The Human Superorganism

May 2, 2016
Dietert, a professor of immunotoxicology at Cornell University, introduces readers to a new perspective on human health, arguing that humans are “superorganisms” composed of thousands of microbial species that live on and in us—ancient microbial partners against which we have been waging a devastating war. He asserts that the 21st-century “epidemic” of non-communicable ailments such as allergies, autism, cancer, heart disease, obesity, and even depression has arisen due to “the loss of a higher order of self-integrity involving our microbiome.” Due to antibiotic “overreach,” diet, urbanization, elective C-section births, and medical treatments that ignore the microbiome, Dietert writes, humans are missing the microbes needed to stay healthy. He concedes that it is possible to modify an individual’s microbiome, but the necessary analyses of skin scrapings and swabs, evaluation of microbial genes, and the appropriate blood chemistry work are unlikely to be offered at anyone’s next routine visit to the doctor. In addition to his survey of the microbiome, Dietert explores microbiotic self-care, which largely involves probiotics; on this front he offers both an impressive personal recommendation and a brief list of resources on probiotics. Dietert makes a fascinating case for an exciting, emerging field that offers a new way of thinking about the human body and health.

Starred review from June 1, 2016
Fully 90 percent of human cells are microbial. This astonishing fact means that we are not merely human but a superorganism whose "microbiome" plays a major role in health and disease.Despite decades of advances in medical technology, nearly 65 percent of deaths today are still caused by illness. Known as "non-communicable diseases," this class of ailments includes heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, celiac disease, psoriasis, and many others. The biological factor that these conditions share is a dysregulated immune system, which can lead to chronic inflammation, which leads to illness. Through decades of research, Dietert (Immunotoxicology/Cornell Univ.; co-author: Science Sifting: Tools for Innovation in Science and Technology, 2013, etc.) makes the cogent and eye-opening argument that the microbiome--the collection of microbes that lives in our bodies and on our skin--is the arbiter of immune system homeostasis. This news is good, if unexpected, because it means that treatments, including pre- and probiotics (which naturally "re-seed" the body with good bacteria), have the potential to reset one's microbiome and restore systemic health. In his comprehensive addition to a growing body of literature about microbial health, the author engagingly outlines the biology underlying this symbiotic relationship. He discusses not just how the microbiome affects nearly every aspect of our health, from food allergies to depression, but also how factors including overuse of antibiotics and lack of nutritional diversity have resulted in skyrocketing numbers of chronic illnesses. Presenting empirical data from several lines of research, Dietert converts scientific findings to practical health advice regarding everything from birth practices to geriatric medicine. He argues that "rebiosis" is feasible no matter one's age and that a shift toward a healthy microbiome may usher in a new era of individualized health care resulting in a dramatic reduction of NCDs. A book in which the author's fascinating, well-researched ideas regarding holistic health may presage a paradigm shift in medicine.

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Starred review from June 1, 2016
Human beings are chimeras. Our bodies are comprised of trillions of cells, but most of them are microbial. These bacteria, fungi, and viruses reside mainly in the gut but also in skin, the reproductive organs, mouth, nose, and airways. This constellation of microscopic critters is dubbed the microbiome and has an assortment of roles, ranging from being intimately involved with our immune system to participating in the production of essential vitamins to making our sweat smelly and feet stinky. The microbiome also appears to function in the prevention of such chronic illnesses as obesity, cancer, and allergies. Immunologist Dietert describes humans as superorganisms and likens us to coral reefs and tropical rain forests. He warns that human health is endangered by ignoring the presence and importance of the microbiome and criticizes a contemporary culture that pushes antibiotic-administered, formula-fed, cesarean-delivered babies growing up in urban environments, surrounded by hand sanitizers and antibacterial soaps. Modifying the microbiome (rebiosis), giving protective probiotics when antibiotics are necessary, and swabbing C-section babies with microbes from their mothers' vaginas are considered. Teeming with information and big ideas about our tiny co-partner species, this is an outstanding introduction to the universe of little lives that dwell within us.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)