I just finished listening to the book The Human Superorganism: How the Microbiome is Revolutionizing the Pursuit of a Healthy Life by Rodney Dietert, PhD, on Audible. It was fantastic. It is one of the few books I have ever pre-ordered and it was worth every second of the wait.
The Human Superorganism goes into the real science that is emerging about a hot topic that many of us are interested in but largely uneducated about, the microbiome. It turns out that the microbiome encompasses much more than just the GI tract.
A fascinating discussion that underlies the entire book is the rise of what Dietert refers to as “an epidemic of noncommunicable diseases.” He is referring to the proliferation of things like asthma, autism, Alzheimers, allergies, cancer, heart disease and obesity. He even talks about how depression could be tied into the microbiome.
I encourage you to read or listen to the book, both for yourself and the people you care about. It may change the way you approach some basic things.
To whet your appetite, here are a few of take aways from the book:
Cravings
Do you ever wonder why you have such strong cravings for certain foods? For me, potato chips are irresistible. Dieters asserts that, “when your microbiome is balanced, it will, not only accept, but crave good healthy food.” Food cravings change (for better and for worse) as you gut microbiome changes. What do your cravings say about your microbiome?
It’s Never to0 Early
“Do not delay seeding a baby’s microbiome.” Parent’s, please educate yourselves because it is easier to correct a damaged microbiome and to maintain a good microbiome at a young age. Still, changes are possible at any age. As in so many things, change becomes more difficult, but not impossible, to make over time.
Antibiotics
If you need antibiotics, talk to your health provider about complementary probiotic therapy. Antibiotics work wonders but they can go after the microbes we want to keep as well as the ones we hope to eradicate. Supporting the bacteria that makes life better will pay huge dividends.
What You Put In and On
Most of our medications, cosmetics, personal care products, etc. are not tested for microbiome safety. Pay attention to how they make you feel, and act accordingly.
It Might Not Be What You Think
Anxiety, depression and brain fog have often been attributed to hormone imbalances. It turns out, according to Dietert, that the microbiome is the “master controller” of neurobehavioral changes. Working on your microbiome can make a difference in how we feel and show up in the world in ways we probably hadn’t expected.
Exercise
“Voluntary” and “Forced” exercise appear to have opposite effects on the microbiome and inflammation. In mice, voluntary exercise was associated with less inflammation and forced exercise was associated with increased inflammation.
Personally, I have a lot of questions about this finding. At the same time, I also find it tantalizingly thought provoking. This information raised some questions for me, among them: Does it give me permission to slack off when I don’t want to head out the door for some exercise? Or, does the fact that, ultimately, I make the choice to head out the door cause the exercise to become voluntary? Are there benefits that I can gain from forced exercise that could be more healthful than the increase in inflammation?
Last Word
This book will not give you a cut and paste recipe for how to take care of your microbiome but it will help you ask more educated questions and make more informed choices. You will see the world around you in a different light. For some of us, it is not a convenient light to see.
If you are looking to improve your microbiome or just wondering what the fuss is about, this a the book. As a final treat, Dietert does provide a list of 10 choices we can make for “becoming a healthier super organism.”
The Human Superorganism goes into the real science that is emerging about a hot topic that many of us are interested in but largely uneducated about, the microbiome. It turns out that the microbiome encompasses much more than just the GI tract.
A fascinating discussion that underlies the entire book is the rise of what Dietert refers to as “an epidemic of noncommunicable diseases.” He is referring to the proliferation of things like asthma, autism, Alzheimers, allergies, cancer, heart disease and obesity. He even talks about how depression could be tied into the microbiome.
I encourage you to read or listen to the book, both for yourself and the people you care about. It may change the way you approach some basic things.
To whet your appetite, here are a few of take aways from the book:
Cravings
Do you ever wonder why you have such strong cravings for certain foods? For me, potato chips are irresistible. Dieters asserts that, “when your microbiome is balanced, it will, not only accept, but crave good healthy food.” Food cravings change (for better and for worse) as you gut microbiome changes. What do your cravings say about your microbiome?
It’s Never to0 Early
“Do not delay seeding a baby’s microbiome.” Parent’s, please educate yourselves because it is easier to correct a damaged microbiome and to maintain a good microbiome at a young age. Still, changes are possible at any age. As in so many things, change becomes more difficult, but not impossible, to make over time.
Antibiotics
If you need antibiotics, talk to your health provider about complementary probiotic therapy. Antibiotics work wonders but they can go after the microbes we want to keep as well as the ones we hope to eradicate. Supporting the bacteria that makes life better will pay huge dividends.
What You Put In and On
Most of our medications, cosmetics, personal care products, etc. are not tested for microbiome safety. Pay attention to how they make you feel, and act accordingly.
It Might Not Be What You Think
Anxiety, depression and brain fog have often been attributed to hormone imbalances. It turns out, according to Dietert, that the microbiome is the “master controller” of neurobehavioral changes. Working on your microbiome can make a difference in how we feel and show up in the world in ways we probably hadn’t expected.
Exercise
“Voluntary” and “Forced” exercise appear to have opposite effects on the microbiome and inflammation. In mice, voluntary exercise was associated with less inflammation and forced exercise was associated with increased inflammation.
Personally, I have a lot of questions about this finding. At the same time, I also find it tantalizingly thought provoking. This information raised some questions for me, among them: Does it give me permission to slack off when I don’t want to head out the door for some exercise? Or, does the fact that, ultimately, I make the choice to head out the door cause the exercise to become voluntary? Are there benefits that I can gain from forced exercise that could be more healthful than the increase in inflammation?
Last Word
This book will not give you a cut and paste recipe for how to take care of your microbiome but it will help you ask more educated questions and make more informed choices. You will see the world around you in a different light. For some of us, it is not a convenient light to see.
If you are looking to improve your microbiome or just wondering what the fuss is about, this a the book. As a final treat, Dietert does provide a list of 10 choices we can make for “becoming a healthier super organism.”
RSS Feed