The Bookshelf: May 24, 2016

Trib+Health is joining with respected books authority Kirkus Reviews to bring you select reviews of books of note in the field of health care. For more book reviews and recommendations, visit Kirkus.com.

THE HUMAN SUPERORGANISM:How the Microbiome is Revolutionizing the Pursuit of a Healthy Life

by Rodney Dietert

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. Through decades of research, Dietert 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. A book in which the author’s fascinating, well-researched ideas regarding holistic health may presage a paradigm shift in medicine.

For the full review, visit kirkus.com.