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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2018 Mar 1.
Published in final edited form as: Free Radic Biol Med. 2016 Nov 10;105:28–34. doi: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2016.11.013

Fig. 1. Gut microbiota interact with whole body physiology to promote or undermine good health.

Fig. 1

Bacteria in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract influence a gut-immune-endocrine system axis. Microbial symbiosis promotes an overall homeostatic balance by oxytocin and thymus gland dominant immune functions, with balanced effector and suppressive immunity culminating in good health. By contrast, gut dysbiosis, anxiety and stress contribute to corticosterone-biased undermining of thymus gland functions, promoting a smoldering pro-inflammatory systemic tone with high levels of neutrophils and increased risk of developing cancer.