Sharing your microbiome

Not only what you eat, but kissing and handling money can transfer microbes

The microbiome might be a hot topic in gut health, but it turns out there’s more to managing its biodiversity than the food we consume. With microbes living on our skin and in our mouths and gut, not only does what you eat matter, but research now suggests who and what you’re exposed to also plays a part. Here’s how:

KISSING We share more than our hearts when we kiss. “Couples with a high kissing frequency share a similar salivary microbiome,” says Kelli Proudfoot, Head of Scientific Marketing at Premedy, an Australian health brand.

MONEY HANDLING

Paper currency also provides the opportunity for microbes exchange – with a US analysis finding microbes on dollar bills. “This suggests money itself collects DNA from sources inhabiting the human microbiome, food and other environmental inputs,” Kelli says.

FOOD TRANSFERS

Forget the ‘five-second rule’ regarding food dropped on the floor being safe for up to five seconds because bacteria needs time to transfer. “Some transfer takes place instantly,” Kelli reveals.