NEWS

Being social is good for your gut microbes

Being around others and socializing encourages the spread of good bacteria, according to a new study with chimpanzees from Duke University. 

It turns out that isolation — a limited diet, and isolation from other living things — might actually be detrimental to our gut microbes.

The authors suggest that: “microbial communities, particularly those in the gut, are key regulators of host health. Having a stronger, more diverse amount of bacteria in your gut strengthens your immune system, fights inflammation, and improves mental health.

The authors concluded: “These results indicate that social behaviour generates a pan-microbiome, preserving microbial diversity across evolutionary time scales and contributing to the evolution of host species-specific gut microbial communities.”