Depression may potentially be linked to bacteria spread through kissing, scientists suggest.
Study Links Oral Bacteria Transferred During Kissing to Increased Risk of Depression and Anxiety
In a groundbreaking study conducted by scientists from Iran, India, Italy, and the UK, it has been discovered that oral bacteria exchanged during kissed intimacy can lead to an increased risk of depression and anxiety in partners.
The research, published in the Journal of Exploratory Research and Hypothesis in Medicine, analyzed nearly 2,000 couples seeking treatment for sleep disorders. Researchers found 258 couples where at least one spouse displayed symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Through interviews and sample collection, the team identified a series of dominant bacteria in participants' mouths. After instructing the couples to kiss passionately and frequently for six months, samplings were retaken post-kissing. The microbiomes of previously "healthy" spouses had become strikingly similar to those of the anxious or depressed individuals.
The study indicated that women were more susceptible to these bacterial influences, as their microbiomes changed more significantly and exacerbated depression and anxiety levels. The researchers attributed this to an increased presence of certain bacterial families: Clostridia, Veillonella, Bacillus, and Lachnospiraceae.
Researchers suspect that these bacteria may drive partners into depressive and anxious states by crossing the blood-brain barrier and affecting the brain. However, the findings have been met with controversy, as some argue that this bacterial transfer does not necessarily impact mental health. The exchange could simply be a coincidence, reinforcing the fabled contagion of negative emotions between partners.
Meanwhile, a separate study found that passionate kisses don't just exchange bacteria but also DNA fragments. This genetic exchange leaves lasting traces, with male DNA persisting in kissed women's mouths for up to an hour. The risk of foreign DNA integrating into the genome and replicating in offspring is still unclear, but it presents an intriguing idea.
In the same vein, research by colleagues in Japan and China suggested a potential benefit in kissing: a significant reduction in allergic skin reactions. The Ig Nobel Prize was awarded to these researches for their findings on the far-reaching effects of kisses.
The study suggests a potential new avenue for treating mental health disorders, as replacements for the bacteria that cause anxiety and sadness could be considered, or even antibiotics. Further research is necessary to confirm these findings and investigate the complex relationship between oral bacteria, mental health, and close interpersonal contact.
- The groundbreaking study has highlighted a potential connection between oral bacteria exchanged during kissing and the increased risk of mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
- As the research showed, the microbiomes of spouses without depression or anxiety symptoms can change significantly after prolonged passionate kissing, Mirroring the bacterial profiles of their depressed or anxious partners.
- Given the controversial findings linking oral bacteria to mental health, further exploration into alternative treatments, such as using replacements for bacteria associated with anxiety and sadness or antibiotics, may prove valuable in the field of health-and-wellness and mental-health.
