Thanks to Netgalley and Pavilion Books for an advance copy of The Gut Stuff.

The Gut Stuff is a great little introduction to your gut and its health. I liked its small size as an easy beginner introduction to the topic. However, it probably isn't suitable for someone with prior knowledge of this subject.

The part I was most hoping for information about - probiotics, is unfortunately pretty bare. There was a general description about what they are, but the authors didn't go into anymore depth, citing that research was still on going.

The book also really did not format well to Kindle, and regularly jumped and missed out entire paragraphs. I know this won't be an issue on the printed one but it did impact my overall read of the book.

Overall though, this was a short and interesting introduction to gut health and I would recommend it to someone with an interest in this topic.

Rating 3.5 Stars

This was an interesting book on how the gut works.

It contains lots of information from different specialist doctors, how food is digested, how it's best to poo(!) and what you can do to aid yourself, be it what you eat, exercise, de-stressing and more.

I received this book from Netgalley in return for a honest review.

As someone who shas frees with chronic constipation and a SIBO, I bumped this book review up my list. I can’t deny it’s informative if you know very little about the subject of digestion to elimination and the benefits of certain foods, but personally I was left wanting more on pre and probiotics, dysbiosis and a clearer explanation of how to make sauerkraut (I had to read the brief ‘2%’ part twice to realise that was reference to how much salt to add.
I love the book cover and the layout within the book and am grateful to Netgalley, publisher and author for the chance to offer my honest opinion.

ARC provided by the publisher—via NetGalley—in exchange for an honest review.

The Gut Stuff by the Macfarlane twins was a very easy and enjoyable read. They break down complex information with easy-to-understand diagrams and metaphors for the layman. They make the science relatable and accessible. However, I find that this book is directed to an audience who are absolute beginners in this topic – which did not affect my rating, but it is important to note if you, like me, are more well read on these topics (perhaps due to existing health conditions), as this book will not be suitable for you.

Hereunder are the pros of the book:

- The following quotes (very insightful, and I hadn't read these points anywhere else):

“Bacteria educate our immune system from the moment we are born.
We know how important bacteria are for maintaining a normal immune
system from experiments with germ-free laboratory mice born without
any bacteria at all The roots of this relationship lie in how you are born
and nourished during the first five or so years of life. This is a key period
of immune education that sets up your immune system for your long-
term health.”

“The beautiful, wandering vagus nerve is a real multi-tasker. Going from
along the way, the vagus nerve is the major structural component
your brain to your gut and connecting through all of your major organs
of the gut-brain axis. But it doesn't stop there - the vagus nerve is also
the main structural feature of the parasympathetic nervous system
(PSNS). The PSNS is the flip-side of your fight or flight response, aka
your sympathetic nervous system (SNS). While the SNS s responsible
for preparing your body for action- increasing blood pressure and
breathing rate, shutting down digestion to make more oxygen carried
in your blood available to your arms and legs etc. - the PSNS returns
the body to a state of calm and rest. This is the reason that IBS
symptoms are so often triggered by stress and why you should avoid
trying to eat when you are agitated or in a rush: you won't be able to
digest your food properly."

“We think most foods have the power to be 'superfoods. Whether they
provide you with gut-loving fibre or polyphenols, or the taste of a
cinnamon bun takes you back to being a carefree 10-year-old,
the physical and mental benefits food can provide means there
are no true superfoods. Save your cash, avoid expensive powders and
exotic ingredients and instead eat as many plant foods and colours
as possible and you won't go far wrong.”


- The section on how to make sauerkraut is absolute gold, and precisely why I picked up a book like this – for the practical, beneficial tips that you can use in your day to day life and cooking. I would give the full 3 stars just for this section alone. I was previously very worried about making sauerkraut for probiotic supplementation but that worry has completely dissipated.

The cons, in my estimation, were:

- There was not enough information on probiotics – and as a sufferer of IBS, I really hoped to learn more about the process and ‘how’s and ‘why’s behind it. To quote the book: 'we recommend researching types of probiotics...' I wish the different types were elaborated on in the book! It would have been extremely beneficial.
- Likewise, there was nothing about prebiotics - just the history of prebiotics and the first research paper written on it, but nothing practical. For a book whose strength is in its practicality, I was disappointed to not see much practical information on prebiotics.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable read and I completed it in a very short time because it did not feel like a research paper – but rather, a friendly, well-meaning, knowledgeable friend who was sitting to have a chat with me over a cuppa. I do recommend.

First impressions: Cover title all in lower case, cover page in ghastly pale piggy pink (PPP) with an image of (best scenario) a knotted raw sausage/(worst scenario) a balloon artist’s condom. A pair of DJ-ing twins that once took part in a gut research study writing a book on digestive health?
Should have stopped right there, but the subject intrigued me.
I wondered who this book has been written for - it is too thirty-something verbose, painfully jokey with a low in-depth information content.
The poo diagnostics and glossary lifted it to a ***.

Note: White font on PPP background and PPP on white background is virtually indecipherable
Note: unreadable in the Kindle version (no images, fonts messed up)