Table of Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction xi
Chapter 1 A Cultural Context for Human-Microbe Symbiosis 1
Evolution of the Human Diet: What Our Ancestors Ate and Why It Matters 2
The Industrialized Western Diet 13
Conclusion 16
Chapter 2 The Gastrointestinal Tract and Its Microorganisms 17
Classification of Gut Bacteria 18
Introduction to the Gastrointestinal Tract and Its Microorganisms 22
The Stomach and Small Intestine 24
The Large Intestine 28
Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria 31
Archaea and Fungi 36
Baby's First Encounter with Microorganisms 41
The Aging Microbiome 44
Conclusion 44
Chapter 3 Nutrition and the Gut Microbiota 45
Culture, Diet, and Varying Gut Microbiota Populations 45
Carbohydrates: Nutrition for Host and Commensal Bacteria 50
Bacterial Metabolism 57
Conclusion 73
Chapter 4 Immunity 75
Microbes Influence the Development and Function of the Immune System 76
Innate and Adaptive Immunity 81
Gut Microbes and Immune Dysfunction 93
Conclusion 98
Chapter 5 Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome 99
Metabolism and Energy Homeostasis 100
Adipose Tissue 109
The Endocannabinoid System 113
SCFA as Signaling Molecules 116
Gut Microbes and the Liver in Metabolic Function 118
Sleep, Exercise, and Other Lifestyle Factors 119
Conclusion 124
Chapter 6 The Gut Microbiota and Gastrointestinal Diseases 125
Inflammatory Bowel Disease 125
Irritable Bowel Syndrome 130
The Low-FODMAP Diet 133
Colorectal Cancer 134
Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth 138
Intestinal Infections 140
Conclusion 142
Chapter 7 Cardiovascular Disease 143
Do Bacteria Contribute to Clogged Arteries? 144
Cholesterol and Triglycerides: Gut Microbes and Blood Lipids 146
Hypertension 151
Conclusion 154
Chapter 8 Microbes and the Gut-Brain Axis 157
Communication between Gut Microbes and the Nervous System 157
Gut Microbes and Autism 170
Neurodegenerative Diseases 174
Conclusion 179
Glossary 181
References and Further Reading 189
Index 193
