How Living With Roommates Affects Your Gut Microbiome

Living with roommates may be subtly reshaping your gut microbiome through the transfer of bacteria, according to recent research that highlights how close social connections influence microbial communities independent of shared environment or diet.

A study from the University of East Anglia found that individuals living with friends or family exchange gut microbes through close contact, with certain bacteria spreading between people even when they do not share meals or living spaces in ways that would typically facilitate microbial transfer.

This microbial exchange occurs not only through direct contact but also via shared surfaces and airborne particles, suggesting that the gut microbiome can be influenced by the people we live with in ways that go beyond conventional explanations like shared food or hygiene practices.