MSc, PhD, associate professor of environmental health, and Jonathan P. Jacobs, MD, PhD, co-director of the Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center, found that exposure to ultrafine particulate matter can alter the composition of microorganisms living in the gut. The study was featured as “Extramural Paper of the Month” by the NIEHS, which funded the study.


Gut health tied to psychological resilience: New research reveals gut-brain stress connection

Stress has a profound impact on our lives, contributing to a staggering $300 billion in health care costs and missed workdays in the United States alone each year. The way we handle stress — our resilience — can make a significant difference in how we navigate life’s challenges. New research from UCLA has provided groundbreaking insights into the biology of resilience, revealing that it involves not only the brain but also the gut microbiome. Arpana Church, PhD, co-director of the Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center and senior author of the study, discusses the study in PsyPost and in theravive.


”Gut-healing” probiotic supplements are everywhere right now. Here’s what the science says

In case you haven’t noticed, we’re living in the “heal-your-gut” era. Within the past few years, there’s been a wild influx of influencers, documentaries, cookbooks and news articles breaking down how you can eat this or take that to “fix” your gut, and help address a range of health problems. Arpana Church, PhD, co-director of the Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center, who has dedicated her career to studying the gut microbiome, believes probiotics – as in, the actual bugs in fermented foods – are (generally) great. They have so much potential that it’s no surprise companies are packaging them into caspules to sell as all-purpose wonder-workers. But probiotic-rich foods and probiotic supplements are not one and the same. Read more in this SELF article


$9.5M grant to study relationship between polyphenol intake, Alzheimer’s prevention, and the brain-gut-microbiome system


Caregiving adversity leads to changes in the oral microbiome, stress markers

In a new study, led by Bridget L. Callaghan, PhD, UCLA Health researchers found that youth who experienced caregiving adversity (CA), described as having been mistreated or in foster care, had less variety in their oral microbiome compared to youth who remained living with their biological families. The same group also had more disease-causing bacteria in their oral microbiome, and their microbiome seemed less reactive to recent stress. Read more in UCLA Health News   


Infants’ microbiomes shaped by physical contact with caregivers


Your gut microbes may influence how you handle stress


UCLA Health is the only institution awarded two NIH SCORE grants; both focus on the understudied area of sex differences


UCLA receives grant to study gut-brain signaling in youth with anxiety, depression


Feeding the lonely brain


Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut - Now Streaming on Netflix


Elizabeth Volkmann, MD, MS, honored by American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI)