Can a microbe in soil alter your brain chemistry to improve your mood?

There are so many colorful demands in gardening, but there is one in particular that has been a tour recently: “The ground is an antidepressant.”

According to this idea, adopted by countless publications on social networks, Vaccae mycobacterium– A microbe found naturally in the ground – can really stimulate your mood. Everything you have apparently doing to experience this advantage is to get your hands in contact with the earth. The bacteria would be absorbed by your skin or inhaled air, and they will quickly get to work to transform your chemistry from the brain for the best. But is all this a little too good to be true?

Although the complaint may initially seem more than a little bizarre, there has in fact had a range of studies on the effect of this microbe on a variety of conditions, from eczema to cancer. In fact, Mr. Vaccae was isolated for the first time in Uganda soil samples by scientists who seek to find a harmless cousin of the mortal Mycobacterium tuberculosis This could be used as a form of immunotherapy.

The interest of researchers in its potential application to help depression was stung when people with lung cancer are treated with bacteria have reported improvements in their quality of life as an unexpected but welcome side effect. And so far, this effect improving mood seems to have been reproduced in a number of well -designed studies. Picked an avalanche of memes of social media.

Now, here is the disadvantage: all the studies that have explicitly undertaken to test this hypothesis have been carried out in mice, not on humans. This is important, because the results of animal experiences are generally reproduced in people. For example, a review of 76 animal studies revealed that only 37% were repeated in human studies.

In addition to that, the mice used in the Mr. Vaccae Studies were males from a particular consanguineous strain. If you are wondering if the researchers administered bacteria by saturating the air in the cages with it or by applying it directly to the skin, well, either. All the studies I could find involved either injecting bacteria into the blood circulation of the mouse or mixing it in their food.

As a person fascinated by the growing evidence that suggests spending time in green spaces Mr. Vaccae product. However, despite the conviction with which this assertion is put forward on the internet, it is now true to say that “the soil is an antidepressant” if you are a male mouse which has been injected with a purified form of bacteria found there – and since you read this, I suppose you are not.

James Wong is a scientific botanist and writer, with a particular interest in food cultures, conservation and the environment. Trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in London, he shares his small apartment with more than 500 indoor plants. You can follow it on X and Instagram @botanygeek

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