Now in paperback, evolutionary biologist and science writer Alanna Collen’s stunning alarm call concerning the widely-ignored role our gut microbes play in our health and well-being. “Fascinating…. Everything you wanted to know about microbes but were afraid to ask.”— Kirkus Reviews (starred review) You are just 10% human. For every one of the cells that make up the vessel that you call your body, there are nine impostor cells hitching a ride. You are not just flesh and blood, muscle and bone, brain and skin, but also bacteria and fungi. Over your lifetime, you will carry the equivalent weight of five African elephants in microbes. You are not an individual but a colony. Until recently, we had thought our microbes hardly mattered, but science is revealing a different story, one in which microbes run our bodies and becoming a healthy human is impossible without them. In this riveting, shocking, and beautifully written book, biologist Alanna Collen draws on the latest scientific research to show how our personal colony of microbes influences our weight, our immune system, our mental health, and even our choice of partner. She argues that so many of our modern diseases—obesity, autism, mental illness, digestive disorders, allergies, autoimmunity afflictions, and even cancer—have their root in our failure to cherish our most fundamental and enduring relationship: that with our personal colony of microbes. The good news is that unlike our human cells, we can change our microbes for the better. Collen’s book is a revelatory and indispensable guide. Life—and your body—will never seem the same again.

Learn the secret to total, lifelong health: the teeming world of microbes inside and all around us Modern-day science has allowed us to prolong and improve life in astonishing ways, often by fending off germs and other invisible foes. But there’s no “immunity” to the inevitable signs of aging . . . or is there? In The Whole-Body Microbiome, the father-daughter team of Dr. Brett Finlay (a microbiologist) and Dr. Jessica Finlay (a specialist on aging) offers a different—and truly revolutionary—solution to the quest for the fountain of youth. While much has been written about bacteria in the gut, exciting new research shows that there are millions of microbes both inside our bodies—supporting our brain, teeth, heart, lungs, bones, immune system, and more; plus the microbes on our bodies, coming from the air we breathe and the things we touch all day long—cell phones and kitchen sponges, pets and doorknobs, and even other humans. These microbial “lifelong companions” have an immense impact on our daily health—and, as groundbreaking research is showing, they have the power to help prevent and reverse the most common age-related diseases. In this eye-opening new take on the significance of the microbiome, the Finlays offer empowering knowledge, surprising myth-busters, and simple yet effective daily tips that prove “dirty” is the new clean. Whether it’s by changing your diet, enjoying a glass of wine, getting more exercise, trading your antibacterial gel for good old soap and water, or spending more time outdoors, you can change your life today; so that you and your microbes live long—and prosper.

Written by the leading researchers in the field, this information-rich guide to improving your mood explains how gut health drives psychological well-being, and how depression and anxiety can be relieved by adjusting your intestinal bacteria. This groundbreaking book explains the revolutionary new science of psychobiotics and the discovery that your brain health and state of mind are intimately connected to your microbiome, that four-pound population of microbes living inside your intestines. Leading medical researchers John F. Cryan and Ted Dinan, working with veteran journalist Scott C. Anderson, explain how common mental health problems, particularly depression and anxiety, can be improved by caring for the intestinal microbiome. Science is proving that a healthy gut means a healthy mind—and this book details the steps you can take to change your mood and improve your life by nurturing your microbiome.

"Eyeopening... Fascinating... may presage a paradigm shift in medicine.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Teeming with information and big ideas... Outstanding.” —Booklist (starred review) The origin of asthma, autism, Alzheimer's, allergies, cancer, heart disease, obesity, and even some kinds of depression is now clear. Award-winning researcher on the microbiome, professor Rodney Dietert presents a new paradigm in human biology that has emerged in the midst of the ongoing global epidemic of noncommunicable diseases. The Human Superorganism makes a sweeping, paradigm-shifting argument. It demolishes two fundamental beliefs that have blinkered all medical thinking until very recently: 1) Humans are better off as pure organisms free of foreign microbes; and 2) the human genome is the key to future medical advances. The microorganisms that we have sought to eliminate have been there for centuries supporting our ancestors. They comprise as much as 90 percent of the cells in and on our bodies—a staggering percentage! More than a thousand species of them live inside us, on our skin, and on our very eyelashes. Yet we have now significantly reduced their power and in doing so have sparked an epidemic of noncommunicable diseases—which now account for 63 percent of all human deaths. Ultimately, this book is not just about microbes; it is about a different way to view humans. The story that Dietert tells of where the new biology comes from, how it works, and the ways in which it affects your life is fascinating, authoritative, and revolutionary. Dietert identifies foods that best serve you, the superorganism; not new fad foods but ancient foods that have made sense for millennia. He explains protective measures against unsafe chemicals and drugs. He offers an empowering self-care guide and the blueprint for a revolution in public health. We are not what we have been taught. Each of us is a superorganism. The best path to a healthy life is through recognizing that profound truth.

This book offers a new plan for health that focuses on how to nourish your microbiota, including recipes and a menu plan. The authors show how we can strengthen the community that inhabits our gut and thereby improve our own health. They look at safe alternatives to antibiotics; dietary and lifestyle choices to encourage microbial health; the management of the aging microb? and the nourishment of your own individual microbiome.

This book offers a unique perspective on the invisible organ, a body part that has been visualized only recently. It guides the readers into the world of the microbial constituents that make humans the way they are. The vitamins they produce, the smell they generate, the signals they create, and the molecular guards they elaborate are some of the benefits they bestow on humans. After introducing the notion as to why microbes are an integral component in the development of humans, the book examines the genesis of the microbiome and describes how the resident bacteria work in partnership with the skin, digestive tract, sexual organs, mouth and lungs to execute vital physiological functions. It then discusses the diseases that are triggered by the disruption of the harmonious relationships amongst these diverse systems and provides microbial cures to ailments such as obesity and digestive complications. Finally, the book focuses on the future when the workings of the human microbes will be fully unravelled. Societal changes in health education, the establishment of the microbiome bank, the fight against hunger, space travel, designer traits and enhanced security are explained. Each chapter is accompanied by captivating illustrations and ends with a visual summary. Dr. Appanna has been researching for over 30 years on various aspects of microbial and human cellular systems. He is a professor of biochemistry and has also served as Department Chair and Dean of the Faculty at Laurentian University, Sudbury, Canada. The book is aimed at readers enrolled in medical, chiropractic, nursing, pharmacy, and health science programs. Practicing health-care professionals and continuing education learners will also find the content beneficial.

Immerse Yourself in Nature and Nourish Your Microbiome for Optimal Health For too long our bodies have been viewed as capsules, sealed off and protected from 'bugs' by our immune systems and an arsenal of antibiotics, pesticides, processed foods, and antibacterial soaps. The more insulated from nature, the better. The Secret Life of Your Microbiome shatters this deeply held myth, presenting a revolutionary new paradigm, backed by vast science; we're deeply connected to the biodiversity of nature through our microbiomes, the rich microbial ecosystem of our guts and skin, and this connection is essential to health and happiness. From sugar-rich diets wiping out good gut bacteria and exacerbating depression, to microbes mediating phytonutrient absorption in the brain, to inflammation and cancer, the influence of biodiversity on our bodies is everywhere. The great communicator is our immune system, a 'mobile brain' that interacts with micro-organisms in and around us with profound health consequences. Written with pace, clarity, and humor by world-renowned scientists in immunology, nutrition, and environmental health, The Secret Life of Your Microbiome makes the irrefutable case that health and happiness depends fundamentally on the health of biodiversity, and shows how we can nurture this nature. Dr. Susan L. Prescott, MD, PhD is an internationally acclaimed immunologist and pediatrician. She has authored 250 scientific papers and The Allergy Epidemic , The Calling , and Origins . Dr. Alan C. Logan ND is a naturopathic doctor and researcher, a trusted media commentator, and co-author of Your Brain on Nature and The Clear Skin Diet . He and Prescott live in New York and Perth, Australia.