Many of you have probably experienced meeting someone and there is an instant feeling that everything feels just right. Maybe it's not even possible to describe what it is that makes it feel so good. It's more of a feeling, a kind of chemistry... And chemistry is actually just what it is. New research suggests that the microorganisms on our body - our microbiome - influence our choice of partner. This is simply true love chemistry!
The microbiome consists of all the microorganisms found inside and outside of us. We have known about the microbiome in the gut for a while, but our skin microbiome is still a very new area of research. It is only in the last few years that, thanks to modern sequencing methods (analysis methods), we have gained so much knowledge about all the skin's bacteria and all the important functions these bacteria have - including being involved when we choose our love partner.
Perhaps you have heard that the smell is decisive for whether or not you will feel attraction? And smell, it's nothing but bacteria on the skin. Did you know, for example, that the reason why we have a special smell under our arms is because the so-called Corynebacterium thrives so well in the warm and greasy environment under our arms (in fact, it is the same bacteria that is used in cheese making...).
When the microbiome of couples in love has been examined, it has been seen that their skin microbiome is similar on several parts of the body, including the back of the tongue. And this is not believed to have to do with the couples kissing or living under the same roof, but simply that they - completely unknowingly - chose each other based on their microbiome. So just as we need to be kind to our microbiome to promote our skin health, it may be worth taking care of our good bacteria so they don't lose their ability to guide us when it comes to love.
References:
- Ross, AA, Doxey, AC & Neufeld, JD The Skin Microbiome of Cohabiting Couples. mSystems (2017) doi:10.1128/mSystems.00043-17.
