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Day: October 22, 2024

Are Family and Friends Linked by Microbes?

It has been well-established that diet greatly influences an individual’s microbiome. Less known is the fact that infants share a very similar microbiome profile as their mothers. This similarity changes as we age, but new research has shown that your microbiome evolves to mimic that of other family members, friends, and neighbours. A recent study published in Nature recognized that interpersonal relationships could possibly shape the genetic makeup of an individual’s microbiome, and that microbiome-linked disease may in fact be transmissible – small talk with your neighbour may start to involve a little more than just the current weather.