Changes in the human body in 10 minutes after bathing?

According to a recently published study, even if you swim in the sea for just 10 minutes, the composition of bacteria that covers the human skin will change dramatically. Of course, it’s not necessarily bad, but some of these bacteria are said to cause diseases, disrupt the microbiome, or the microbial ecosystem that lives in the human body and increase the risk of infection.

To confirm this, the UC Irvine research team conducted a survey of people who enjoy swimming on the beach. These were people who did not use sunscreen, did not bathe within 12 hours, and did not use antibiotics in the past 6 months. For nine volunteers, skin samples were taken from the back of the calf before swimming, allowed to swim in the sea for 10 minutes, dried completely, and then collected skin samples again. Another six hours and a day later, samples were taken.

The volunteer’s microbiome was different from before swimming in the sea and was easily distinguishable. The researchers say that while swimming, germs from the body are washed away and sea bacteria accumulate on the skin. Of course, microbiome changes are temporary and most of them return to their original state within 24 hours.

But there are also worrisome consequences. It was detected by all 9 people of the bacteria present in the sea called Vibrio. Most of the Vibrio bacteria are basically harmless, but they cause infectious diseases such as cholera, and although rare in people with weakened immune systems, they can also cause wound infection. Of course, the research team identified that Vibrio bacteria existed, but did not identify a specific type, but it is believed that these bacteria were attracted to human skin because Vibrio bacteria were found in the skin of volunteers at a higher rate than the surrounding seawater.

The researchers say that the fact that Vibrio was found again in the skin after swimming suggests that Vibrio is likely to remain after swimming. The results of this experiment were presented at the American Society of Microbiology. This research is still incomplete, but it can be said that it is a study that supports that among tourists who enjoy swimming in the sea, those who swim in the sea are more likely to fall into physical condition such as abdominal pain or otitis media. Although most of the responsibility may be called microorganisms that invade the human body, the research team is suspicious that the whole sea bacteria may also affect the microbiome of the skin and cause disease.

The research team said recent studies have shown that the human skin microbiome plays an important role in the immune system, localization and systemic disease, and infection. To maintain a healthy microbiome, it is necessary to protect against pathogenic bacteria colonization and infection. When going to the sea in the future, it would be better to take a shower after swimming and not put seawater in your mouth. Related information can be found here .