Researchers analyzed plasma proteins and eating behaviors in 730 young adult twins from the FinnTwin12 cohort. They looked for links between protein levels and self-reported habits like emotional eating and overeating when feeling down.
They found 51 significant associations involving 35 unique proteins tied to eating behaviors. Emotional eating showed 12 associations, and overeating when feeling down showed 19. After adjusting for BMI, 12 associations remained, suggesting BMI influences many of the links. In twin analyses, some associations persisted even after accounting for shared genetics, hinting at environmental factors. The proteins were enriched in immune-related pathways, including complement and adaptive immune signaling.
This study is observational and cross-sectional, so it cannot show that proteins cause these behaviors. Eating behaviors were self-reported, which can introduce bias. The findings are specific to young adult twins and may not apply to other groups.
What to take away: The results suggest plasma proteins may serve as biomarker candidates linked to eating behaviors, but they do not prove cause and effect. More research is needed to replicate these findings and understand their meaning for broader populations.