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PanickedPoodle t1_j5fhovl wrote

Reply to comment by Defiant-Taro4522 in How our microbiome is shaped by family, friends, and even neighbors. Study of the gut and mouth microbiomes of thousands of people from around the world raises the possibility that diseases linked to microbiome dysfunction, including cancer, diabetes, and obesity, could be partly transmissible. by MistWeaver80

That's been the previous theory. We tend to want to blame people for their health issues.

This is a new take that says perhaps the habits arise from the bacteria. We know bacteria are in a daily battle, putting out chemicals to kill each other. Those chemicals influence the human brain.

We are a colony animal.

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Defiant-Taro4522 t1_j5fjndl wrote

I've seen nothing that indicates humans are slaves under their bacteria. Rather, the bacteria seem to influence our behaviour. But, like peer pressure, we can decide to go against their influence.

I don't think we should blame people for their health issues, but I also think we should be careful to absolve them from any and all responsibility. In the end, we're the captains of our ships.

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PanickedPoodle t1_j5fyv9v wrote

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5823462/

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[deleted] t1_j5g096b wrote

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deadfisher t1_j5gqxpi wrote

The commenter you replied to said bacteria "influences" the brain, and provided a source to that effect. I don't know where you got the idea that anybody - but you - said anything about completely controlling the brain.

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pugmastaflex t1_j5h2ekl wrote

The commenter implied otherwise by introducing “blame”. If my bacteria pressure me and I listen to them as opposed to exert my sentient willpower, then I am still to blame. Suggesting otherwise means I no longer have control, which is what the responder derived. I think maybe there was just a completely understandable miscommunication between these two and nobody is hurling insults. Gut microbiome absolutely influences our cravings, which is why stool transplants from healthy individuals can sometimes work to change the eating habits of someone obese.

It’s all super interesting!

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Defiant-Taro4522 t1_j5h51a6 wrote

>The commenter implied otherwise by introducing “blame”. If my bacteria pressure me and I listen to them as opposed to exert my sentient willpower, then I am still to blame. Suggesting otherwise means I no longer have control, which is what the responder derived.

Yes, that's how I saw it. I also see now that I misunderstood what the other person was trying to communicate.

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PanickedPoodle t1_j5g0tuu wrote

Dude, I gave you one link because you said you had never seen anything on the topic. There are thousands. Go do some research if you're interested in the topic.

I'm not trying to confirm a bias with all this. I just like the science. Continue on with blaming people for their weight or bad health or whatever floats your boat.

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[deleted] t1_j5g56dj wrote

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ShiraCheshire t1_j5gnjpn wrote

No one here ever said humans are slaves to bacteria. When did anyone say that? You're knocking down a strawman you set up yourself. All they said is that bacteria influences the brain.

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vkashen t1_j5hgy6a wrote

> we decide what we consume

As far as we know now... ;) Scientific determinations are ever changing as more data comes to light.

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Wallabills t1_j5h5qeb wrote

bacteria aren't battling though?? most microbes produce signaling molecules dependent on their environment and may shift their chemical output dependant on other microbes present. but it's not all out war all the time. it's just a bunch of little organisms excreting chemicals because substrates were available. we do contain colonies though

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skillywilly56 t1_j5hsprj wrote

Bacteria produce antibiotics as a defense mechanism against neighboring microbes to secure their patch, so it’s a kind of all out chemical war for supremacy because they evolve so quickly.

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