Follow your gut : the enormous impact of tiny microbes
(Book)

Includes bibliographical references (pages 99-114).

Allergies, asthma, obesity, stomachaches, acne: these are just a few of the conditions that may be caused -- and cured -- by the microscopic life inside us. Understand how to use groundbreaking science to improve your health, mood, and more. In just the last few years, scientists have shown how the microscopic ecosystem within our bodies -- particularly within our intestines -- has an astonishing impact on our lives. Scientist Rob Knight and science journalist Brendan Buhler explain why these new findings matters to everyone. You are mostly not you. The human gut is host to trillions of microbes, and evidence shows that small changes in these microbes present (altered by antibiotics, diet, geographic region, and so on) may affect weight, likelihood of disease, and even psychological factors like risk-taking behavior. The evidence for their influence is astonishing. Rob Knight's work demonstrates the connection between the presence of certain harmless bacteria and the health benefits we all seek for ourselves and our children. In this book, Knight and Buhler explore the previously unseen world inside our bodies. They lead a detailed tour of our microbiome as well as an exploration of the known effects of antibiotics, probiotics, diet choices, birth method, and access to livestock on our children's lifelong health.