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Dr. Michael Burton
Dr. Michael Burton, Calvin D. Uong, and Melissa E. Lenert found that a type of fatty acid called palmitic acid binds to a particular receptor on nerve cells, a process that results in inflammation and mimics injury to the neurons. [Photo: UTD]
UTD Researchers Link High-Fat Diets with Chronic Pain in Mice
by Lance Murray | Nov 21, 2022
“This study indicates you don’t need obesity to trigger pain; you don’t need diabetes; you don’t need a pathology or injury at all," says UTD researcher Dr. Michael Burton. "Eating a high-fat diet for a short period of time is enough."
The finding could lead to further research on the impact of high-fat diets on chronic pain, a key component of the opioid epidemic—and potentially pharmacological solutions.
![Erica Kosemund, Chief Brand Officer, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma; Gillian Breidenbach, Chief Partnership Officer, North Texas FWC Organizing Committee; Chief Gary Batton, Chief of Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma; Monica Paul, Executive Director of Dallas Sports Commission and President of North Texas FWC Organizing Committee; John Hobbs, Senior Executive Officer of Communications, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma; and Heidi Grant, Senior Executive Officer of Commerce Administration, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, celebrate Choctaw Casinos & Resorts becoming an Official Dallas World Cup 2026 Host City Supporter. [Photo: North Texas FWC Organizing Committee/Choctaw Casinos & Resorts]](https://s24806.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/FIFA-Choctaw-dec-2025.jpg)
