Bacteria That Can Increase Intelligence

Environments provide anything for humans to become more intelligent. Including a type of bacteria that live in soil, which, according to research can improve the intelligence in mammals.

The main habitat called Mycobacterium vaccae bacteria that is on the ground. Because the overwhelming numbers, the bacteria are believed to be very easy to get into the human body through food or air when on the move outdoors.

According to research quoted by the ScienceDaily, Wednesday (05/26/2010), the bacteria M. vaccae has antidepressant effect also can improve learning ability in mammals (mammals). The study was conducted by a team from The Sage Colleges in New York.

In previous studies, the bacteria that can be easily killed if exposed to heat it to a group of mice injected. Inside the brain tissue, the bacteria stimulated the formation of neurons that can increase serotonin production, so

reduce anxiety.

"Because serotonin also plays a role in improving learning ability, then it should also be educated the M. vaccae rats," said Dorothy Matthews, one of the researchers.

Matthews is in the study had collaborated with his colleague Susan Jenks then continued experimentation. Mice that were fed bacteria tested for its ability to traverse a maze, and compared the speed with which the control rats did not eat the bacteria.

The result, mice that ate the bacteria can get through the maze faster than the control rats. Similarly, the level of anxiety, in rats fed the test bacteria was observed lower.

In the second experiment, the diet of bacteria is stopped, and the tests to be done through the maze again. The result, the speed test to get through the maze of rats decreased on average though still faster than the control rats.

The third experiment performed after a diet of bacteria is stopped for three weeks. Although the speed through a maze test in rats is still faster, but the difference was not statistically significant.

This last experiment also shows that the effect of bacteria is only temporary or temporary. When the diet was stopped, the intelligence obtained by the test rats is reduced.

Although only temporary, the results of this study led to speculation. If activities outside the classroom learning propagated, then the possibility of inhaling the bacteria M. vaccae effect is getting larger and the students became more intelligent.

The study was presented at the general meeting of the American Society for Microbiology 110th held in San Diego.