I'm sure many of you have had the experience of 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 what it is. In fact, new research suggests that the microorganisms on our bodies - our microbiome - influence our choice of partner. This is just real love chemistry!
The microbiome is made up of all the microorganisms that live in and on us. The gut microbiome has been known for a while, but our skin microbiome is still a very fresh area of research. It is only in the last few years that, thanks to modern sequencing (analysis) methods, so much has been learned about all the bacteria in our skin and all the important functions these bacteria have - including being involved in choosing our love partner.
Perhaps you've heard that smell is a determining factor in whether or not you feel attraction? And smell, it's nothing more than bacteria on your skin. Did you know, for example, that the reason we have a special smell under our arms is because the so-called Coryne bacteria thrive in the warm and greasy environment under our arms (in fact, it's the same bacteria used in cheese making...).
When the microbiome of couples in love has been studied, it has been found that their skin microbiome is similar in several parts of the body, including the back of the tongue. And this is thought to be not because the couples are kissing or living under the same roof, but simply because they have - quite unwittingly - chosen each other based on their microbiome. So just as we need to be kind to our microbiome to promote our skin health, it might be worth looking after our good bacteria so that they don't lose their ability to guide us when it comes to love.
References:
- Ross, A. A., Doxey, A. C. & Neufeld, J. D. The Skin Microbiome of Cohabiting Couples. mSystems (2017) doi:10.1128/mSystems.00043-17.
