[Part 1] The Relationship Between Food and Pain Perception - A Conversation with Kathleen Holton, PhD, MPH

When we’re young, we often hear the phrase “you are what you eat.” While this is true, it doesn’t paint the full picture. Kathleen Holton, PhD, MPH, has dedicated her career to mapping the ways food can influence pain pathways in our bodies, studying the chemical processes behind physical pain and its psychiatric comorbidities. Her groundbreaking research on glutamate receptors has shown that a dietary approach may hold the answer, offering promising results for treating conditions such as fibromyalgia and migraines.

In this two-part episode of the Pain Matters Podcast, host Shravani Durbhakula, MD, MPH, MBA, and co-host Mustafa Broachwala, DO, are joined by Kathleen Holton, PhD, MPH, Associate Professor of Health Studies at American University, to discuss the science behind managing pain with diet and how these systems work within the body.

Tune in to discover:

• How food impacts the central nervous system response to pain
• Why changes in diet often relieve physical pain and psychiatric symptoms
• Chronic diseases that can benefit from a dietary approach
• The role of glutamate in pain processing