In a study of couples of newlyweds, the researchers found that depression and anxiety can be transmitted from one spouse to another via the oral microbiome, which is transferred during close contact, such as kisses.
We gain a better understanding of how, like the Intestinal microbiomeOUR oral microbiomeThe diversity of the bacteria community in our mouths can affect our physical and mental health. Studies have linked an oral microbiome out of anything to autistic spectrum disorder, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, anxiety and depression.
In an interesting new study, researchers have studied if the oral microbiome can be transferred between people by kisses and such a transfer can affect mental health.
“Since bacterial transmission can occur between spouses, this study was aimed at determining whether the transmission of the oral microbiota between couples of newlyweds comes on the symptoms of depression and anxiety,” the researchers said.
Researchers from Iran, India, Italy and the United Kingdom participated in the study, which first projected 1,740 couples for the presence or absence of insomnia. Among these, 268 couples who had married in the last six months and lived together have been recruited in the study. One spouse was a healthy control, while the other had anxiety and depression insomnia. The first day and the day 180 of the study, all the participants had their oral composition levels of microbiome and salivary cortisol (stress hormone). Participants were invited not to change their basic eating habits, their oral hygiene practices or their exercise routines during the study.
The researchers found that after six months of marriage with a partner with insomnia with characteristics of depression and anxiety, healthy spouses showed an increase in depression and anxiety scores and lower quality of sleep. The changes were more pronounced in female spouses. While salivary cortisol rates were significantly higher in insomniac spouses, they found that healthy spouses also experienced high cortisol rates after six months, indicating physiological changes related to stress. Interestingly, the researchers observed that the composition of the bacteria found in the mouths of healthy spouses had changed considerably, becoming more and more similar to their affected partners.
“The transfer of oral microbiota between individuals in close contact, such as couples in this study, can mediate depression and anxiety,” said the researchers. “We have found that changes in the oral composition of the microbiota are associated with changes in the severity of insomnia, salivary cortisol levels and depression and anxiety scores. Our results align with previous studies on salivary cortisol levels as well as depression and anxiety scores. ”
The researchers said that the transfer of oral microbiome between couples was logical, since other forms of physiological synchrony have been documented, in particular Synchronized heartbeat And sleep concordance. They said that their results have implications for holistic, personalized and preventive medicine, especially in the context of mental health treatment.
Certain limits of the study include the use of self-declaration to measure insomnia, depression and anxiety; measurement of the levels of morning saliva cortisol; And researchers’ failure to control shared lifestyle factors such as diet. In addition, due to financial constraints, bacterial samples have only been taken from tonsils and pharynx, rather than complete oral microbiome.
However, the study raises interesting questions for future research.
“Since this study is associated, additional research is necessary to determine if this association is causal,” said the researchers. “If it is determined that this association is indeed causal, it could have important implications for contemporary research.”
The study was published in the journal Exploratory research and hypothesis in medicine.
