I have a gut feeling about this book

Terrible puns aside though, I’d like to tell you about a book I’ve just read called “Gut” by Giulia Enders. I’m pretty sure that if you’re reading this, then you’re probably also in possession of a digestive tract. If, like me, you enjoy reading books which give you an accessibly written outline of our current scientific knowledge on a certain topic, then this is a great addition to your library. Or maybe you just feel that it’s time for you to learn a little more about your insides? 

Did you know, for example, that the microbes inside our guts are now thought to affect not only our ability to absorb certain vital nutrients but may also affect our moods, food cravings and our chances of developing certain allergies and diseases? Or that if you’re feeling bloated in bed you should lie on your left side? Or that it was recently discovered that our saliva contains very small quantities of a painkilling substance called opiorphin that is stronger than morphine? This is one of the reasons why increased saliva production while eating can temporarily reduce the pain of a sore throat. It may also be why some of us enjoy chewing gum so much. 

I was also interested to discover that our blood groups are dictated by the kinds of bacteria that populate our guts when we are babies, and that these bacteria are a crucial part of our immune systems. Finally, the author brings up a fact that I find fascinating - that the foods we eat combined with our moods (for example our stress level) can influence the bacterial populations in our gut, which in turn can influence our moods. We are in fact thought to be in a constant feedback loop with these tiny inhabitants of our bodies. What’s particularly interesting about this is that it implies that we can have a lot of influence on our moods by the kinds of foods that we eat - something that most of us already probably noticed. This is a little scary since it means that some of our cravings may stem from certain bacterial populations in our guts getting hungry and demanding more cake (or at least that’s my excuse from now on). 

This book briefly and very engagingly outlines so many fascinating topics that it’s quite difficult to put it down once you start reading. While occasionally the author generalises or over-simplifies certain concepts, this is in fact probably essential otherwise the book would be significantly longer and more tedious to read. Another very small criticism that some may level at this book is that it is written almost too colloquially - the author even at some point uses a winking face ;-) to indicate sarcasm. Personally, I wasn’t bothered by this conversational tone of writing, but I can imagine that it might slightly annoy some readers. 

Overall, I would say that this is an easy and interesting read for anyone who might want to learn a little more about their digestive system.