Scott Anderson > Scott's Quotes

“If microbes are controlling the brain, then microbes are controlling everything.”
― John F. Cryan, The Psychobiotic Revolution: Mood, Food, and the New Science of the Gut-Brain Connection

“Microbes surround us and suffuse us. We are seriously outnumbered. A single bacterium, given enough to eat, could multiply until its brethren reached the mass of the Earth in just two days. That’s a big clue to their superpower: They are excellent at reproduction.”
― Scott C. Anderson, The Psychobiotic Revolution: Mood, Food, and the New Science of the Gut-Brain Connection

“Microbes can mutate every 20 minutes, while humans try to counterpunch with genetic evolutionary updates every 10,000 years or so. They are genetic dynamos, running circles around us.”
― Scott C. Anderson, The Psychobiotic Revolution: Mood, Food, and the New Science of the Gut-Brain Connection

“Millions of years ago, bacteria and animals struck up a deal. In return for a moist bed and a warm buffet, beneficial bacteria took up the job of defending us against the madly proliferating pathogens in the world. It takes a germ to fight a germ.”
― Scott C. Anderson

“When everything is running smoothly, you pay no attention to your gut. Like your heart or your liver, it’s best if these things are on autopilot. Your conscious mind is too busy looking for your keys to be trusted with running these critical organs.”
― Scott C. Anderson, The Psychobiotic Revolution: Mood, Food, and the New Science of the Gut-Brain Connection

“The community of microbes living in your gut—your so-called microbiota—is like another organ of your body. It’s a seething alien living inside of you, fermenting your food and jealously protecting you against interlopers. It’s a pretty unusual organ by any measure, but even more so in that its composition changes with every meal.”
― Scott C. Anderson, The Psychobiotic Revolution: Mood, Food, and the New Science of the Gut-Brain Connection

“It may be a shock to the ego, but you are not alone in your body, and your microbiota is right now making plans for your future. By manipulating your cravings and mood, it gains control over your behavior.”
― Scott C. Anderson, The Psychobiotic Revolution: Mood, Food, and the New Science of the Gut-Brain Connection

“Only one percent of your genes are human, and those genes are fairly stable, but your microbial genes—the other 99 percent—are in constant flux. Measured by your genes, you’re a different creature each and every morning.”
― Scott C. Anderson, The Psychobiotic Revolution: Mood, Food, and the New Science of the Gut-Brain Connection

“There is evidence that you can improve your microbiota even in old age by adopting a Mediterranean-type diet and eating more fiber.”
― Scott C. Anderson, The Psychobiotic Revolution: Mood, Food, and the New Science of the Gut-Brain Connection

“Benjamin Franklin said, “Wine is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”
― Scott C. Anderson, The Psychobiotic Revolution: Mood, Food, and the New Science of the Gut-Brain Connection

“a healthy diet consists of vegetables, fruit, fish, high-fiber grains, nuts, eggs, and quality vegetable oil. These are elements of both the Nordic and Mediterranean diets, known to add healthy years to your life.”
― Scott C. Anderson, The Psychobiotic Revolution: Mood, Food, and the New Science of the Gut-Brain Connection

“High-fat and high-sugar diets increase inflammation, the source of much disease and discomfort, and can actually degrade your blood-brain barrier (BBB), allowing dangerous toxins to access your brain.”
― Scott C. Anderson, The Psychobiotic Revolution: Mood, Food, and the New Science of the Gut-Brain Connection

“The research indicates that for many, depression and anxiety may simply come down to a lousy diet.”
― Scott C. Anderson, The Psychobiotic Revolution: Mood, Food, and the New Science of the Gut-Brain Connection

“You can probably make no single change to your diet that will be as good for your health and well-being as cutting down on sugar.”
― Scott C. Anderson, The Psychobiotic Revolution: Mood, Food, and the New Science of the Gut-Brain Connection

“Stop Eating Junk Food”
― Scott C. Anderson, The Psychobiotic Revolution: Mood, Food, and the New Science of the Gut-Brain Connection

“ARE BACTERIA CONTROLLING YOUR BRAIN? IT SEEMS ABSURD! Bacteria are so ridiculously tiny that you could fit a thousand of them into a single human cell. And yet, microbes seem to have superpowers.”
― Scott C. Anderson, The Psychobiotic Revolution: Mood, Food, and the New Science of the Gut-Brain Connection