You may have realised that your gut feeling may sometimes influence who you befriend, but did you know that your friends also influence your literal gut microbiome? Well, a new Yale study has found that people have a gut microbiome quite similar to that of their social circle. This study was published in the scientific journal Nature a few days ago. It reveals that you may be connected to your social circles even on a microscopic level!
Yale Study Reveals That You And Your Friends May Share Gut Microbiome
According to an article which was recently published by the Hindustan Times or HT, this particular study was conducted on a total of 18 isolated villages in Honduras. As many as 1,787 adults participated in the study whose gut microbes were studied and revealed some fascinating insights.
In addition to this, the study also examined some 339,137 strains of microbes. The research findings revealed that people who share social circles and have similar social networks, regardless of whether they live together.
The most intuitive reason for this may thought to be the shared meals that friends usually have. However, it goes deeper than that. Researchers believe that activities like hugging or shaking hands may also play a role in influencing gut microbes.
The Connection’s Stronger In Social Circles Than In Families!
As per a researcher cited in the HT article, the shared microbiome became the strongest indicator of social relationships. While families also shared similar microbiomes, the similarity continued even in friends and friends of friends.
These findings were further reinforced when the group of researchers returned after two years. They found that the likeness in the gut microbiome of 301 participants across four villages who were socially connected had increased significantly.
This shows that your social network significantly impacts you in ways too microscopic to ever occur to us intuitively!
Also Read: New Study Reveals Even The Smallest Jet Lag Can Affect Your Digestion, Metabolism & Sleep Patterns
Click here to access the full study.
Have you ever thought about being connected to your social circle in such ways? Let us know in the comments section below!
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