The Gut-Immune Connection: How Understanding the Connection Between Food and Immunity Can Help Us Regain Our Health

by Emeran Mayer

Overview

A medical research pioneer reveals “how food choices that support biodiversity can save lives, shield us from novel infections, and protect the planet” (Joel Fuhrman, MD, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Eat to Live).

In his acclaimed book The Mind-Gut Connection, physician, UCLA professor, and researcher Dr. Emeran Mayer offered groundbreaking evidence of the critical role of the microbiome in neurological and cognitive health, proving once and for all the power and legitimacy of the “mind-body connection.” Now, in The Gut-Immune Connection, Dr. Mayer proposes an even more radical paradigm shift: that the gut microbiome is at the center of virtually every disease that defines our twenty-first-century public health crisis.

Cutting-edge research is advancing our understanding of the function and impact of the billions of organisms that live in the GI tract, and in Dr. Mayer’s own research, he has amassed evidence that the “conversation” that takes place between these microbes and our various organs and bodily systems is critical to human health. When that conversation goes awry, we suffer, often becoming seriously ill.

Combining clinical experience with up-to-the-minute science, The Gut-Immune Connection offers a comprehensive look at the link between alterations to the gut microbiome and the development of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, as well as susceptibility to infectious diseases like Covid-19. Dr. Mayer argues that it’s essential we understand the profound and far-reaching effects of gut health and offers clear-cut strategies to reverse the steady rise of these illnesses, including a model for nutrition to support the microbiome. 

But time is running out: A plague of antimicrobial resistance is only a few decades away if we don’t make critical changes to our food supply, including returning to sustainable practices that maintain the microbial diversity of the soil. To turn the tide of chronic and infectious disease tomorrow, we must shift the way we live today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063014800
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	02/27/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	292
Sales rank:	240,065
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Emeran Mayer, MD, has studied brain-body interactions for the last forty years. He is the executive director of the G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience and the codirector of the Digestive Diseases Research Center at the University of California at Los Angeles. His research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health for the past twenty-five years, and he is considered a pioneer and world leader in the area of brain-gut microbiome interactions. 

Table of Contents

Introduction xi

Chapter 1 America's Silent Public Health Crisis 1

Chapter 2 A Deeper Connection 17

Chapter 3 The Emerging View of a Healthy Gut Microbiome 27

Chapter 4 Stress and Brain Disorders 51

Chapter 5 How Diet Regulates the Brain-Gut-Microbiome Network 81

Chapter 6 A Broader Connection: How Exercise and Sleep Affect Our Microbiome 101

Chapter 7 Restoring the Gut Microbiome 121

Chapter 8 The Key to Gut Health Is in the Soil 153

Chapter 9 The One-Health Concept 167

Chapter 10 A New Paradigm for Healthy Eating 183

Acknowledgments 239

Recipe Resources 241

Notes 243

Index 263

Editorial Reviews

05/17/2021

Gastroenterologist Mayer (The Mind-Gut Connection) pursues the connection between chronic disease and the microbiome in this informative if complex work. Rates of “seemingly unrelated chronic illnesses” such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and liver disease have been rising over the last 75 years, he writes, but by prioritizing gut health, it’s possible to “reverse this trend.” To that end, he describes how diet regulates the brain-gut-microbiome network (the gut wall contains more than 70% of the body’s immune cells) and reviews the effects of a healthy diet, exercise, and sleep on one’s microbiome: disruptions in the brain-body network, he writes, lead to chronic inflammation and increased risk of chronic disease. In the way of advice, he suggests “what to eat” (fiber, green tea, omega-3 fatty acids) and “when to eat” (exclusively in an eight-hour window) to keep the microbiome happy, and dishes out nearly 50 pages of recipes. Lay readers, though, may find the explanations overly scientific (“The production of H2 O2 by Lactobacillus may protect against the development of chronic stress-induced, depressionlike behavior”). The level of granularity is demanding, but readers willing to stay the course will be persuaded to pay more attention to their guts. (June)

Publishers Weekly

Dr. Mayer will not only open your eyes to the critical importance of the variety of microbes that inhabit our gut, but also to the broader picture of how food choices that support biodiversity can save lives, shield us from novel infections, and protect the planet.  It is fascinating how choices to improve our personal health are connected to the preservation and creation of fertile soils, clean waterways and ultimately our mothership, Earth and our progeny." — Joel Fuhrman, M.D., seven-time New York Times bestselling author

“In Medicine, the ‘Holy Trinity’ means something different: the brain, the gut, and the immune system. Each contributes to health through its effects on the others. We’re lucky, because Emeran Mayer is an expert in each. And he knows the only way to fix all three at once is to fix the food.” — Robert Lustig, MD., author of Fat Chance and The Hacking of the American Mind

“Our entire world – the soil, the plants, even us humans – are bound together by networks of invisible microbes. In The Gut-Immune Connection, Dr. Emeran Mayer is a microbiome magician pulling back the veil on our interconnected world and then showing us how to harness nature’s healing energy. This is a life changing book by one of the great scientists of our generation. “  — Will Bulsiewicz, New York Times bestselling author of Fiber Fueled

“We live in an environment dominated by ultra-processed, fast food, which is fueling disease and hurting the planet. In The Gut-Immune Connection, Dr. Emeran Mayer, draws important connections between the gut microbiome and our immune system, describing how individuals can take action to harness this powerful force to promote well-being. It is a must read for those searching for a path to better human and planetary health.” — Erica Sonnenburg, PhD, co-author of The Good Gut

"Now more than ever we need to understand the critical connection between what we put in our body, and our resistance to disease. Focusing on the three foundational pillars of the gut endocrine system, immune system, and nervous system, Dr. Mayer breaks down the science and lays out a clear and attainable path to reclaim immunity, vitality, and health." — Robynne Chutkan, MD, FASG, author of Gutbliss, The Microbiome Solution & The Bloat Cure

“In his new book, Dr. Mayer beautifully points out the close interconnectedness between our own health, and the health of the soil and the environment, and the crucial role that the trillions of microbes play in this planetary network.  The book is both a unique collection of information, as well as an urgent call to action for everybody concerned about the deteriorating state of our universal health. “  — Yvon Chouinard, founder and owner of Patagonia, Inc.

“Finally, a book that treats gut health, human health, and ecological health as one subject. A revelatory read from a doctor, writer and thinker we all need to hear from, now more than ever.”  — Dan Barber, NYT Bestselling author of The Third Plate and chef of the 2 Michelin star restaurant Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns

“Dr. Mayer takes a fascinating deep dive into the microbial world that links the health of our bodies with the health of our environment, revealing the deep interconnections between the planet’s life support systems and our own.”   — Liz Carlisle, PhD., author of Lentil Underground

From the Publisher

In his new book, Dr. Mayer beautifully points out the close interconnectedness between our own health, and the health of the soil and the environment, and the crucial role that the trillions of microbes play in this planetary network.  The book is both a unique collection of information, as well as an urgent call to action for everybody concerned about the deteriorating state of our universal health. “ 

Yvon Chouinard

Finally, a book that treats gut health, human health, and ecological health as one subject. A revelatory read from a doctor, writer and thinker we all need to hear from, now more than ever.” 

Dan Barber

Dr. Mayer will not only open your eyes to the critical importance of the variety of microbes that inhabit our gut, but also to the broader picture of how food choices that support biodiversity can save lives, shield us from novel infections, and protect the planet.  It is fascinating how choices to improve our personal health are connected to the preservation and creation of fertile soils, clean waterways and ultimately our mothership, Earth and our progeny."

Joel Fuhrman

In Medicine, the ‘Holy Trinity’ means something different: the brain, the gut, and the immune system. Each contributes to health through its effects on the others. We’re lucky, because Emeran Mayer is an expert in each. And he knows the only way to fix all three at once is to fix the food.

Robert Lustig

Our entire world – the soil, the plants, even us humans – are bound together by networks of invisible microbes. In The Gut-Immune Connection, Dr. Emeran Mayer is a microbiome magician pulling back the veil on our interconnected world and then showing us how to harness nature’s healing energy. This is a life changing book by one of the great scientists of our generation. “ 

Will Bulsiewicz

We live in an environment dominated by ultra-processed, fast food, which is fueling disease and hurting the planet. In The Gut-Immune Connection, Dr. Emeran Mayer, draws important connections between the gut microbiome and our immune system, describing how individuals can take action to harness this powerful force to promote well-being. It is a must read for those searching for a path to better human and planetary health.

Erica Sonnenburg

Dr. Mayer takes a fascinating deep dive into the microbial world that links the health of our bodies with the health of our environment, revealing the deep interconnections between the planet’s life support systems and our own.”  

Liz Carlisle

"Now more than ever we need to understand the critical connection between what we put in our body, and our resistance to disease. Focusing on the three foundational pillars of the gut endocrine system, immune system, and nervous system, Dr. Mayer breaks down the science and lays out a clear and attainable path to reclaim immunity, vitality, and health."

Robynne Chutkan