WISDOM AND YOUR GUT

Scientists at the University of California have taken the connection between wisdom, loneliness and biology one step further, reporting that wisdom and loneliness appear to influence – and/or be influenced by – microbial diversity of the gut. The evolving science of wisdom is based on the research that wisdom’s defined traits correspond to distinct regions of the brain, and that greater wisdom translates into greater happiness and life satisfaction, while being less wise results in opposite, often negative consequences. Scientists have found in multiple studies that people deemed to be wiser are less prone to feeling lonely, while those who are lonelier also tend to be less wise. In a new study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine take the connection between wisdom, loneliness and biology further, reporting that wisdom and loneliness also appear to be influenced by microbial diversity of the gut. “We found that lower levels of loneliness and higher levels of wisdom, compassion, social support and engagement were associated with greater phylogenetic richness and diversity of the gut microbiome,” said first author and Assistant Professor Tanya Nguyen. “It is possible loneliness may result in decreased stability of the gut microbiome and, consequently, reduced resistance and resilience to stress-related disruptions.”