Introduction  xiii
living in the gut while simultaneously protecting us from infectious organ-
isms. The complex interactions between microbes and immune cells are fur-
ther outlined in the last four chapters of this book.
Chapter 5 explores how the body’s immune response to resident gut
microbes influences metabolism and contributes to obesity during states of
dysbiosis. This chapter discusses the role these microbes have in regulating
fat cells, hormone function, and even appetite. The last section examines how
sleep and physical activity affect gut microbes in ways that help manage body
weight and a healthy metabolism.
Next, we explore several kinds of gastrointestinal diseases in chapter 6. We
will examine the types of dysbiosis seen with inflammatory bowel diseases
such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, as well as in functional bowel
disorders like irritable bowel syndrome. In this chapter, we will also discuss
dysbiosis related to the use of antibiotics and other medications.
Chapter 7 covers the effects of diet and gut microbiota on cardiovascular
disease. We will discuss how gut microbes interact with different components
of our diet in ways that affect the health of our heart and arteries. We will pay
special attention to the effects of gut microbes on known risk factors for car-
diovascular disease, such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
Finally, chapter 8 reveals how microbes communicate with the brain
through the gut-brain axis. We will learn about the different biological path-
ways by which this communication can happen, and we will discuss the types
of chemicals produced by both microbes and the body to facilitate this com-
munication. The second half of this chapter explores the role of dysbiosis in
neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism and neurodegenerative dis-
eases like multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease.
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