New Research Finds The Gay Men's "Rearrange My Guts" Joke For Sex Is Actually Real?

[RAMROD 117,114]

New research reveals that gay men tend to have a distinctive mix of gut bacteria that is more similar to people from traditional cultures than Western cultures. This surprising finding suggests that sexual orientation and practices may shape our microbiome in ways we are just beginning to understand.

In the study published in Cell Host & Microbe, researchers analysed stool samples from 93 gay men and 31 straight men using DNA sequencing. They found gay men had much more diverse gut bacteria compared to straight men.
 

Specifically, gay men had high levels of bacteria from the Prevotella genus. These bacteria are abundant in people from traditional hunter-gatherer and rural farming cultures in developing nations. They are adapted to plant-heavy diets that are high in fibre and low in fat and animal protein.

In contrast, straight men had high levels of Bacteroides bacteria, which predominate in Western cultures with diets heavy in animal fat and protein.

Overall, the microbiome of gay men in the study shared about 33 of their 50 most common gut bacteria species with traditional cultures. They only shared 15 species in common with typical Western people.

This finding raises the obvious question — why do gay men have gut bacteria that are so much more similar to traditional cultures than their Western counterparts?

The researchers believe the reason comes down to differences in sexual practices and lifestyles between gay and straight men. Specifically, they found links between certain intimate acts and presence of Prevotella bacteria.

For example, 70% of the gay men had multiple strains of a specific type of Prevotella bacteria called Segatella copri, compared to only 30% of straight men. The Segatella copri bacteria is adapted to colonize the mucus membranes found in the rectum and mouth.

The study suggests that certain sexual practices common in gay men provide an environment that favours growth of Prevotella strains like Segatella copri. In turn, these bacteria can potentially influence health in ways we don’t yet fully grasp.

This research demonstrates how sexual orientation and intimate behaviours may lead to radical differences in gut microbiome composition. For such a fundamental factor impacting health, it’s surprising sexual practices are rarely considered in microbiome studies.

The findings illustrate we need to look beyond the usual factors like diet, medication, lifestyle, and ethnicity when interpreting microbiome data. Sexual orientation is shaping microbiomes too, but you cannot tell that from a stool sample alone!

As intimate practices can deeply impact the microbiome, perhaps we need to reconsider “normal” when it comes to bacteria. The Prevotella-dominated gut signature in gay men is linked to better health outcomes in some studies.

Much more research is needed to unravel the complex influences of sex and sexuality on the gut microbiome. But these early findings suggest intimate behaviours may lead to radical differences in our gut ecosystems. 

https://medium.com/science-and-medicine-in-everyday-language/gay-men-tend-to-have-different-gut-bacteria-9ed2bd4f2ccb

 

[Bling 31,680]

It's the white stuff 

[ALGAYDO 35,135]

Come re-arrange my gut biome, daddy 

[garbage day 11,817]

"They are adapted to plant-heavy diets that are high in fibre and low in fat and animal protein."

Ahhh. Now it makes sense.

[Borisapillar 10,128]

well yes

[Roughhouse Dandy 13,614]

As with most things, queer people are the blueprint. 

[crazygato 610]

So this is why whenever i eat meat, dairy, and processed foods my stool comes out smelling like a corpse?! 

And when I eat veggies, grains,  and fruit it comes out almost odorless! 

More fruits and veggies for me! Thnx for the info!!!

 

[Guest]

Drink kombucha 

[Didymus 34,380]

Same-sex activities were much more standard in these traditional cultures, so this is surprising yet it makes sense. Most people don't know this but the very idea that same-sex eroticism should be outlawed was literally invented only around two thousand years ago and is truly a staple of Western culture specifically, however many other cultures have imported it or been forced to import it through colonialism and imperialism. Anthropologists have known for a long time that traditional cultures (with only limited exposure to colonialism/imperialism) intentionally perform heteronormativity for Western researchers until they feel more safe and their generally pro-homosexual practices emerge.

Highly recommend reading "The Origins and Role of Same-Sex Relations in Human Societies" by James Neill. History is squarely on the side of queerdom, it's empowering.

[Helxig 45,366]

6 hours ago, hieronymus said:

"They are adapted to plant-heavy diets that are high in fibre and low in fat and animal protein."

Ahhh. Now it makes sense.

Doesn't this sentence alone answer the question... gay men are more diet conscious and are more likely to be vegan/vegetarian and take a lot of fibre for obvious reasons. Is there even a correlation to sexual practises at all? Or is that just a random connection they've put together

[Didymus 34,380]

1 hour ago, Helxig said:

Doesn't this sentence alone answer the question... gay men are more diet conscious and are more likely to be vegan/vegetarian and take a lot of fibre for obvious reasons. Is there even a correlation to sexual practises at all? Or is that just a random connection they've put together

From the article:

Specifically, they found links between certain intimate acts and presence of Prevotella bacteria.

For example, 70% of the gay men had multiple strains of a specific type of Prevotella bacteria called Segatella copri, compared to only 30% of straight men. The Segatella copri bacteria is adapted to colonize the mucus membranes found in the rectum and mouth.

The study suggests that certain sexual practices common in gay men provide an environment that favours growth of Prevotella strains like Segatella copri. In turn, these bacteria can potentially influence health in ways we don’t yet fully grasp.

[Helxig 45,366]

1 hour ago, Didymus said:

From the article:

Specifically, they found links between certain intimate acts and presence of Prevotella bacteria.

For example, 70% of the gay men had multiple strains of a specific type of Prevotella bacteria called Segatella copri, compared to only 30% of straight men. The Segatella copri bacteria is adapted to colonize the mucus membranes found in the rectum and mouth.

The study suggests that certain sexual practices common in gay men provide an environment that favours growth of Prevotella strains like Segatella copri. In turn, these bacteria can potentially influence health in ways we don’t yet fully grasp.

Thanks for the info that I clearly glossed over. That's crazy! And we're only just starting to learn that our microbiome could possibly influence so much else with our bodies. I'm so curious what this could even mean. Maybe it accounts for the fact the more sexually active gays are also the biggest bitches   they got too much of the crazy bacteria

[AsleepOnTheCeiling 6,974]

1 hour ago, Didymus said:

From the article:

Specifically, they found links between certain intimate acts and presence of Prevotella bacteria.

For example, 70% of the gay men had multiple strains of a specific type of Prevotella bacteria called Segatella copri, compared to only 30% of straight men. The Segatella copri bacteria is adapted to colonize the mucus membranes found in the rectum and mouth.

The study suggests that certain sexual practices common in gay men provide an environment that favours growth of Prevotella strains like Segatella copri. In turn, these bacteria can potentially influence health in ways we don’t yet fully grasp.

I don't understand how the study  suggests the bacteria is caused by the sexual practices. Like where is the causation? Correlation does not equate causation?

[Diamond Blood 4,552]

7 hours ago, Agunimon said:

Drink cumbootyugh

Fixed for @InTheCloset 

[Economy 52,861]

The sample study size seems too small to arrive at any definite conclusions tho. I take studies like this with a grain of salt.

 

31 straight men? Too much statistical margin for error with that