Gut health linked to sexual health in the panda and perhaps us?

An interesting study published online in the journal Ecology and Evolution came to the conclusion that the health of a panda's gut microbiota can affect their libido. It can affect how keen they are to have sex.

Although the scientists haven't discovered a direct causation between the type of bacteria in a panda's gut and how keen they were to have sex, there is an association according to the study. And it is tentatively proposed that a similar finding could be made in respect of humans.

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It's known that in general the panda is not a very reliable stud. In general, my understanding is that they are not very keen on sex. Between male pandas, they can either be reliable studs which means 'capable of mating' or disinterested. 

They analysed the animals' gut bacteria and found that the gut bacteria of pandas in the group that were disinterested in sex was different to those who were capable of mating.

One difference was there was a low abundance of the bacterium Clostridium sensustricto. The researchers suggested that it was worth seeing whether dietary supplements alongside a wider range of bamboo might assist disinterested pandas perform to in the bedroom.

And they have further suggested that the same sort of improvements might occur in humans. In fact, a study from 2021 published in Translational Andrology and Urology use an almost identical methodology. The study looked at 60 men aged between 20 and 40 with and without erectile dysfunction.

They found that those that had problems with sex had a less diverse gut bacteria. A further study found that women with low libido had a gut bacteria "signature".

And we already know that the quality of a person's gut bacteria is very important to general well-being in various ways including supporting and enhancing their immune system to affecting hormones positively and behaviour and emotions. The scientists believe that gut bacteria can affect a person's sex drive.

The big caveat is that these studies have not proved causation meaning they have seen a pattern in terms of gut bacteria and libido in pandas but they have not found a direct causation between gut bacteria and low sex drive in pandas.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.