The Saying "You Become Alike When Living Together" Is True... The Reason Lies in This

Oral and Gut Microbes Shared Among Family and Partners
Families Share 26%, Romantic Partners Up to 44%

A recent study has found that people who live together, such as family members or romantic partners, share and influence each other's oral and gut microbiomes.

According to the New York Post on June 15 (local time), researchers at the University of Trento in Italy confirmed that people living together share about 26% of their oral microbes. This phenomenon was observed regardless of the type of relationship, including siblings, parents, and children, and the figure rose to as high as 44% among romantic partners.

Vitor Heidrich, the lead researcher, explained, "The ecosystem of microbes in our bodies is not formed in isolation, but is shaped by interactions with those we live with."

The similarity in gut microbiome composition among family members is commonly attributed to eating the same meals. However, the researchers analyzed that close physical contact, rather than diet, may play a more significant role in the sharing of microbes.

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The research team viewed the mouth and the gut as two major microbial ecosystems within the human body and traced the pathways connecting them. Oral microbes migrate to the gut through the unconscious act of swallowing saliva, and the team believes that understanding these migration pathways could help identify the causes of various diseases and develop new treatments.

Additionally, the researchers are focusing on which microbes are easily transmitted between individuals. This is expected to contribute to the advancement of "fecal microbiota transplantation," a therapy where healthy gut microbes are transferred from a donor to a patient.

Meanwhile, people living in the same village or community tended to share more microbes than those in other groups. Researcher Heidrich stated, "Humans have lived in groups for millions of years, so exchanging microbes is a natural phenomenon," adding, "It is not something to be feared, but rather a normal process that everyone experiences."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.