Giulia Enders’ Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Under-rated Organ (2014, revised and expanded 2017) takes readers on a somewhat squidgy journey through the human digestive system, unravelling the mysteries of this unsung part of our physiology. While the treatment is generally top-down, we start with the basics – what is poo, and are you doing it right (Enders lives in Germany, where they are keen on these things). Then it is on to the gut’s structure, from mouth to, well, the other end, and what happens to food as it is processed. Unless possessing a strong stomach (the metaphorical one) it might not be best to read it during a meal.
Enders looks at vomiting and constipation, allergies and intolerances. We learn about the world of microbes and the gut microbiota which form their own ecosystem, and the importance of possessing a diverse microbial community; about good, bad and very bad bacteria; parasites; the role of antibiotics; and probiotics and prebiotics. Dealt with briefly is the gut-brain axis, a fairly recent but important area of medical research, one which has progressed since the book’s publication. Enders discusses how the gut microbiota can influence not only digestive health but also mental well-being and cognitive functions.
She covers the impact of diet and lifestyle in a world that seems determined to undermine our efforts to make improvements, with its dysfunctional food production (I was disappointed to learn supermarket sauerkraut is pasteurised, though I wasn’t surprised, and Enders supplies a recipe to enable the reader to make it at home the proper way). Her suggestions for improving digestion are welcome. The gut is complex, and while the book avoids jargon and does not presuppose prior physiological knowledge, there are times when it takes work to follow the tract, not helped by the lack of an index. But even if it is occasionally a strain, it is well worth the effort.
The Joy of Mere Words 