About the Book
Hand sanitizer. Social distancing. Antibiotics. Fending off germs has long been considered one of the cornerstones of good health. But what if better health and more graceful aging actually went hand-in-hand with embracing microbes?
Your body is teeming with microbes—not just in the gut, but also on your skin, in your lungs, and beyond. And they impact everything from your sleep, cognition, mood, heart health, and energy to your likelihood of developing many diseases. As groundbreaking new studies are showing, taking care of your microbiome—inside and out—can help you improve your day-to-day health and even help prevent or reverse some of the most common age-related diseases.
This eye-opening book breaks down what the latest research says about how the microbiome affects all aspects of physical and mental health—and what you can do about it.
Potentially change the trajectory of 9 out of 10 leading causes of death, including heart disease, cancer, lung disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes
Increase your resistance to pathogens like the flu and COVID-19
Keep your skin soft, healthy, supple, and less wrinkled
Stabilize your weight and control blood sugar
Improve your physical fitness and strength
Fight “inflammaging”—low-grade inflammation that hastens the aging process
Get a more restful and rejuvenating night’s sleep
Reduce stress and improve mental health—and your long-term quality of life
The Microbiome Master Key is an updated and expanded new edition of The Whole-Body Microbiome.
Table of Contents:
Preface
Chapter 1: The Fountain of Youth Is Full of . . . Microbes?
Chapter 2: Your Microbes Are Glowing: The Skin Microbiome
Chapter 3: Mind Your Microbes: Microbes and the Brain
Chapter 4: Healthy Smile, Healthy You: The Oral Microbiome
Chapter 5: Take a Deep Breath: The Lung Microbiome
Chapter 6: Belly Bugs: The Stomach Microbiome
Chapter 7: Microbe Mecca: The Gut Microbiome
Chapter 8: Love Bugs: The Heart and the Microbiome
Chapter 9: Females Are Not Small Males: Menopause and the Vaginal Microbiome
Chapter 10: Microbes Meet Cancer
Chapter 11: Microbe Tug-of-War: The Immune System
Chapter 12: Flex Your Microbes: The Musculoskeletal System
Chapter 13: Sleep and the Microbiome
Chapter 14: Too Clean, or Not Too Clean: Environmental Microbes
Chapter 15: COVID-19 and the Social Microbiome
Chapter 16: The Fountain of Youth Is Full of Microbes: The Future of the Whole-Body Microbiome
Selected References
Index
About the Author :
B. Brett Finlay, PhD, studies how microbes cause disease in people and how we can fight infections, as well as the role the microbiota plays in human health and disease, including asthma, Parkinson’s, and malnutrition. He is the coauthor of the book Let Them Eat Dirt and the author of over 600 publications in peer-reviewed journals. He is also an Officer of the Order of Canada, and a jazz sax player, skier, and beekeeper in his spare time. Jessica Finlay, PhD, is a University of Colorado Boulder assistant professor who specializes in environmental gerontology and health geography. With degrees from Queen’s University and the University of Minnesota, she has won awards for her work and authored publications in leading health, geography, and gerontology journals.
Review :
"Praise for the First Edition
"Brett and Jessica Finlay offer extraordinary new insight into the significance of the microbiome in any number of age-related conditions—from cancer to oral health, Alzheimer’s to heart and lung function. The takeaway is that we need to look beyond gut bacteria."
"Chapters address the function of microbes in various conditions and body systems, with health strategies and lifestyle tips intended to be widely applicable to adults of all ages. . . . Recommended for readers seeking scientifically accurate consumer health information on the microbiome’s relationship to adult health and aging."
"[An] excitedly optimistic and research-grounded look at the microbiome’s implications for the health of the aging body. . . . [The Finlays] make a strong case for the microbiome as an exciting new frontier in health research, with myriad possibilities for the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases."
"With its upbeat approach and valuable diet and lifestyle recommendations, [The Microbiome Master Key] will empower readers to invest in the lifelong process of aging well."
"[This] book challenged my assumption that my microbiome was made up of mostly passive passengers. Instead, the authors show that it is essential to almost every part of how we function: healing, sleeping, how our skin looks, and maybe even how we think. . . . A technical and scientific book at heart. . . the book reads like an ode to the underappreciated microbes that make us who we are."
"According to the authors, the beneficial and diverse residents of the human microbiome—the trillions of specific microbes that are associated with different parts of the body, including but not limited to the mouth, gastrointestinal tract, skin, and lungs—may eventually be harnessed to delay aging and to prevent and treat disease. . . . Recommended. All levels."
"Whether you are seeking to address a specific health concern, such as IBS, or just want to decelerate the aging process, this book is filled with tips and actionable lifestyle advice. The fountain of youth, it turns out, may actually be burbling with microbes."
"A fascinating must-read, this well-researched book presents a groundbreaking new perspective to living long and living well through our microbes. Trailblazing microbiology and gerontology researchers Brett and Jessica Finlay insightfully present the latest science on microbes behind health and longevity, and offer easy-to-follow principles and strategies to age better. Who knew, the fountain of youth is full of microbes!"
"Revolutionary . . . The Finlays offer practical, thorough, and sometimes shocking solutions that all of us can implement today, no matter what our age. . . . By helping our microbes flourish inside our bodies and in our environments, we can find preventative and curative care all in one."
"An excellent, expert guide to how your microbes can prevent common diseases."
