10 Creepy Crawlers That Govern Our Bodies

Scientists still figure out how to test gut bugs ethically in humans. Convincing an ethics board to let us put microbes linked to depression into healthy guts is hard, especially since we do not know all the side effects.

Studying mice shows certain microbes make their hosts more adventurous or anxious, depending on the kind of microbe it is.kindof microbe they are.

In a 2011 studyThe McMaster group moved gut microbes from easy-going, adventurous mice into the stomachs of anxious, timid mice and vice versa. They found the shy mice showed more "exploratory behavior" after the transplant, while the adventurous mice showed "reduced exploratory behavior."

Our little microbes eat what we give them. They then release certain chemicals into our bodies based on the type of microbe they are.

Our gut bacteria affect the making of neurotransmitters(including serotonin), according to Michael Pollan of theNew York Times.Scientists found a link between a specific bacterial strain, Oscillibacter, and its connection to human depression in recent years.Oscillibacterand its link to depression in humans.

Although this 2014 studysuggests a link, not a cause, but our microbes communicate with our bodies.

If you want to avoid the new antibacterial soaps, do not run for the hills and stock up.banned antibacterial soapsThese microbes do much more than we think. They are probably why you are alive now.

The vagina holds many healthy microbes. Ingesting these can replace poor microbes and fight allergies, weight gain, and depression. Lucy Tiven says, "Many people supplement their diets with probiotics."Lucy Tiven"but you can also find this type of 'good bacteria' in the human body—specifically in a woman's vagina."

Robinson, Bohannan, and Young report that most vaginal communities in healthy women are dominated by thelactobacillusspecies" reports Robinson, Bohannan, and Young in their 2010 study. "Bacteria play important roles...in the production of vitamins and essential amino acids in humans."

When your body touches these good microbes, it gets happy. They boost your immune system and fight bad bacteria. Without them, you face many issues—asthma, allergies, and other immune system diseases.

For example, babies born via c-section miss microbes from the birth canal. Microbes colonizing c-section children mix nasty bacteria from skin and hospitals.2010 studyshowslactobacilluswhich helps milk digestion.

Rob Knight and his wife rubbed his wife's vaginal secretions on his baby's skin after the baby was delivered by c-section.Formal trials of this practice are now happening.These trials are currently underway.

You might share only 10 percent gut microbes with the person next to you, explained.Rob Knight,a professor of pediatrics and computer engineering at the University of California, San Diego, stated, "Although there's just three pounds of those microbes in our gut, they really outnumber us."

So, is our essence basically non-human?

Yes, we are, despite our condition.We are 99% identical to the average person in terms of human DNA.We are all highly unique based on vast differences in our microbes compared to the average Joe in human DNA. There are 3.3 million genes in total bacteria DNA.Science Daily reports this.That number is 160 times the number of human genes.

Could our personalities, quirks, or habits connect to these small organisms?

Perhaps. Scientists globally work to find out more. One way to see who lives in your body is by checking what comes out your rear end—your poop. Thanks toCheaper DNA sequencing., curious people can donate $99 to theAmerican Gut Project.and learn exactly what microbes live in their guts.

Sounds like a weird way to spend a hundred dollars? Maybe. But you will learn more about why you feel a certain way, which some people think is worth the money.

Veterinarians study the links between microbes and their patients' guts for years. Regulations allow vets to try unusual methods to fix inflamed colons in animals like cows.

Poo tea is one such tactic. For some cows, it helps restore gut balance. Vets take excrement from healthy cows, mix it into a strong brew of microbes to boost sick cows' immune systems. After antibiotic rounds clear the system, this mix goes in, hoping new, happy microbes fix digestive issues.

This practice started in 4th century China; they called it 'yellow soup' back then.

Drinking poo tea has problems, past the gross factor. When healthy microbes enter the stomach, natural acids needed to break down food also kill the microbes. So, in 2013, the FDA approved better treatments using 'brown boom-boom' to treat humans with the no-joking-matter infection,C-diff.which affects nearlyHalf a million Americans get this each year.Fecal transplants help.

Fecal transplants.let doctors take digestive juices from healthy people and put them into those with antibiotic-resistant gut bugs.

When you were born, whether naturally or via C-section, your body became the hottest real estate. Microbes that colonized you first left a lasting mark on your health.

Microbes act like good ground cover, Jonathan Eisen explains in hisTed TalkGround cover around your house stops weeds. By taking prime spots—places with great food access, for instance—these microbes help your body tell friend from foe. They also hold the line, stopping nasties from moving in.

You need diversity. Gut microbiota diversity gives your body the best shot at fighting intruders because "bad bacteria are unavoidable...having good bacteria in our bodies stops bad bacteria from growing and causing sickness," says Dr. David Samadi in his article "One percent human, ninety-nine percent bacteria."Our bodies are home; good bacteria are the soldiers defending it."

Without this balance, inflammation happens. Want the root of all evil? Look at inflammation. Inflammation shows the body something is wrong. If this state stays constant, it can cause advanced autoimmune diseases and cancer.

Your epithelium, which is themost importantLining of your intestines protects your body from infection and inflammation. Your microbes keep your epithelium in top shape.

Your epithelium's surface area covers a tennis court.Michael Pollan explains this.This lining mediates your relationship to the outside world. If this tennis court gets damaged or starved, your defense fails. Then, bacteria and endotoxins—toxic byproducts of certain bacteria—leak into your bloodstream, starting an immune response by causing inflammation.

This is bad. Long-term low-grade inflammation can lead to metabolic syndrome and increase your risk for serious diseases like heart disease, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and cancer.A 2007 study finds.

How do microbes keep your vital barrier healthy? Epithelial cells eat short-chain fatty acids that good gut bacteria make when they consume their favorite food: plant fiber.

Joe Rogan—stand-up comedian, retired martial arts fighter, and podcaster—talks about hisHulk Loads SmoothieThat smoothie has fiber your microbes will like. This lean, green, fighting-machine includes a salad-sized amount of kale, three celery stalks, one cucumber, a piece of ginger (key fob size), four garlic cloves, and one apple.

If this sounds crazy, just change the ingredients. Cut the spicy drink with fresh lemon juice, or swap the apple for berries to make it easier. Your microbes will still like you.

This smoothie has prebiotics, not probiotics.probioticsThese feed the good bacteria already in your body.ProbioticsFind probiotics in yogurt, sourdough bread, and Sauerkraut. Introduce new bacteria into your body; they can colonize your prime real estate before bad bugs do.newBacteria colonize your gut first, taking over before harmful bugs arrive.

How does this help? You can enjoy that sketchy 2 am hotdog a little more. "The robustness of an individual's gut community," notes Pollan.Pollanmight explain why some people get food poisoning while others eat the same meal without illness.

Physical attraction links to your immune system's strength. Feed those microbes the fiber they need to build up your immune system.

A person's "magic scent is not some romantic elixir."F. Bryant Furlow explains this.but the aromatic output of our immune system. Specifically, "a man's allure depends in part on how many immune system genes he shares with a potential mate." This makes sense.

Biologically, babies with more gene diversity have a better shot at overcoming life's challenges. Gene diversity is insurance for humanity.

Low stress hormone cortisol, combined with high testosterone and high immune response,This significantly correlates.with physical attractiveness. A healthier immune system means less stress and more attractiveness.

ThisA 2015 study shows this.shows stress causes more damage than we think. Changes in gut microbiota affect stress-related issues like depression and anxiety, neurodevelopmental disorders like autism, and thinking.

Feed your bugs to stop many problems by lowering body stress. Plus, you look more attractive to a potential mate.

Wonder why your friend eats the same food but doesn't gain weight? Metabolism might be one thing, but different gut microbes are another story.

Dr. Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, lead cardiology professor at UCLA, discusses this in her bookZoobiquity: The Astonishing Connection Between Human and Animal HealthWithin our microbiomes, two main groups of bacteria exist: Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes.She found that"Obese humans have a higher proportion of Firmicutes in their intestines."

Why does this microbial difference matter? Natterson-Horowitz explainsNatterson-Horowitz explainsA large Firmicute colony might harvest one hundred calories from one person's apple. A friend with a dominant Bacteroidetes population might extract only seventy calories from that same apple.

You and your friend can eat the same food. Your gut bugs absorb more energy. This explains why your friend can eat twice as much and gain no weight. These bugs also trigger cravings. Next time you grab a whole wheel of cheese, ask if you want it or if your bugs are talking.

Pets offer great microbes. Introducing them at the right time helps prevent allergy problems.

Pets introduced young train children's immune systems. In fact,Alexandra Carmichael notes this.UCSF scientists conducted a 2013 study. They suggested living with a dog as an infant may lower a child’s asthma and allergy risk. This happens mostly from exposure to 'dog-associated house-dust.'

Pets act like probiotics. They introduce new, good microbes to your family. Also,Rob Knight's 2013 study shows this.A University of Colorado, Boulder study found children lacking bacterial exposure might get sick more often. Many microbes co-evolved with people to be helpful.

These bugs learned over millions of years to coexist better.a symbiotic relationshipTake care of your bugs. They will help take care of you.