That stress is one of the scourges of our time is out of the question: this excess of tension is blamed for digestive ailments, sleep disorders, depression or cardiovascular ailments . Now, a study carried out by researchers at the University of Guelph, in Ontario (Canada), has found a physiological link to explain the deterioration in health that this chronic alert state brings: its effects on the microbiome, that is, the “ zoo ”of microorganisms that inhabit the interior of our body and fulfill essential functions for its proper functioning.
As reported in the specialized journal Biology Letters , the scientists focused on the population of common squirrels ( Sciurus vulgaris ) that live in the Algonquin Provincial Park, in Ontario, from which they took samples of their saliva and feces. Thus they were able to verify that the squirrels with more stress hormones in their body had a poor , not very diverse microbiome. And the opposite was also true: specimens that supposedly led a calmer life harbored a richer fauna of microbes in their skin or digestive system, for example.
Two weeks later, the scientists repeated the analysis and found another interesting correlation: Squirrels that experienced a significant increase in stress-related hormones in that time period also began to have more potentially harmful bacteria.
The study, the first of its kind conducted in animals living in their natural environment, confirms the relationship between a low level of stress and a diverse and healthy microbiome , according to its authors.
