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Even mild blows to the head disrupt the microbiome

Source: NatureView Original
scienceMay 18, 2026

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Zachary Pelland (centre, red jersey) and his colleagues studied the microbiomes of American football players. Credit: Rich Barnes/Colgate Athletics (CC-BY-4.0)

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Scientists have found evidence that knocks to the head that do not cause noticeable symptoms are linked to both long- and short-term changes in the populations of microorganisms in the human gut1.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-01504-w

References

- Pelland, Z. J., Zafar, A., Ay, A. A. & Belanger, K. D. PLoS ONE 21, e0345651 (2026).

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Even mild blows to the head disrupt the microbiome | TrendPulse