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Study: Microbiome Is Shaped By Who We Live With, Couples Share More Than They Realize

Research from the University of Trento indicates that people living in the same household share similar microbes in their mouths and guts. These shared microbial communities are more prevalent among housemates than in the general community. Romantic partners exhibit a higher rate of oral microbe sharing due to kissing.

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New data specifies the percentage of shared microbiota between general cohabitants and romantic partners.

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  1. Study Finds Cohabitation Significantly Shapes Gut and Oral Microbiomes

    Research from the University of Trento indicates that people living in the same household share similar microbes in their mouths and guts. These shared microbial communities are more prevalent among housemates than in the general community. Romantic partners exhibit a higher rate of oral microbe sharing due to kissing.

    What's confirmed:

    • People living in the same home share about a quarter of their oral and gut microbiota.
    • Cohabiting couples share 44% of their oral microbes.
    • Romantic partners share more oral microbes than other cohabitants, likely due to kissing.
    • The study was conducted by the University of Trento in Italy and published in Cell Press Blue.
    • General household microbial sharing is 19% for gut and 26% for oral microbes.

    Still unconfirmed:

    • The gut bacteria most shared by couples are tied to poorer health.
    • Cohabitation drives the transmission of microbes linked to diabetes.
    • Couples share 30% of their gut bacteria.
    • Couples share 38% of their mouth microbes.
    confidence 90%