Ancestral Sesame Transformation, Narrative Resilience, and Neuroprotection in Women Survivors of the Colombian Armed Conflict: An Integrative Narrative and Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Study

1. Introduction

Armed conflict produces long-lasting consequences that extend beyond immediate physical harm, disrupting mental health, social cohesion, food systems, cultural continuity, and community-based strategies of survival. In Colombia, decades of internal armed conflict have disproportionately affected rural women, many of whom have experienced forced displacement, bereavement, economic insecurity, and the fragmentation of family and community networks. Recent evidence has emphasized that women exposed to armed conflict not only carry a high burden of psychological distress, but also develop complex forms of resilience grounded in memory, social bonds, caregiving roles, spirituality, work, and community participation [1,2]. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most relevant mental health outcomes associated with exposure to violence, displacement, and traumatic loss. Beyond its psychiatric manifestations, PTSD has increasingly been recognized as a condition with systemic biological consequences, including chronic stress-axis dysregulation, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, altered immune responses, and accelerated aging-related vulnerability. Importantly, PTSD has been associated with an increased risk of dementia, suggesting that chronic trauma may contribute to long-term neurodegenerative trajectories [3]. This relationship is supported by broader evidence showing that traumatic life events are associated with later-life cognitive decline and dementia risk, although mechanisms remain incompletely understood [4]. These findings are particularly relevant for post-conflict territories where trauma, poverty, food insecurity, and limited access to health care converge. In such contexts, community-based practices may play a dual role: preserving cultural identity while supporting emotional recovery and social resilience. Food-related ancestral knowledge is especially important because it links memory, territory, labor, gender roles, nutrition, and health. Among women in rural communities, traditional food transformation practices can function as embodied forms of knowledge transmission, economic autonomy, and collective repair after violence.

The Montes de María region in the Colombian Caribbean constitutes a meaningful setting for studying these relationships. This territory has been deeply affected by armed conflict, displacement, and rural poverty, but it also preserves strong traditions of agricultural production, women-led organization, and ancestral food processing [5,6]. Within this cultural landscape, sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) transformation into artisanal paste represents more than a productive activity. It is a practice embedded in oral tradition, family memory, food security, and women’s knowledge [5]. However, despite its cultural relevance, the relationship between sesame transformation, emotional resilience, and perceived health among women affected by armed conflict remains largely unexplored. From a biomedical perspective, sesame is also a promising functional food due to its nutritional and phytochemical composition. Sesame seeds and derived products contain unsaturated fatty acids, tocopherols, phenolic compounds, and lignans such as sesamin, sesamolin, sesamol, and sesaminol, which have been associated with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cytoprotective effects [7,8]. Recent reviews have highlighted that sesame and its bioactive compounds may modulate inflammatory biomarkers and oxidative stress pathways, supporting their potential role in chronic inflammatory and metabolic conditions [9]. In addition, experimental evidence suggests that sesame lignans may exert neuroprotective actions by reducing oxidative damage, inflammation, apoptosis, and amyloid-related toxicity in models relevant to neurodegenerative disease [10,11]. Despite these advances, most studies have focused on isolated sesame compounds, sesame oil, or standardized extracts, while the cultural, nutritional, and biological relevance of complete artisanal sesame paste remains insufficiently studied. This gap is important because traditional food products are not merely chemical matrices; they are also shaped by local knowledge, processing techniques, sensory practices, and community meanings. Therefore, investigating sesame paste requires an integrative approach capable of connecting ancestral knowledge, emotional narratives, computational text analysis, chemical characterization, and experimental neuroprotection models.

To address this gap, the present study explored the ancestral knowledge and emotional narratives of women victims of the Colombian armed conflict who transform sesame seeds into artisanal paste in Montes de María. In parallel, the study integrated artificial intelligence-assisted linguistic analysis with biochemical and experimental approaches to evaluate the potential neuroprotective relevance of sesame paste. This transdisciplinary framework seeks to bridge community-based knowledge and biomedical science, contributing to a broader understanding of how traditional food practices may support resilience, health, and neuroprotection in post-conflict territories.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Study Design

This study adopted a qualitative, interpretative, and narrative-based research design aimed at understanding how ancestral food transformation practices relate to memory, emotional resilience, health perceptions, and processes of recovery among women affected by the Colombian armed conflict [12,13]. The methodological approach was grounded in narrative inquiry and hermeneutic interpretation, recognizing that personal stories are not only accounts of past events, but also meaningful reconstructions through which participants organize suffering, survival, identity, knowledge, and hope [13,14]. The study focused specifically on the artisanal transformation of sesame seeds (Sesamum indicum) into an oily paste, a culturally significant food practice preserved in the Montes de María region. This practice was approached as both a material process and a symbolic experience, allowing the research team to explore how traditional food knowledge may operate as a vehicle for memory, social continuity, community resilience, and perceived physical and emotional well-being.

2.2. Study Setting

The study was conducted in the Montes de María region, located in the Colombian Caribbean, with participation of women from the municipalities of Morroa, Colosó, Toluviejo, Los Palmitos, and Ovejas. These municipalities have been historically affected by armed conflict, forced displacement, economic vulnerability, and disruption of rural life [15]. At the same time, the region preserves strong cultural traditions related to agriculture, food preparation, oral memory, and women-led community organization. Within this context, sesame processing represents more than an economic activity. It constitutes an ancestral practice transmitted across generations, associated with domestic knowledge, women’s work, community identity, food security, and local strategies for rebuilding life after violence. Therefore, the study setting was understood not merely as a geographic location, but as a sociohistorical and cultural territory in which trauma, memory, resistance, and ancestral knowledge coexist.

2.3. Participants and Sampling Strategy

Participants were ten women recognized in their communities as artisanal processors and distributors of sesame paste. All participants were victims of the Colombian armed conflict and residents of municipalities within the Montes de María region. The sample included women from Morroa, Colosó, Toluviejo, Los Palmitos, and Ovejas, ensuring representation of different local experiences within the same cultural and productive territory. A purposive sampling strategy was used, based on the relevance of participants’ lived experiences and their active role in the sesame transformation chain. Inclusion criteria were being an adult woman; self-identifying as a victim of the Colombian armed conflict; residing in one of the selected municipalities; having direct experience in the artisanal transformation of sesame seeds into paste; participating in the local distribution or preservation of this product; and providing written informed consent. Participant identification and recruitment were supported by regional advisors and community collaborators, including members of the Human Dimensions Research Group of the Corporación Universitaria del Caribe (CECAR) and Asociación ASOPROVIV. Their participation was essential to ensure culturally sensitive contact with the communities, ethical access to participants, and appropriate recognition of local leadership structures.

2.4. Ethical and Community Considerations

Given the sensitive nature of the participants’ experiences related to armed conflict, displacement, grief, and resilience, the study was conducted with particular attention to ethical care, respect, and non-revictimization. Before data collection, the objectives, procedures, potential risks, and expected benefits of the study were explained in accessible language. Participation was voluntary, and all women signed informed consent forms prior to inclusion. The research team emphasized that participants could choose not to answer any question or could withdraw from the study at any time. Personal identifiers were removed from transcripts and analytical records. Narratives were treated as confidential materials and were used exclusively for research and knowledge transfer purposes. The study also followed a dialogical approach, recognizing participants not as passive sources of information but as knowledge holders. Their ancestral practices, memories, and interpretations were considered central to the construction of knowledge. This perspective was particularly important because the project aimed not only to document narratives but also to return and integrate scientific findings with community knowledge through appropriation and knowledge-transfer activities.

2.5. Narrative Data Collection

Narrative data were collected through oral accounts centered on participants’ life histories, experiences of conflict, emotional trajectories, ancestral knowledge, food transformation practices, and perceptions of health and well-being. The interviews were designed to allow participants to narrate freely, avoiding rigid questioning that could fragment their experiences or impose external categories. The guiding themes included: personal and family history with sesame cultivation or transformation; memories associated with learning the preparation of sesame paste; the role of women in preserving this practice; experiences of violence or displacement; emotional meanings attributed to food preparation; perceptions of sesame paste as a source of nourishment, strength, or healing; and the role of this activity in rebuilding social ties, autonomy, and hope. Narratives were audio-recorded with prior authorization and later transcribed verbatim. Field notes were also taken to document contextual elements, non-verbal expressions, interactions, and relevant observations during the encounters. These complementary records supported interpretation by situating the spoken narratives within the broader social and emotional atmosphere of each encounter.

2.6. Analytical Framework

The analysis followed a five-stage interpretative framework combining narrative inquiry, hermeneutic interpretation, and computational linguistic analysis. This strategy allowed the research team to move from the literal structure of the narratives toward deeper levels of meaning, while also incorporating artificial intelligence-assisted tools to complement the qualitative interpretation. The analytical process was organized as follows:

Stage 1: Transcription and Coding Register

The first stage consisted of the verbatim transcription of each oral narrative. Transcripts were reviewed to ensure fidelity to the participants’ speech, including pauses, expressions, emotional emphasis, and culturally meaningful wording whenever possible. Each transcript was then coded line by line using consecutive numbering. This coding register allowed the research team to maintain traceability between the original narrative and subsequent analytical interpretations. The purpose of this stage was not to reduce the narrative to isolated fragments, but to preserve the integrity of each participant’s voice while enabling systematic analysis.

This procedure also facilitated later comparison between narratives, identification of recurrent themes, and retrieval of specific passages related to ancestral knowledge, emotional experience, conflict memories, resilience, food practices, and health perceptions.

Stage 2: Textual Level: Prefiguration of the Narrative Plot

The second stage focused on the textual organization of each narrative. At this level, the research team identified events, actions, experiences, temporal markers, places, turning points, and emotional sequences described by participants. The purpose was to reconstruct the narrative plot, understood as the way each participant organized lived experience into a meaningful story. Particular attention was given to how women connected past suffering with present practices, how they described the transmission of sesame-related knowledge, and how they situated food transformation within broader processes of survival, family care, economic agency, and emotional recovery. Analytical units were extracted from the coded transcripts and grouped according to thematic relevance. These included memories of learning the practice, descriptions of the transformation process, references to conflict-related loss or displacement, expressions of fear, grief, strength, pride, hope, and interpretations of sesame paste as nourishment, tradition, work, or healing.

Stage 3: Contextual Level: Configuration of the Narrative

The third stage situated the narratives within their broader sociocultural and historical context. Here, the analysis explored how participants’ stories were shaped by local beliefs, gender roles, rural economies, ancestral food systems, community networks, and the collective memory of armed conflict in Montes de María. This level emphasized the relationship between individual experience and collective meaning. The research team interpreted how women’s narratives reflected not only personal trajectories but also shared cultural frameworks regarding dignity, work, motherhood, care, food, body, territory, and health. Special attention was given to the emotional and symbolic role of sesame transformation. The preparation of sesame paste was analyzed as a practice that may concentrate multiple meanings: economic survival, preservation of ancestral knowledge, continuity of family memory, reconstruction of identity, and a possible pathway for emotional regulation and resilience after traumatic experiences.

Stage 4: Metatextual Level: Reconfiguration of the Narrative

The fourth stage involved a metatextual reconfiguration of the narratives. This interpretative process consisted of rereading the textual and contextual analyses to identify deeper meanings, symbolic patterns, latent tensions, and connections that were not immediately visible in the initial accounts. At this stage, the research team sought to amplify the significance of the narratives without replacing the participants’ voices. Episodes that could appear secondary in a descriptive reading were reconsidered as possible keys to understanding resilience, healing, agency, and the transmission of ancestral knowledge. The reconfiguration process integrated subcategories emerging from the previous stages, including memory, loss, care, food, territory, women’s work, intergenerational learning, bodily well-being, emotional relief, dignity, and hope. The result was a reconstructed interpretative narrative that preserved the participant’s original account while opening it to broader analytical understanding. Whenever possible, narrative interpretations were returned to participants or discussed in community-based spaces to validate meanings, correct possible misunderstandings, and promote a reciprocal construction of knowledge. This step strengthened credibility and ensured that the analytical process remained respectful of local experience.

Stage 5: Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Sentiment Analysis

To complement the hermeneutic and narrative analysis, an artificial intelligence-assisted sentiment analysis was performed using Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count software (LIWC-22; Pennebaker Conglomerates, Austin, TX, USA) [16]. LIWC-22 was used to quantify linguistic markers related to emotional tone, affective processes, cognitive processing, social orientation, personal concerns, and psychological dimensions embedded within the narratives. Before analysis, transcripts were reviewed and prepared to preserve semantic coherence while minimizing transcription artifacts. The analysis focused on identifying patterns of positive and negative emotion, anxiety-related language, sadness-related expressions, cognitive processing, social references, affiliation, health-related language, and meaning-making processes. The LIWC-22 outputs were not interpreted as substitutes for qualitative analysis, but as complementary indicators that supported triangulation. Quantitative linguistic patterns were compared with the narrative categories identified in the textual, contextual, and metatextual stages. This integration allowed the research team to examine whether emotional tones detected computationally were consistent with the interpretative findings derived from the participants’ stories. For example, the presence of language associated with pain, loss, or fear was interpreted in relation to conflict-related memories, while expressions of affiliation, achievement, positive emotion, and future orientation were examined in connection with resilience, community ties, and the perceived value of sesame transformation.

2.7. Integration of Qualitative and Computational Findings

The final analytical phase consisted of integrating the qualitative narrative interpretation with the computational sentiment analysis. This triangulation was designed to strengthen analytical depth and reduce dependence on a single interpretative strategy. The integration process followed three steps. First, narrative categories derived from human interpretation were compared with LIWC-22 linguistic dimensions. Second, convergences and divergences between qualitative meanings and computational outputs were identified. Third, an integrated interpretation was developed to explain how ancestral sesame transformation practices were linked to emotional resilience, health perceptions, and the reconstruction of life projects after armed conflict. This integrative strategy allowed the study to preserve the richness of participants’ voices while incorporating digital tools capable of detecting linguistic patterns across narratives. The combination of community-based qualitative inquiry and artificial intelligence-assisted analysis provided a multidimensional understanding of the relationship between ancestral food knowledge, emotional memory, and resilience.

2.8. Rigor and Trustworthiness

Several strategies were implemented to enhance the rigor of the qualitative analysis. Verbatim transcription and line-by-line coding ensured traceability of interpretations. Field notes supported contextual understanding of the narratives. The staged analytical framework allowed systematic movement from description to interpretation. Triangulation between narrative analysis and LIWC-22 outputs strengthened analytical consistency. In addition, the participation of regional advisors and community organizations contributed to cultural validity and contextual sensitivity. The return of interpretative elements to participants and community spaces helped verify whether the reconstructed meanings were coherent with local experience. These procedures contributed to credibility, dependability, confirmability, and transferability of the findings.

2.9. Research Team Reflexivity

The research team maintained a reflexive stance throughout the study, recognizing that interpretation is shaped by the researchers’ disciplinary backgrounds, institutional positions, and relationships with the community. Discussions among researchers were used to identify possible interpretative biases and to ensure that scientific categories did not obscure the participants’ own meanings. Particular care was taken to avoid reducing ancestral knowledge to a biomedical or instrumental category. Instead, sesame transformation was approached as a complex practice situated at the intersection of food, memory, gender, territory, health, and resilience.

2.10. Ethical Approval

The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and Colombian ethical guidelines for research involving human participants [17]. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to data collection. Confidentiality and anonymity were maintained throughout transcription, analysis, reporting, and dissemination.

3. Results

3.1. Participant Characteristics

Ten women victims of the Colombian armed conflict participated in the study. Participants resided in municipalities of the Montes de María region and were actively engaged in the artisanal transformation of sesame seeds into sesame paste. Most participants reported learning the practice through intergenerational transmission, primarily from mothers and grandmothers, and described sesame processing as both an economic activity and a family heritage. Several women reported experiences of forced displacement, exposure to armed confrontations, and subsequent reconstruction of their livelihoods through food-related entrepreneurship. Across narratives, sesame transformation was consistently described as a labor-intensive process requiring specialized knowledge regarding seed selection, roasting, grinding, ingredient incorporation, and quality control. Participants emphasized the importance of sensory indicators such as aroma, color, texture, and tactile perception to determine the optimal roasting point, highlighting the existence of highly specialized ancestral knowledge.

3.2. Textual Narrative Analysis: Ancestral Knowledge, Identity and Survival

3.2.1. Intergenerational Transmission of Ancestral Knowledge

One of the most consistent themes across all narratives was the intergenerational transmission of sesame-processing knowledge. Participants described learning the practice from mothers, grandmothers, and other women in their families through observation, repetition, and participation in everyday domestic activities. Rather than being taught through formal instruction, knowledge acquisition occurred through prolonged immersion in family routines. One participant explained:

“My mother and grandmother patiently taught me how to roast it without burning it, how to stir it with the wooden paddle, and how to recognize—simply by touch—when it had reached the perfect point.”

Similarly, another participant recalled:

“Ever since I was still living at home, before I got married, I enjoyed helping my mother.”

These accounts suggest that sesame transformation functions not merely as a productive activity but as a cultural inheritance embedded within family relationships. The narratives consistently positioned women as custodians of knowledge, responsible for preserving and transmitting techniques, recipes, and values across generations.

Notably, several participants expressed concern regarding the possible disappearance of these practices among younger generations, reinforcing the perception that artisanal sesame transformation represents an endangered form of intangible cultural heritage.

3.2.2. Embodied Knowledge and Technical Expertise

The narratives revealed an extraordinary level of empirical expertise regarding sesame processing. Participants demonstrated highly sophisticated sensory-based knowledge for determining roasting conditions, ingredient incorporation, and product quality. This expertise relied primarily on visual, tactile, and olfactory cues rather than standardized measurements. For example, one woman described the process of determining when roasting is complete:

“I take a single seed and rub it between my fingers; if it crumbles, then it’s ready.”

Another participant similarly explained:

“The sesame itself starts giving you the smell… you keep looking at it, picking it up, tasting it, seeing whether it’s ready or not.”

Likewise, ingredient proportions were not calculated through weighing systems but through embodied experience accumulated over decades:

“La medida la tengo en la mano.”

These findings indicate that artisanal sesame production involves a highly specialized form of tacit knowledge that cannot easily be transferred through written instructions alone. Instead, expertise emerges from years of practice, sensory engagement, and intergenerational learning.

3.2.3. Sesame Processing as a Means of Survival

A central finding emerging from all narratives was the economic significance of sesame transformation. Participants repeatedly described sesame production as a strategy for sustaining their households, raising children, and rebuilding their lives following displacement and economic hardship. One participant summarized this relationship directly:

“Through this work, I have been able to make a living, raise my children, and provide for them every day.”

Another woman associated sesame processing with her ability to support her family after becoming a single mother:

“I am a single mother and head of my household… I have been engaged in this work for the past 14 years.”

For many participants, sesame transformation represented not only income generation but also autonomy and dignity. Moreover, tThe activity allowed women to maintain economic independence despite limited employment opportunities, particularly in rural and post-conflict contexts.

3.3. Contextual Analysis: Conflict, Displacement and Reconstruction

3.3.1. Living Through Armed Conflict

Although the interviews focused on sesame transformation, virtually all participants spontaneously connected their narratives to experiences of armed conflict. In this context, descriptions of violence, insecurity, fear, and displacement emerged repeatedly.

One participant recalled:

“I couldn’t hear a gunshot without my nerves becoming unsettled.”

Another described the experience of being trapped during armed confrontations:

“We lived through a shooting… with all my children lying on the floor and bullets passing over the house.”

These narratives reveal how traumatic experiences remain embedded in personal memory even decades after displacement.

Importantly, however, participants rarely positioned themselves as victims. Instead, they described active strategies for adaptation, relocation, family protection, and reconstruction.

3.3.2. Sesame as a Vehicle for Resilience

Perhaps the most powerful finding was the recurrent association between sesame transformation and resilience. Participants consistently portrayed sesame processing as a resource that enabled them to recover after displacement.

One participant stated:

“Starting over was not easy, but sesame sustained me.”

Another explained:

“Here, I started working again.”

For these women, sesame transformation appears to function as much more than a source of food or income.

The activity provides continuity between past and present, helping transform memories of displacement into narratives of agency and perseverance.

3.4. Metatextual Reconfiguration: Sesame as Memory, Identity and Dignity

The deepest level of interpretation revealed that sesame processing serves as a symbolic structure through which participants organize their life stories.

Across narratives, sesame was simultaneously described as:

Family heritage.

Economic resource.

Emotional refuge.

Cultural identity.

Symbol of perseverance.

One participant expressed this integration particularly clearly:

“Today, when I roast the sesame and stir it with the wooden paddle, I feel that I am caring for something more than food: I am caring for my history, the memory of my elders, and the peace of my home.”

Another participant linked sesame directly to dignity:

“After everything we have been through, this work not only supports me financially; it also helps me move forward with dignity.”

3.5. Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Sentiment and Psycholinguistic Analysis

To complement the qualitative interpretation, participants' narratives were analyzed using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count software (LIWC-22) [16]. The analysis revealed a remarkably coherent psycholinguistic profile characterized by strong social orientation, extensive cognitive processing, high authenticity, and relatively low expression of negative emotional language. Together, these findings suggest that resilience among sesame-transforming women is expressed not through the absence of adversity but through the active reconstruction of meaning and social identity following traumatic experiences.

3.5.1. Social Orientation as a Core Component of Resilience

One of the most consistent findings across all narratives was the predominance of social-process language, representing approximately 9–11% of the linguistic content. References to family members, neighbors, children, parents, community networks, and collective activities appeared systematically throughout the interviews. This pattern indicates that participants do not interpret their experiences primarily through an individual lens. Instead, their life stories are embedded within social relationships and collective identities. The prominence of social language suggests that resilience in Montes de María is fundamentally relational rather than individualistic. Women's narratives repeatedly emphasize caregiving, cooperation, shared labor, and intergenerational support as mechanisms for overcoming adversity.

Interestingly, references to others frequently appeared even when participants were discussing personal achievements or traumatic experiences, reinforcing the notion that meaning-making occurs within a collective framework rather than through isolated self-reflection. These findings align with anthropological models of community resilience, in which recovery is facilitated through social connectedness and the preservation of collective memory.

3.5.2. High Cognitive Processing Reflects Narrative Reconstruction

A second major finding was the consistently elevated use of cognitive-processing language, which ranged between 24% and 29% across narratives. Words associated with causality, understanding, reasoning, interpretation, reflection, and explanation appeared at frequencies substantially higher than expected in ordinary conversational speech. Rather than merely recounting events, participants continuously interpreted and reorganized their experiences. Their narratives demonstrated a strong tendency toward constructing explanations, identifying lessons, and deriving meaning from past adversity. This characteristic is particularly relevant in populations exposed to trauma. Contemporary narrative psychology suggests that the ability to organize difficult experiences into coherent stories represents a critical component of psychological adaptation. The elevated cognitive-processing scores observed in this study therefore appear consistent with ongoing processes of emotional integration and resilience. The narratives suggest that sesame transformation itself may facilitate this reconstruction process by providing a stable framework through which participants connect past experiences, present responsibilities, and future aspirations.

3.5.3. Low Expression of Negative Affect Despite Histories of Trauma

A particularly striking finding was the relatively low frequency of negative emotional language despite the widespread presence of conflict-related experiences in participants' biographies. Although women described episodes involving displacement, violence, fear, and economic hardship, these experiences occupied a surprisingly limited linguistic space compared with references to work, family, perseverance, and future-oriented activities. This finding may indicate the presence of what narrative theorists describe as adaptive reframing, whereby individuals acknowledge adversity without allowing traumatic experiences to dominate their self-concept. Importantly, the scarcity of negative emotional language should not be interpreted as an absence of suffering. Rather, it may reflect a discursive strategy through which participants prioritize agency, continuity, and strength over victimization. Such interpretation is supported by numerous narrative passages in which descriptions of violence were immediately followed by accounts of recovery, entrepreneurship, caregiving, or personal growth.

3.5.4. Absence of Explicit Mental Health Language

Another notable observation was the near absence of explicit references to mental health symptoms, psychiatric conditions, or emotional disorders. Even when discussing highly traumatic experiences, participants rarely employed terms directly associated with depression, anxiety, psychological suffering, or emotional dysfunction. This pattern may reflect cultural differences in how distress is conceptualized and communicated. Rather than describing emotional states through medicalized language, participants tended to express suffering indirectly through narratives of displacement, economic loss, family disruption, or social hardship. Consequently, resilience may be embedded not only in what participants say but also in how they choose to narrate adversity.

3.5.5. Individual Profiles of Resilience

Although common patterns were identified, LIWC analysis [16] also revealed substantial heterogeneity among participants, suggesting that resilience is expressed through multiple narrative styles rather than a single psychological profile.

Participant 1: Analytical Resilience

Participant 1 demonstrated the highest levels of analytical thinking (30.85%) and confidence (52.17%). Her discourse was characterized by logical sequencing, explanatory structures, and systematic reflection. This profile suggests a coping strategy centered on organization, rationalization, and cognitive control. The participant appeared to reconstruct adversity by transforming experience into knowledge and order.

Participant 2: Authentic Resilience

Participant 2 exhibited exceptionally high authenticity scores (91.39%), reflecting a narrative style characterized by openness, spontaneity, and emotional transparency. Her discourse frequently connected personal experiences with broader social and historical contexts, indicating a capacity to situate individual suffering within collective processes.

Participant 3: Positive-Sensory Resilience

Participant 3 presented the strongest positive emotional and sensory orientation. Her narrative contained frequent references to beauty, perception, attraction, and positive everyday experiences. This profile suggests a resilience strategy grounded in appreciation of daily life and the capacity to identify rewarding experiences despite adversity.

Participant 4: Reflective Resilience

Participant 4 generated the longest narrative (2,765 words) and demonstrated the highest degree of introspection. The extensive elaboration of memories, emotions, and life events suggests that narrative expression itself may function as a mechanism for emotional processing and symbolic repair.

3.5.6. An Integrated Psycholinguistic Signature of Resilience

Taken together, the LIWC findings reveal a distinctive psycholinguistic signature characterized by:

Strong social connectedness.

Extensive cognitive processing.

High authenticity.

Limited negative emotional dominance.

Multiple adaptive narrative styles.

This profile suggests that resilience among women transforming sesame in Montes de María emerges not from the absence of trauma but from the capacity to maintain social bonds, construct coherent meanings, preserve ancestral practices, and project continuity into the future despite histories of violence and displacement.

3.6. Integrated Model of Ancestral Knowledge, Resilience, and Neuroprotection

The integration of narrative inquiry, psycholinguistic analysis, and experimental evidence revealed a multidimensional relationship between ancestral sesame transformation practices, resilience, and health. Across all analytical levels, sesame transformation emerged as considerably more than a productive activity. Participants consistently described the practice as a source of economic stability, family continuity, cultural identity, emotional meaning, and personal dignity. These dimensions were evident throughout the narratives and were reinforced by the psycholinguistic profile identified through LIWC-22 analysis, characterized by strong social orientation, elevated cognitive processing, high authenticity, and a limited predominance of negative emotional language despite extensive exposure to traumatic experiences.

From a narrative perspective, resilience was not expressed through denial of suffering but through the active reconstruction of meaning. Participants repeatedly transformed memories of violence, displacement, and loss into narratives centered on work, caregiving, perseverance, and community participation. This process reflects what may be understood as a form of narrative resilience, in which individuals reorganize adverse experiences into coherent life stories that preserve agency and future orientation. The findings suggest that artisanal sesame transformation functions as a resilience-promoting practice through multiple interconnected pathways. At the social level, it reinforces community bonds and intergenerational transmission of knowledge. At the cultural level, it preserves collective memory and ancestral identity. At the psychological level, it provides purpose, routine, self-efficacy, and opportunities for meaning-making. At the economic level, it contributes to household sustainability and autonomy, particularly among women affected by armed conflict.

Importantly, these psychosocial dimensions converge with the biological properties of sesame-derived products identified in parallel experimental studies conducted within the same project. Sesame paste demonstrated a high content of polyphenols and lignans, particularly sesamin and sesamolin, compounds widely recognized for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Furthermore, experimental analyses demonstrated the ability of sesame paste to attenuate oxidative stress, preserve mitochondrial function, reduce inflammatory responses, and mitigate neurodegenerative hallmarks in cellular and three-dimensional models of chronic stress and neurodegeneration. Taken together, these findings support a conceptual framework in which ancestral food practices may simultaneously influence psychosocial and biological determinants of health. In this model, the transformation of sesame seeds into artisanal paste acts as a cultural technology that promotes resilience while also generating a food product with measurable neuroprotective potential.

This convergence suggests that resilience should not be understood exclusively as a psychological construct. Rather, resilience may emerge from the interaction between social relationships, cultural practices, symbolic meanings, nutritional behaviors, and biological mechanisms. Within this framework, ancestral sesame transformation represents a unique example of how traditional food systems can contribute simultaneously to emotional well-being, community recovery, and physiological protection.

The proposed model therefore integrates five interconnected dimensions:

Historical adversity (armed conflict, displacement, loss and social disruption); Narrative resilience (meaning-making, emotional reconstruction and future orientation); Cultural resilience (preservation of ancestral knowledge and collective identity); Food-based resilience (artisanal sesame transformation as a source of autonomy, continuity and social cohesion); Biological resilience (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties of sesame-derived products).

Together, these dimensions constitute what may be described as an Ancestral Food-Based Neuroresilience Model, in which traditional food practices operate as bridges between collective memory and biological well-being. This framework expands current understandings of resilience by demonstrating that culturally embedded food systems may represent both symbolic and physiological resources for recovery in populations exposed to prolonged adversity. Ultimately, the study highlights that the value of artisanal sesame transformation extends far beyond nutrition or economic productivity. For the women of Montes de María, sesame paste represents memory, identity, resistance, dignity, and continuity. Simultaneously, its biochemical composition suggests a capacity to influence molecular pathways associated with oxidative stress, inflammation, and neurodegeneration. The convergence of these dimensions provides a novel perspective on the relationship between ancestral knowledge, resilience, and health, opening new avenues for culturally grounded approaches to neuroprotection and post-conflict recovery.

4. Discussion

The present study provides evidence that artisanal sesame transformation in the Montes de María region represents far more than a traditional food-processing activity. Through the integration of narrative inquiry, psycholinguistic analysis, and experimental evidence, our findings suggest that sesame transformation operates simultaneously as a cultural practice, an economic strategy, a mechanism for emotional resilience, and a potential contributor to neuroprotective health pathways. This multidimensional perspective expands current understandings of resilience by positioning ancestral food systems as active agents in post-conflict recovery. One of the most consistent findings across participants was the central role of meaning-making in the reconstruction of life trajectories following armed conflict. The narratives were characterized by extensive cognitive processing and strong social orientation, suggesting that resilience emerged not from the absence of suffering but from the ability to reinterpret adversity through work, family, community participation, and cultural continuity. These findings are consistent with previous studies conducted among women exposed to armed conflict, which have demonstrated that resilience is often sustained through the mobilization of cognitive, social, symbolic, and material resources rather than through individual psychological traits alone [18]. Women in conflict-affected settings frequently construct resilience through caregiving, collective memory, and social relationships, processes that were repeatedly observed throughout the present narratives.

Importantly, our findings also suggest that resilience is deeply embedded within cultural practices. Across all interviews, sesame transformation was described as an inherited activity learned from mothers and grandmothers and maintained through intergenerational transmission. This observation aligns with emerging perspectives on food-system resilience, which increasingly recognize traditional food practices as mechanisms that preserve identity, strengthen social cohesion, and support adaptive capacity during periods of social disruption [19,20]. Although the concept of resilience has often been applied to ecological and agricultural systems, recent scholarship has emphasized that food systems are also repositories of memory, cultural values, and community organization. Consequently, preserving ancestral food practices may contribute not only to food security but also to psychosocial recovery following conflict and displacement. The prominence of social language identified through LIWC-22 analysis reinforces this interpretation. Participants consistently framed their experiences through relationships with family members, neighbors, and other women, indicating that sesame transformation is understood as a collective rather than individual activity. This finding is particularly relevant because women's collective action has recently been identified as a critical determinant of resilience in vulnerable communities. Collective practices facilitate access to resources, strengthen social support networks, and increase adaptive capacity in the face of adversity [21]. In our study, the transformation of sesame paste appeared to function as a social technology through which knowledge, labor, and emotional support are shared across generations and communities.

Another important observation concerns the relatively low prevalence of negative emotional language despite participants' histories of violence, displacement, and insecurity. Similar patterns have been described in narrative studies of conflict-affected populations, where individuals often prioritize narratives of agency and survival over narratives of victimization [22]. Rather than suppressing traumatic memories, participants appeared to integrate these experiences into broader life stories centered on perseverance, work, and family continuity. Such processes have been described as narrative resilience, whereby individuals reconstruct coherent and future-oriented identities despite exposure to traumatic events. The high levels of cognitive-processing language identified in our analyses support this interpretation, suggesting ongoing efforts to organize, reinterpret, and derive meaning from lived experiences. A particularly novel contribution of the present study lies in the convergence between psychosocial resilience and biological resilience. While previous studies have examined either the cultural significance of traditional foods or the biological properties of functional foods, few investigations have integrated both dimensions within a single framework. Sesame-derived products contain substantial concentrations of polyphenols, lignans, and unsaturated fatty acids that have been associated with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective activities in experimental models. Within the context of this project, these compounds demonstrated the ability to modulate pathways associated with oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and neurodegeneration. Therefore, the same cultural practice that supports emotional resilience may simultaneously generate a food product capable of influencing biological mechanisms linked to brain health.

This convergence suggests that resilience may be understood as a multilevel phenomenon extending beyond psychological adaptation. Contemporary resilience frameworks increasingly acknowledge the interconnectedness of social, cultural, ecological, and biological systems [23,24]. Our findings support this perspective by demonstrating that ancestral food transformation practices may operate across several levels simultaneously: preserving identity, sustaining livelihoods, strengthening social relationships, and potentially mitigating biological processes associated with chronic stress and neurodegeneration. Such interactions may be particularly relevant in populations exposed to prolonged adversity, where psychosocial stressors and biological vulnerability frequently coexist. The concept of food-based resilience emerging from this study may also contribute to broader discussions surrounding food sovereignty and community health. Conflict and displacement often disrupt local food systems, weaken traditional knowledge transmission, and increase dependence on external food sources [25,26]. In contrast, participants described sesame transformation as an activity that promoted autonomy, economic sustainability, and cultural continuity. These observations suggest that strengthening ancestral food systems may constitute an underexplored strategy for promoting health and resilience in post-conflict territories. Rather than viewing traditional foods exclusively through a nutritional lens, they may also be understood as cultural assets that support psychological well-being, social cohesion, and local development.

Collectively, our findings support the proposal of an “Ancestral Food-Based Neuroresilience” framework, in which traditional food practices function as bridges between collective memory, psychosocial adaptation, and biological well-being. Within this model, artisanal sesame transformation serves as a culturally meaningful practice that simultaneously preserves ancestral knowledge, strengthens resilience, promotes food sovereignty, and generates products with measurable neuroprotective potential. To our knowledge, this is among the first studies to integrate narrative resilience, artificial intelligence-assisted psycholinguistic analysis, and experimental neuroprotection within the same research framework. Future studies should investigate whether similar relationships exist in other traditional food systems and whether participation in ancestral food-processing practices may influence measurable psychological, cognitive, or biological health outcomes. Longitudinal and community-based interventions could further clarify the extent to which culturally embedded food practices contribute to resilience across generations. Such approaches may provide novel opportunities for developing health strategies that are not only scientifically grounded but also culturally meaningful and socially restorative.

5. Conclusions

This study demonstrates that artisanal sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) transformation in the Montes de María region represents a multidimensional resilience practice that extends beyond food production and economic subsistence. Through narrative inquiry and artificial intelligence-assisted sentiment analysis, we found that sesame processing functions as a cultural mechanism through which women survivors of the Colombian armed conflict preserve ancestral knowledge, strengthen social bonds, reconstruct meaning, and sustain family and community identities. The narratives revealed that resilience is expressed not through the absence of adversity, but through the active transformation of traumatic experiences into stories of agency, continuity, work, and hope. The predominance of social and cognitive linguistic patterns further suggests that ancestral food practices provide a framework for collective memory, emotional regulation, and meaning-making in post-conflict contexts. By integrating these findings with the documented biological properties of sesame-derived products, this study proposes the concept of Ancestral Food-Based Neuroresilience, a framework that links traditional food systems with psychosocial adaptation and health promotion. Within this perspective, artisanal sesame transformation emerges as both a cultural heritage practice and a potential contributor to biological resilience through the neuroprotective properties of sesame bioactive compounds. Collectively, our findings highlight the importance of recognizing ancestral food systems as valuable resources for resilience, food sovereignty, cultural preservation, and community well-being, particularly in populations affected by prolonged social adversity and armed conflict.