Research indicated that having a dog in the home might enhance adolescents’ mental wellness via shifts in the microbiome. Scientists hypothesized that the favorable effect is linked not only to emotional support but also to microbial symbiosis. iScience reports on this.
The study’s author, Takefumi Kikusui from Azabu University, noted that living with a dog is especially beneficial for teenagers, and this might stem from interaction with microorganisms. Previously, his team found that teens raised with dogs had greater social aptitude and support levels, along with a distinct gut microbiome composition, specifically showing greater bacterial variety.
In a recent trial, researchers administered the microbiome from the oral cavities of dog-owning teens into laboratory mice. The animals began to display more sociable conduct, spending more time interacting with other mice.
Kikusui emphasized that bacteria associated with empathy and prosocial behavior were identified in the microbiome of these adolescents. Scholars believe that the millennia-long coexistence of humans and dogs fostered these microbial associations, which may now positively affect mental states.
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