August 22nd, 2026| Topic: RaMbLeS | 0

The critters in your bowels could make you psycho saith researchers from the University of Porto, Portugal, and the University of Oxford, U.K., in “Gut and Oral Microbiota Composition Is Associated with Psychopathic Personality,” set for publication—but not yet peer-reviewed—in Translational Psychiatry.

It is bound to be controversial, but the authors claim to have discovered a link between the specific balance of microflora in the gut and psychopathic behavior—a personality construct characterized by lack of empathy, poor behavior control, as well as antisocial and in extreme cases criminal behavior.

We hypothesized that the composition of the gut and oral microbiota may be associated with subclinical psychopathic personality traits.”

The scientists examined the answers of 200 adult participants who filled out a questionnaire that was specifically designed to measure psychopathic traits. They also analyzed blood, saliva, and fecal samples from the participants for bacterial composition.

Those who showed stronger psychopathic traits had a higher abundance of three kinds of bacteria when compared to those with weaker psychopathic traits.

Allisonella, Prevotella, and Cloacibacillus evryensis showed significant positive associations with psychopathy scores, while Treponema vincentii was negatively associated.

The roles of these microbacteria range from helping in digestion and other metabolic processes, to assisting in warding off infections.

Allisonella’s potential to drive low-grade inflammation, a key factor in psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and depression, suggests a possible link to psychopathy. Prevotella has also been linked to differences in brain regions responsible for emotional, attentional and sensory processing, leading to a deficit in specificity of encoding contextual details of incoming stimuli. Although Cloacibacillus, which has not been flagged before in the gut-brain axis context, it has been identified as a potential producer of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the gut—a key of mental health.”

Of course, the findings are only associational.

As findings are correlational, causality cannot be established, especially given the bidirectionality of microbiota-brain communication.”

Gut may influence brain, but brain may also influence gut.

For instance, psychopathy-linked factors, such as eating behaviors and hormonal differences could be responsible for shaping gut microbiota composition.”

Besides, the sample size was on the smaller side and relied on self-reported findings, which could greatly skew results as they’re susceptible to bias.

There were a few psychopaths in the psalmist’s life, so much so, he appealed to God to be as violent to them, as they were to others.

If You, God, would [only] kill the wicked.
So, men of bloodshed, depart from me,
who are speaking against You deceitfully,
and Your foes [who] lift up [Your name] in worthlessness.
Is it not [so] that the ones hating you, Yahweh, I hate,
and those who rise up against You, I loathe?
With utter hatred, I hate them;
enemies they have become to me.
Examine me, God, and know my heart;
try me, and know my disquieted mind;
and see if there is a path of idolatry way in me,
and lead me in the path of antiquity.
Psalm 139:19–24

The songwriter, adducing his uprightness, seeks help from God to rid him of his oppressors. And, a “disquieted mind,” he confesses he has. Sounds like he had consumed far too many Allisonellas, Prevotellas, and Cloacibacilli, himself, just like his psychopathic oppressors.

But thankfully, despite the violence he wants wrought upon the wicked, he doesn’t take any action himself (neither does he plan to do so—a fact that is true of all such imprecatory prayers in the Psalms). Instead he appeals to the God of justice to take vengeance on those who violate deity’s holiness.

Eat carefully!

SOURCES (of ideas, numbers, and words): Futurism; Science Alert; Translationsal Psychiatry