3 ms·
If it works both directions - almost makes me wonder if there are bacteria that can manipulate our brains (causing picky eating) to get their preferred food and
by klipt 7y ago
If it works both directions - almost makes me wonder if there are bacteria that can manipulate our brains (causing picky eating) to get their preferred food and keep themselves in the majority in the gut.
Regulatory capture for bacteria.
I mean, look at what Toxoplasma gondii does to mice...
- Nadya 7y agoThere is quite a bit of evidence to suggest that actually [0]. [0] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/bies.201400071 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/bies.201400...
- dTal 7y agoKnowing what we now know, it would be surprising if that weren't the case. What's the likelihood of no bacteria figuring out that trick? Given the selection pressures involved, we might even expect most gut bacteria to do that.
- keiru 7y agoSo changing dietary habits is not just about challenging your reward system, but also starving out the invasor? Imagine a world where you can buy your food tastes through a yogurt.
- antisemiotic 7y agoFortunately, they're not influencing gut flora research to make humans treat some species preferentially. This would be way too complex for simple creatures that don't have their own nervous system.