Researchers tested squirrel microbiomes and analyzed the animals' stress hormones. Their study appears in the journal Biology Letters.
Microbiomes are communities of micro-organisms living in and on the bodies of all living things, including people. Found in the mouth and gut and on the skin, microbiomes consist of a mix of beneficial and potentially harmful bacteria that changes constantly and can affect their host's health.
"A diverse microbiome is generally a good thing for your health - it's why people take probiotics," said lead researcher Mason Stothart, a former undergraduate student in the Department of Integrative Biology.
"We wanted to understand the relationship between the microbiome and stress. The greater the stress in the squirrels, the less bacterial diversity they had, which can be an indicator of poor health."
Stothart and a Laurentian University graduate student trapped squirrels in Algonquin Park in Ontario. They took mouth swabs and fecal samples, which were then analyzed in a lab.
The researchers found that microbiomes were more diverse in squirrels with lower stress hormones.
"As a second part of the experiment, we captured the same squirrels two weeks later, and found that if stress levels increased, some bacteria that are potentially harmful also increased," said Stothart.
This study is the first of its kind to be conducted in a natural environment, said Prof. Amy Newman, senior author of the study and Stothart's supervisor.
"This is the first demonstration that there is a link between stress and microbiome diversity in the wild," Newman said.
"Conducting this study in a natural environment provides a more realistic look at the microbiome and its potential link to stress and health."
The researchers now plan to vary the microbiome to see whether it's impacted by stress, or the other way around, said Newman.
"Bacterial diversity within animals and people is emerging as an essential component of health, and this study provides data that shows the link between low stress and a healthy microbiome."
Journal Reference:
- Mason R. Stothart, Colleen B. Bobbie, Albrecht I. Schulte-Hostedde, Rudy Boonstra, Rupert Palme, Nadia C. S. Mykytczuk, Amy E. M. Newman. Stress and the microbiome: linking glucocorticoids to bacterial community dynamics in wild red squirrels. Biology Letters, January 2015 DOI
It means nature openly favors stupid ignorant selfish assholes who only care about themselves, are completely self-absorbed, oblivious and narcissistic, and literally couldn't care less about anyone or anything else in their lives or the world. Nature has made 'not caring' and 'not stressing' a survival advantage!! (Look around; pretty obvious, isn't it?)
On the other hand, if you are worried about the future of mankind, if you cringe at the news of the world, if you fight back tears at the thought of the suffering of innocents, well, Mother Nature will reward you with a microbiome in your gut conducive to disease and early demise. Nice, huh?
As SOTT readers, it seems we are all at risk of ill health due to our concern and caring for the suffering of others. Altruism is fundamentally unhealthy. Selfishness, self-absorption, and utter unawareness is what makes for a long and happy life. Uncaring obliviousness is rewarded with longevity. Unawareness and insensitivity RULE! Ignorance truly is BLISS.
Translation: Mother Nature/Dog is an unmitigated ASSHOLE!!
But then again with scum like David Rockefeller (SIX heart transplants and still going!) and Ancel Keyes living to well over 100 years, and scum like Soros, Cheney and countless others of their ancient evil ilk still going strong, the fact that nature favors selfishness should come as no surprise to any and all SOTT readers, I am very sad to say...... :-(
However, please let me add one GOOD thing here, due to my utterly unrepentant, self-destructive altruism and boundless love for YOU, my fellow SOTT readers, regardless of the effect it may have on my health (Mother Nature be damned to hell!):
The absolute BEST probiotic factors I have ever used is the "Prescript Assist" brand, which utilizes SOIL based microbes, instead of lacto-bacillus, which all require MILK to flourish. Our ancient ancestors continually ate foods plucked straight from the ground, still swarming with SOIL bacteria, and THAT is what adults need for optimal health. In our infancy, when we drink only mother's milk, lactose-based probiotic factors make real sense. But as we aged, our ancient ancestors got their gut bacteria replenished with organisms from the soil.
This is unquestionably the finest probiotic I have ever tried. Maybe it will work for you, too. Good luck and good health!
All the best to everyone!
WS