Watan-A recent study conducted by researchers from the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) revealed that a 10-second kiss can transfer up to 80 million bacteria between partners.
Study Highlights
The research showed that couples who frequently kiss—approximately nine times a day or more—share similar microbial communities in their mouths.
Microbes and Their Importance in Our Bodies
Our bodies host an ecosystem of over 100 trillion microorganisms, playing vital roles in digesting food, extracting nutrients, and protecting against diseases.
Jeffrey Gordon, a biologist from Washington University, explained that these microorganisms constitute about 90% of the cells in our bodies, suggesting that humans can be considered colonial entities formed through interactions between human cells and microbes.
Study Details
The researchers worked with 21 couples who completed questionnaires about the frequency and duration of their kisses.
Samples were then taken from their tongues and saliva to analyze the microbial communities. The findings, published in the journal Microbiome, revealed that couples who kiss frequently have highly similar microbial communities.
An additional experiment was conducted using a probiotic drink containing specific bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria.
One partner consumed the drink before kissing the other in a controlled environment.
The researchers discovered that during a single 10-second kiss, approximately 80 million bacteria were transferred.
Scientific Explanation
Lead researcher Remco Kort, from the Department of Microbiology and Biological Systems at TNO and the Micropia Museum of Microbes in the Netherlands, stated:
“Deep kissing, involving tongue contact and saliva exchange, is a uniquely human behavior observed in over 90% of known cultures. Current explanations suggest that oral microbes play a significant role in this behavior, yet the impact of kissing on these microbes has not been sufficiently studied.”
“Our findings show that frequent kissing results in greater similarity in microbial composition between partners.”
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