Until fairly recently, no one was really interested in the denizens of the digestive tract except for a few gastroenterologists and a few more microbiologists. But now research has shown that the bacteria in our bowels form complex ecological systems, and interest in the microbiome has gone mainstream.

Inflammation is the driver behind many chronic conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, psoriasis and others. But where is the inflammation coming from? Perhaps our standard American diet plays a role.

It turns out that we can influence the ecology of our microbiota by what we feed it. Find out what foods can help calm inflammation, and how this affects neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, autism or multiple sclerosis.

How exactly does the digestive tract talk to the brain? How do intestinal parasites affect that conversation? It is time to start paying attention to how our bowel bacteria affect brain function.

David Perlmutter, MD, FACN, ABIHM, is a board-certified neurologist and Fellow of the American College of Nutrition. He is an Associated Professor at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and the recipient of the Linus Pauling Award.

Dr. Perlmutter has written seven books, including The New York Times best-seller Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth about Wheat, Carbs and Sugar–Your Brain’s Silent Killers. His new book is Brain Maker: The Power of Gut Microbes to Heal and Protect Your Brain–for Life.

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