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. Many of the questions about modern diseases left unanswered by the Human Genome Project are illuminated by this new science. And 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. It is science writing at its most relevant: life—and your body—will never seem the same again.There’s more to being human than you think. Have you ever wondered why so many people are overweight? Or why nearly half of youngsters have allergies? Has it ever seemed strange that depression is so common? Or that more and more children are being diagnosed with autism?Using the latest scientific research, Alanna Collen reveals the link between ill health and the body’s community of microbes. Many of the modern illnesses we accept as part of life are instead newly emerging conditions brought on by our failure to cherish the extension of our human cells: our microbes. In 10% Human, Collen explains how messing with your microbes can affect your metabolism, your mind, and your immune system; why antibiotics, C-sections, and infant formula can cause collateral damage; and how diet can restore a beneficial community of microbes. 10% Human is an alarm call on behalf of our most faithful companions.

Product Description: The study of the intestinal ecosystem of bacteria in the human gut―the gut microbiome―is a new field that is rapidly evolving. This book serves as an introduction to some of the new and exciting research that is being done in this field...read more

Product Description: Now considered an organ with defensive and metabolic capabilities, the intestinal microbiota plays a major role in the local host immune system development and education. It contributes to the generation of a homeostatic balance characterized by the capacity to react against pathogens while remaining hyperresponsive/tolerant against commensals...read more

Product Description: Probiotic microorganisms have a long history of use, and their health benefits for hosts are well documented. This Microbiology Monographs volume provides an overview of the current knowledge and applications of probiotics. Reviews cover the biology and probiotic potential of the thoroughly studied prokaryotic genera Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, several eukaryotic microorganisms, probiotic strain characterization, and the analytical methods (such as FISH, microarray, and high throughput sequencing) required for their study...read more

Product Description: In this age, societies take great pains to protect their populations against exposure to undesirable microbes. Pasteurization, sterilization, sanitation and HACCP procedures have been instrumental in this effort, particularly for gastro-intestinal diseases...read more

Product Description: Discover the pros of probiotics Probiotics are beneficial, live microorganisms (in most cases, bacteria) that are similar to those found naturally in the human intestine. Also known as "friendly" or "good" bacteria, probiotics are the cornerstone of any successful health program because they restore a healthy balance between friendly and bad bacteria in the intestinal tract, a balance that is critical for the health of the entire body...read more

Product Description: Did you know that there are more bacteria in your gut than the total number of cells in your body? Do you know why the good bacteria - or probiotics - are good for you and how they can benefit many aspects of your health? Do you know that by following a different diet or by taking safe and effective probiotic supplements you can increase the number of good bugs in your body, with amazing results? Probiotic supplements are on their way to becoming the 21st century must-have for maintaining good health...read more