Unbeknownst to many of us, almost everything we do every day has the potential to influence our gut microflora. This prospect may seem terrifying for some, seeing as more and more research is being released showing strong correlations between gut microflora and our general well being. If you touch almost any surface, it is likely that you picked up some microbes from said surface, and a simple touch of the lips is more than enough to get those microbes to pass into the gut microflora. However, it is unlikely that the microbes involved are harmful in any way, although the possibility exists. I will analyze some scenarios where a specific action exhibited by an individual could cause some effect on said individuals microflora.
One example of this would simply be diet. One’s diet can offer up a direct route for microbes hitchhiking a ride on food straight into that persons gut. But, just as in the touching a surface example, it is unlikely that this would have any sort of negative impact on the individual. Well, assuming that the person is consuming food that has been deemed edible. Something like raw chicken would almost definitely have a negative effect on a persons microflora, by introducing Salmonella into the gut, a bacteria known to be harmful to humans. However, many of the foods we eat are generally going to have little effect on our microflora. Some foods have even been touted to have great beneficial effects on microflora, such as the probiotic drink: kefir. This drink is essentially comprised of slightly fermented milk, and is full of bacteria. This may seem unhygienic, but this drink and many other probiotic drinks have been linked to improved gut health.
One obscure way that one could alter their gut microflora is by engaging in anal sex. Mucous membranes on the human body are full of bacteria, as their purpose in some regions are to actually entrap bacteria to prevent them from causing harm. This is the case in areas like the nose, where mucous is produced to entrap bacteria, and then as a person swallows that mucous, the bacteria are subject to the extremely low pH levels in the stomach, and likely die. There are thin mucous membranes found on the head of the penis, and are likely capable of entrapping bacteria in much the same way. When engaging in anal sex, the participants are essentially inoculating the gut of the recipient with the microbes on the penis. Because the introduction of foreign bacteria into this area of the gut would never happen naturally, I am inclined to say that this would be likely to cause some sort of negative effect on gut microflora, but I have no evidence to back my claim. Thus, I will simply state that this could feasibly have some positive, negative, or neutral effect on the gut.
In conclusion, given the examples described above, there are many ways that gut microflora can be changed due to a persons actions. Even touching a surface could potentially have some sort of effect on the microflora, and in turn, ones overall health.