Study Links Low Oral Microbiome Diversity to Depression Symptoms
New Delhi: Published in BMC Oral Health, a new study led by researchers at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing reveals that individuals with less diverse oral microbiomes are more likely to experience symptoms of depression. This research sheds light on the underexplored connection between oral bacteria and mental health.
The mouth, home to between 500 billion and 1 trillion bacteria, houses the second-largest community of microorganisms in the human body after the gut. This new research emphasizes that the oral microbiome may play a role in mood disorders.
To explore this connection, researchers examined data from over 15,000 U.S. adults aged 18 and older, drawn from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between 2009 and 2012. Participants completed surveys measuring depression symptoms, and provided saliva samples that underwent gene sequencing to identify bacterial content and assess microbiome diversity.
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