At a kiss 10 seconds, up to 80 million bacteria are transferred between your blocked and that of your partner, reveals a Dutch scientific study published today in the journal Microbiome.
The microbiome is the set of bacteria that we carry despite ourselves in our body. It is essential for digestion, for the assimilation of nutrients but also for the consolidation of our immune system. And this is influenced by genetics, diet, age, but also by the kisses we exchange.
At least 9 kisses a day for a common microbiome
Institute researchers Micropia from the Netherlands asked 21 couples to answer a questionnaire on the frequency of their kisses, and analyzed their saliva samples.
To demonstrate bacterial transfer, the scientists invited one partner from each couple to ingest a probiotic drink containing specific bacteria, such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium.
After analysis, the results show that the amount of bacteria probiotics observed in the saliva of the triple “receiving” partner, and this after a single kiss. In other words, we transmit our oral bacterial flora to our partner during a kiss. In 10 seconds, 80 million bacteria are exchanged. Eventually, in a couple kissing at least 9 times a day, the salivary bacterial flora becomes similar.
A mode of community protection
If there is reason to be disgusted a priori, these results nevertheless demonstrate that kissing is an unconscious strategy for resisting disease.
The common oral microbiome would indeed allow the couple to better resist infections and better digest the same type of food.
“Kissing with the tongue and with the exchange of saliva is a seduction behavior common to more than 90% of human cultures” underlines Remco Kort, lead author of the study and scientist at the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research, “it is what constitutes community bacterial protection. There are many studies that show that if the diversity of bacteria increases it is a good thing for the individual. »
Other factors come into play, such as eating habits or hygiene care, but these are often shared by the two members of a couple when they live together.
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