The Good Gut: Taking Control of Your Weight, Your Mood, and Your Long-term Health

It’s a very important book in which we for example realize how the Western food is destroying our health, especially because we there are having an unbalance with too little, if any, fruit and vegetables against the meat, whereby our good bacteria not are getting their needed nutrients for working. And in the book, it for example also is thoughtful to learn how we later in life will be influenced by how we were brought to world, that is by either the natural way or born at Caesarean section, because it makes difference in which bacteria the newborn’s gut then contains. Because as we read, the child that passes through the birth canal as the first bacteria in life are getting those from the inside of the mother, while the C-section born babies first meets bacteria from outside the mother, from the skin. And where researches now have discovered that there is a connection between the C-section babies and obesity, allergy, asthma, and more. And then in the book we read about how a doctor worked on solving this problem, which was for his coming baby which would come to world as a C-section baby, still would be getting precisely the same bacteria’s as if born the natural way. Parallel to this case we see that we are having something to think about in the future. One of the other new, or rediscovered, very important science knowledges to read about in the book, is the fecal microbiota transplant (FMT), stood transplant, bacteriotherapy. And this was stated in 2013 in Amsterdam on participants on whom the antibiotic therapy had been unsuccessful, and then on half of the patients was used FMT, and for the other half again antibiotic. By the FMT method 81% of the patients was cured, while only 31% by antibiotic. Then it was decided to for a second-time use FMT on this rest on 19 % of the patients who not was cured by the first time. And then this time 94% was cured, so totally for the patients on the FMT research 98% - 99% were cured. And then it was decided to stop the research and ask the research patient on antibiotics to also get through the FMT method. But as I used the word rediscovered was because in the book we read that the FMT method already 400 years ago was written down in China, and that by us, veterinarians have used FMT during more than a century, and furthermore, that in 1958 the Dr. Ben Eiseman then published how the method could cure pseudomembranous colitis. Throughout the book we again and again realize that it’s important to as late as possible in life, and as few times as possible to use antibiotic, as it kills bout good and bad bacteria, and that probably we never again are getting back all the same good bacteria which we had before we started on antibiotic. And late in the book, in the chapter 9, “Managing Your Internal Fermentation”, just before the advises with menus and recipes, we then get back a concentration of all of what until here have read about. Among other reading about how healthy it is to have a dog, and thereby have one more delivering place from where to probably get some helpful bacteria’s. And we read about how farmers, because of their contact with animals, plants, and the ground, then actually in their guts and stomachs contains more different bacteria’s than citizens. And the therefore its healthy for citizens to visit farmers, to have dog, plants, not to was hands too much, or clean departments too much and so on. All together an interesting book to read while it contains much rather new and important information.

This has been very informative especially the suggestions to get the kids to eat the healthier food, I have littles so I can't do anything too drastic. The book also explains all the hype in the media lately about eating healthy and microbes. I now understand what a probiotic really does. I like the scientific backups to health connections, the microbes and the gut and brain function. I'm generally a healthy person and until last year didn't have any issues. Then our family had a bout with a nasty stomach flu bug around Easter time and stress, I had some adult onset food allergy attacks with little on no really connections for about 9-12 months and with 3 ER visits and no answers, I was pulling my hair out. My daughter has 6 UTI in like 4-5 months and some not so fun tests that resulted in there shouldn't be any problems with her. I then read this book and I have been slowly implementing the doctors' suggestions into my family's meals. We all feel so much better now. We now talk about microbes and feeding those microbes to get the kids to buy into the healthier food. When we go off track and over indulge on junk/treat food we really can tell and get back to the suggestions. We feel more in control or actually more in sync with our bodies and microbes now. The authors don't advocate any diet trends such as South Beach, Paleo or Vegetarian but do explain how the microbes react and produce chemicals that interact with our body based on what we eat. They also go into details about the brain/gut relationship and how stress impacts the microbes environment and reaction to our stress which in turn impacts our bodies. They don't hype anything and are actually conservative in most claims if the research is limited but promising.

I truly appreciate the Sonnenburgs priceless, wonderfully detailed, informative book that was easily digestible- yuk yuk- by a relative layman. It has absolutely helped me clarify some details of exactly how these complex interactions occur in the gut that I was not understanding even after a 18 year love affair with the microbiome and nutrition! I am also certain that they are wonderful parents whose children love them and have benefited greatly from their care and concern. However, much of my life’s work has been in child development and I would caution against some of the more extreme advice on literally never allowing children to have conventional sweets in the house, to eat fast food, or even to have snacks that aren’t from their leftovers in the lunchbox (as someone who personally hates leftovers and wilting food- YUCK!). This level of extreme food control leaves a child ripe for eating disorders on either side of the spectrum: severe restriction that we see in anorexia or, conversely, binge eating with or without purging. In fact, although I am in no position to diagnose anyone from reading one book, I would warn that some of what I’m reading here suggests orthorexia. Again, I find this book incredibly useful and genius. My own children were both breast-fed for two years each and grew up on kefir, homemade chicken liver pate, fermented cod liver oil, homemade yogurt etc… but also got to have Christmas cookies and Halloween candy and drive-through french fries. Perhaps children on a more strict diet would have better gut flora, but we need to holistically look at the entire child and their psychological well-being vis-à-vis the world of junk food that we do live in. Deprivation will largely backfire.

I read with great enjoyment Justin and Erica Sonnenburg’s book, The Good Gut. This is a rare work that combines solid science with practical help on dieting and wellness. On the scientific front, the book provides information about the bacteria that live in our gut (the microbiome), how they were first discovered, and how various properties were ascribed to them. It talks about the process of digestion and how the bacteria in the gut feed on molecules that are indigestible in the framework of human metabolism, in particular long-chain oligosaccharides, and how they produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which we can combine with oxygen to get small amounts of energy from. Furthermore, the bacteria in the gut are very important for tuning our immune system; they are also connected, in a sense, to our nervous system and to making us feel good. The book gives practical strategies of how we can help these bacteria do their job better. In particular, it talks about the distinction between probiotics, prebiotics, and symbiotics, with the former consisting of bacteria (eg in yogurt), the second, the food to feed these bacteria (eg leafy vegetables), and the later being great combinations of these two – eg yogurt with an inulin-containing banana. Finally, it discusses how we can intelligently expose our children to microbes, for instance, by letting them play in the dirt (but still washing their hands after touching door knobs and handles that are exposed to urban germs). Altogether, I found this a great read that talks about hardcore science in a practical context.

Great book. At first i thought I had wasted my money learning about something I have researched on the web many times, however, there is a key insight in this book that I have not encountered anywhere else: the importance of adequate fiber in the diet to make probiotics more effective. I never really understood the fiber link until I read this book. I have been eating fermented vegetables and taking probiotic supplements with less than stellar success for quite sometime. What I discovered from reading this book is that my fiber intake was well below where it needed to be to make my probiotics vital. In fact, unless you are a raw vegan, you are unlikely to get adequate amounts of fiber in your diet. I upped my fruits and vegetables and also started to take a fiber supplement several times a day. Things started to work much better!! I definitely recommend reading this book if you are new to the microbiome or if you want a further understanding of what is needed to optimize your gut. Easy to read and informative. Don't forget the fiber....!

Well worth buying and reading. More people need to know how important their gut health corresponds with better health.

The Sonnenburgs do an excellent job of explaining and outlining the science around the human microbiome - something that other books have done an excellent job on as well, books such as "Missing Microbes" and "An Epidemic of Absence." But their dietary recommendations fall short on many levels, especially for people who suffer from intestinal damage and gut dysbiosis. They basically recommend a diet low in meat and saturated fat and high in fiber, especially from grains and legumes. While there is no question that dietary fiber is really important for feeding gut microbiota, there is also plenty of evidence that grains, especially when not soaked or fermented, are really damaging to the gut, especially in people who already have gut damage. They also buy into the red meat-TMAO link, which is pretty dubious. The American Gut Project did an excellent analysis of this in a recent article: http://humanfoodproject.com/from-meat-to-microbes-to-main-street-is-it-time-to-trade-in-your-george-foreman-grill/. They also fail to mention resistant starch and its microbiome-boosting role, which is a major omission. Another omission is that they fail to discuss the relationship between gluten, zonulin, and leaky gut. Gluten consumption can and does lead to leaky gut, especially in the absence of a healthy microbiota, so gluten should be consumed with great caution. Also, there is no great evidence that dietary fat, especially saturated, does any real damage to human health - quite the opposite. Their recommendations regarding dietary fat seem outdated. A microbiota-friendly diet should consist primarily of fiber from mostly vegetables and some fruit, and to a lesser degree from properly soaked legumes. Grains may be OK for people with a healthy gut, but for the rest of us grains can be very problematic and can exacerbate existing gut inflammation. Grains, if consumed, should always be soaked and fermented so as to reduce the anti-nutrients therein.

The gut has been an organ whose highly complex workings have been almost unknown until very recently. In view of the epidemic of killer lifestyle diseases, a summary of knowledge in this fast-expanding area is just what the general reader needs. Before reading this book, I knew that fresh, unrefined food was better for me than processed, but now I know WHY. That 'why' is empowering and has altered my diet forever. The provision of some tasty recipes and tips for healthy snacks aids the necessary transition. It really does feel different to eat a lot more fibre and (preferably) homemade probiotics such as kefir, miso, natto, yogurt, live sauerkraut, kimchi and so on. Not only that, the reader is assured that it's okay to have some of the processed foods you're used to, as long as you reduce them and feel good and full with fibre first. The advice to listen to your own body as you experiment and not to cause yourself discomfort is based on the scientific basis that gut microbiota vary greatly from one individual to another. Even identical twins have differing gut microbiota. Kids coming in from playing in a backyard filled with plants and healthy soil do not need to wash their hands before eating; wow, I can relax! But they must wash after a shopping mall or hospital visit due to pathogens being more common amongst large groups of people than in the soil; how sensible and understandable! I still haven't convinced my wife to get rid of the medicated hand-wash, but I'm working on it. This is a holistic look at the effects of a healthy gut. The last box I have to check is exercise, along with the diet. Feeling in better control on the diet side has already helped with weight loss and a general sense of well-being. Indeed, the section on the association between a healthy mind and a healthy gut is quite startling and fairly immediately felt. The prospect of some healthy exercise is thus fast becoming a happily anticipated improvement. Gut health and general health is inextricable and something we really need to know.

Great book which has changed the way I think about health and wellness. Very well written and approachable for the beginner.

Ich habe das Buch im Urlaub auf Sardinien innerhalb einer Woche durchgelesen, weil es so gut und verständlich geschrieben ist. Die Infos zur Darmflora sind super aufbereitet und endlich einmal alltagstauglich erklärt. Ich habe einige der Ratschläge direkt umgesetzt und schon nach kurzer Zeit eine deutliche Verbesserung bemerkt. Für alle, die ihre Verdauung oder ihr Wohlbefinden optimieren wollen, eine ganz klare Empfehlung!

Very well written and helpful. In terms of the human-direction map, the authors do a good job of placing the current state of scientific research regarding the microbiota, in its position between the elegant solutions of taking a pill and the complete unpredictability of accidents like the genes you were born with or being hit by a bus. In other words, when it comes to a good gut, being healthy means taking up an intermediate position on the topography of uncertainties: you have to learn what to watch for, then use trial and error to find the right balance. It means getting in touch with your personal state in a new way, but the rewards are substantial (that much is clear). I thought I was okay, given that I generally exceed the suggested 5 a day of fruit and veg. Now I know differently. I know what to watch for (without going into details) and will try to start preparing some of the authors' recipes and take some of their other suggested practical steps for making improvements. The good thing is that they spell all that out in clear, practical terms, without pretending to be at the simple-solution end of the certainty-uncertainty spectrum. Timothy Corwen, human-direction mapmaker

It’s a very detailed explanation of gut health. Really good health is the pathway to good health. Really worth good read.

The Sonnenbergs are a credible source of information about the gut microbiota. I read a few complaints in the reviews about how often phrases like 'it seems that' or ' this is not yet fully understood' are used. This is because these ideas are relatively new, at least in terms of general awareness within the field of nutritional biochemistry. This is a primer meant to give an overview of the field as it is today. It suggests many interesting avenues of exploration. Some of the information will run contrary to what a lot of people or a certain age (like me) took to be dogma, but isn't that what progress is all about? We all know what's happened to the idea that fats are bad for you and that a 'low fat' diet is best. Their take on the use of hand sanitizers will raise a few eyebrows. This book is well worth the read for someone who wants an introduction. If you want to go deeper, you'll have to follow closely and do your own research.