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.