The overuse of modern antibiotics may be the root cause behind the rise in obesity, diabetes (type 1), asthma, allergies, celiac disease, and many more.
The developed world's obsession with hygiene has rid our bodies of what Dr. Martin Blaser argues are good microflora that thrive in the human gut. In turn, bacteria that would have helped with some of these major health issues are absent, leaving us vulnerable.
Blaser is the director of NYU's Human Microbiome Program at the Langone Medical Center and has studied the role of bacteria for decades. His new book, "Missing Microbes: How The Overuse of Antibiotics is Fueling Our Modern Plagues," explores the history of our use of anti-bacterial agents and current trends in what are thought to be hereditary diseases and further goes on to explore how their overuse has set the stage for a major "anti-biotic winter" wherein resistant strains of bacteria begin a global plague.
Guest:
- Dr. Marin J. Blaser
*The Source airs at 3 p.m. on KSTX 89.1 FM -- audio from this show will be posted by 5:30 p.m.
