Max Nieuwdorp, internist-endocrinologist at Amsterdam UMC and PI at AGEM and ACS, recently published a popular science book on endocrinology: ‘Wij zijn onze hormonen’ (‘We are our hormones’).

Hormones are a major influence on our daily life, from hunger to menopause and from fertility to auto-immunity. “Hormones shape our body and brain on the long-term” says Max Nieuwdorp. For that reason, it is important to understand what is happening with our hormone levels and their fluctuations, according to the internist-endocrinologist. ‘Wij zijn onze hormonen’ is written with exactly that purpose.

The book describes various processes in which our hormones play a key role. Our diet, for example, influences which type of bacteria and hormones are produced in the intestine. Since many diseases, such as diabetes and Parkinson, are associated with bowel problems, it is important to better understand our intestinal flora and the role of hormones within. That way, we might be able to better mimic and regulate our gut hormone levels, for instance through using certain bacteria to stimulate hormone production, thereby treating patients with bowel problems faster and more effectively.

The book is available in book stores now. Want to know more? Max Nieuwdorp was interviewed in the newspaper Volkskrant (read the full interview, in Dutch, here) and had an open discussion about the book with Marcel Levi and Gemma Veldhuizen at SPUI25 (see full program here).
Prof. dr. Max Nieuwdorp
Prof. dr. Max Nieuwdorp