The Symbiont Factor reviews and explains in plain English the findings of the last decade of research about the human microbiome and its effect on health or disease. Learn how different aspects of modern life make it challenging to maintain a healthy population of gut bacteria and what this means for your health! Many different conditions are reviewed to explain the role of symbionts, from autism to cancer, heart disease and arthritis, and anxiety to schizophrenia. The bibliography includes over 1300 peer-reviewed research studies from the National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health, provided for those who wish to read some of the research referenced in the text. If you ever wondered if probiotics are beneficial, or why we should eat fruits and vegetables, these answers are inside! This new information is creating a whole new paradigm that is changing our perception of life itself. While scientists and physicians have always considered the human body and mind to be self-guided and singular, they are now beginning to view a human being as a superorganism or holobiont, consisting of a host organism combined with its symbiont population. The human body plays host to a population of trillions of microscopic organisms. Our bodies have evolved a symbiotic relationship with these ancient organisms, which is beneficial to both species. This colony of microbes is called the human microbiome, and it has been the focus of intense research efforts over the last decade. The microbiome influences human health or disease as well as emotion, personality and aging. Researchers studying the microbiome have discovered that these symbiotic organisms outnumber our human cells by at least 10:1, and their genes outnumber human genes by at least 150:1. “This excellent and long needed book presents in a clear and sound manner the recent dramatic findings about our gut bacteria. These thousands of trillions microorganisms living inside us play a crucial role in regulating our well-being throughout life. The new message is of great importance to the entire medical community, life sciences researchers, as well as the general public. Realizing the role of gut bacteria can help each of us to better understand the effect of nutrients, as mediated by the gut bacteria, on our body in health, in disease and in special times, such as pregnancy, nursing or periods of high stress. For example, we now understand that the massive use of antibiotics in children, adults and agriculture has endangered our vital microbiome and is liable to cause diseases such as Type 2 diabetes on a global scale. The gut microbiome is emerging as a vital part of humanity, without which health and happiness are severely compromised. The time has come for this knowledge to be widely understood!” Professor Eshel Ben-Jacob, International member of the American Philosophical Society Professor of Physics The Maguy-Glass Professor in Physics of Complex Systems School of Physics and Astronomy Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel