Emotional support in marriage may protect against obesity and the stronger the relationship the better, a study has revealed.
The love hormone, oxytocin, can influence a complex communication system between the brain and the gut that can change our eating behaviours, according to researchers.
The findings, by scientists at the University of California Los Angeles Health Sciences, suggest the quality of relationships may be just as important to physical health as traditional risk factors like exercise and diet.
“We've known for years that social relationships impact health, with supportive connections increasing survival rates by up to 50 per cent,” said lead author Dr Arpana Church, a neuroscientist at UCLA Health.
“The biological mechanisms explaining this connection have remained elusive. Our study reveals a novel pathway showing how marriage and emotional support literally get 'under the skin' to influence obesity risk.”
For the study published in the journal Gut Microbes, 100 participants in the Los Angeles area provided data on their marital status, Body Mass Index (BMI), race, age, sex, diet style and quality and socioeconomic status.
To find out more about their obesity risk, researchers took blood plasma tests to measure oxytocin levels and took faecal samples to test for metabolites.
They also conducted a test where brain imaging scans were taken while images of food were displayed and another where their behaviour and emotional support system was assessed.
Researchers found married individuals with higher perceived emotional support had a lower BMI and had fewer food addiction behaviours than married participants with low emotional support.
Enhanced brain activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex - which manages cravings and appetite - were also seen in those with low emotional support.
But unmarried people with and without strong emotional support did not show the same brain patterns. Researchers suggest this is due to these participants having less consistent social networks.
Social support also had an impact on gut health, with stronger support associated with beneficial changes in tryptophan metabolites - which regulate inflammation, immune function, energy balance and brain health.
These metabolites also help to produce serotonin and other compounds that can influence mood, social behaviour and metabolism.
Most importantly married participants with strong emotional support showed higher levels of oxytocin compared to unmarried individuals.
Dr Church suggests the hormone may act as a biological messenger that helps promote self-control as well as a healthier gut.
“Think of oxytocin as a conductor orchestrating a symphony between the brain and gut,” said Church. “It strengthens the brain's ability to resist food cravings while promoting beneficial metabolic processes in the gut, both of which help maintain healthy weight.”
“Marriage may serve as a training ground for self-control,” said Dr Church. “Maintaining a long-term partnership requires consistently overriding destructive impulses and aligning with long-term goals, which may strengthen the same brain circuits involved in managing eating behaviour.”
Dr Church said the study opens potential avenues for obesity prevention and treatment by incorporating the need to build strong social relationships alongside a healthy diet and exercise.
“These results underscore the critical importance of building long-lasting, positive, and stable relationships to promote overall health,” Dr Church said. “Social connections aren't just emotionally fulfilling; they're biologically embedded in our health.”
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