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Digestive Wellness: How to Strengthen the Immune System and Prevent Disease Through Healthy Digestion
Sixty percent of the population has suffered from a digestive ailment in the last three months. Acid reflux, heartburn, gastritis, ulcers, lactose intolerance, and food allergies are among the many ailments caused by faulty digestion. Digestive Wellness was designed to help you understand the complex relationships between gastrointestinal physiology, diet, and health. Written by noted nutritionist Elizabeth Lipski, this accessible third edition of the popular resource has been thoroughly updated to reflect the latest information and research on digestive disorders. Here, you will find practical advice on implementing a wellness program to promote health and alleviate a wide range of problems caused by faulty digestion.
440 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
220 people are currently reading
1035 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
September 9, 2018
–page 262, line 2: "...low-fat, low-calorie diets increase your risk of developing gallstones".
–page 263, line 5: "Low-fat diets help prevent gallstones..."
and on
-page 275, line 33: "Gluten is found in...millet..."
–page 276, line 7: "Gluten-free..include...millet..."
These kinds of errors were throughout the book. Also, many memes were gratuitously thrown in without basis.
I do recommend it since there are not enough better alternative books. Just double-check everything you decide to use.
–page 263, line 5: "Low-fat diets help prevent gallstones..."
and on
-page 275, line 33: "Gluten is found in...millet..."
–page 276, line 7: "Gluten-free..include...millet..."
These kinds of errors were throughout the book. Also, many memes were gratuitously thrown in without basis.
I do recommend it since there are not enough better alternative books. Just double-check everything you decide to use.
February 14, 2014
In my early teens, I was diagnosed with a digestive/autoimmune disorder that changed the way I had to approach food. However, I neglected to really be careful about the types of food I ate and a few years ago, my diagnosis progressed into something slightly worse. After the horrible experience I went through to discover that, it seemed to be the kick I needed to make my health a priority. As a result, I enjoy researching what I can do to maintain a healthy digestive and immune system and this book is where I should have started a long time ago (this is the 4th edition, earlier editions have been published).
I recommend this book for anyone struggling with digestive disorders or immune system disorders. Written by Elizabeth Lipski, who holds a doctorate in Clinical Nutrition with a specialization in Functional Medicine, the book is written with a holistic viewpoint in mind. While I have no formal education in nutrition or medicine, through the research I've done with books such as this, I have found the holistic viewpoint (aka functional medicine) to be most logical. Holistic medicine looks at the body as a whole, not separate systems set apart from each other. One imbalance in one area of the body sets off imbalances in every other system in the body. That being said, Lipski focuses on the body as a whole, and shows how food and digestion sets the track for overall health and wellness. In addition, a large portion of the book focuses on natural therapies for common digestive problems so you can target your exact issue clearly.
Also, Dr. Mark Hyman wrote the foreword- I'll read anything with his name on it!
I recommend this book for anyone struggling with digestive disorders or immune system disorders. Written by Elizabeth Lipski, who holds a doctorate in Clinical Nutrition with a specialization in Functional Medicine, the book is written with a holistic viewpoint in mind. While I have no formal education in nutrition or medicine, through the research I've done with books such as this, I have found the holistic viewpoint (aka functional medicine) to be most logical. Holistic medicine looks at the body as a whole, not separate systems set apart from each other. One imbalance in one area of the body sets off imbalances in every other system in the body. That being said, Lipski focuses on the body as a whole, and shows how food and digestion sets the track for overall health and wellness. In addition, a large portion of the book focuses on natural therapies for common digestive problems so you can target your exact issue clearly.
Also, Dr. Mark Hyman wrote the foreword- I'll read anything with his name on it!
April 3, 2009
My poor body! No wonder my immune system is so messed up and I'm burdened with chronic fatigue. I was recently diagnosed with leaky gut, candida, overabundance of other bad gut bacteria, and food allergies and consequently put on a strict diet and probiotic regime to fix this, which is going quite well. In the meantime this book does a stellar job explaining what probably led to this state and what I can do to have a happy gut and healthy life again. A not overly-scientific read so it's great for the layperson to understand how their digestive system operates and especially why your body requires a healthy, nutrient-dense diet to function properly and prevent disease. The author also goes into great detail about the importance of probiotics in your gut, which is so overlooked in basic health practices.
October 7, 2012
This is an excellent and unbiased primer on digestive health and also a terrific reference book on various ailments that have digestive roots or connections. Lipski provides a broad view of various therapies for treating digestive issues. For each ailment, she offers many suggestions for treatment that are mostly based on nutritional supplements, using food as medicine, or herbal treatments. She doesn't prescribe any specific one diet or solution. Instead, she emphasizes the importance of examining the individual experience of each person even within a common disease or ailment. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn about why digestive wellness is so important for overall health and how it connects to so many diseases. For anyone interested in better health, this is a terrific book to keep on your shelf for reference and review along with (in my opinion) "Nutritional Healing" by Balch and Balch, "Food and Healing" by Annemarie Colbin, and "Healing with Whole Foods" by Paul Pritchford.
May 19, 2023
This book was informative in the beginning and slowly devolved into a lot of claims that are not backed by any science. She throws a lot of medical jargon at the reader which would confuse the average person and then makes it seem as if her claims are all accurate. I’m studying to be an RD so I always am looking to learn more and did find this book to be super informative, was just disappointed with some of the unfounded claims and recommendations which could be very harmful to people if they take her word as completely factual. Stay away from the cleansing and detoxing section please!!! And do not take these herbs and botanicals without speaking with a licensed dietitian or physician, lots of these can have effects on meds or conditions. Just take a lot of the specific recommendations with a grain of salt, and look at the book as more of an overall picture of digestive wellness, which is great.
February 13, 2016
This is a pretty good resource, especially for people struggling with an autoimmune disorder and seeking help through functional medicine. There are a few inconsistencies, and occasionally the advice isn't backed up by solid evidence--which she points out herself, so it's not like she's trying to sell snake oil. One of the biggest risks is that you might read this and think you've got even more disorders than you thought you had to begin with. For that reason, I recommend using this book in conjunction with seeing a functional medicine practitioner, and not trying to diagnose and treat yourself with the advice in the book alone.
March 27, 2016
This book was jam packed full of information about many symptoms and conditions brought on with the "unwell" gut. There are many scenarios and examples of different experiences she has had treating the gut. Elim diets are discussed and suggestions for supplements good foods to get you back to health. This will be a good reference.
January 21, 2024
Hippocrates said that “all disease begins in the gut” and this book certainly makes a good case for that. The author cites lots of interesting research that supports a strong causal relationship between gut dysbyosis and many health conditions we don’t normally associate with digestion and the gut microbiome such as neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s, MS, etc.), mental illness (anxiety, depression, mood disorders, panic disorder, etc.), cancers, skin disorders (eczema, acne, psoriasis, rosacea, etc.). Would highly recommend this read!
February 10, 2026
The comprehensive reference, evenhandedly covering herbal medicines, pharmaceuticals and nutrition.
This is a large book dedicated to an educated readership of people that have the background and inclination to analyze and resolve their own medical problems.
The book begins by introducing the reader to the components of the digestive tract. It is an extraordinarily elaborate system, made up of large areas for absorption, a circulatory system to carry nutrients to the body and wastes back, and its own almost autonomous nervous system capable of functioning independent of the brain.
A healthy digestive tract is fundamental to overall health. Moreover, seemingly unrelated problems elsewhere in the body – a fuzzy brain, migraine headaches, pains in the elbows and knees – can very often be traced back to problems in nutrition and digestion.
The next part is dedicated to the DIGIN model she refers to throughout the remainder of the book in pointing out where problems originate. The acronym consists of the following:
Digestion/absorption
Intestinal permeability
Gastric flora – the microorganisms
Immune system/inflammation
Nervous system
Intestinal permeability is a fairly recent concept. The intestine walls are designed to allow nutrients, small molecules, to penetrate and enter the bloodstream, while restraining larger molecules within the got. When the intestinal walls don't do this job, larger bacteria and other odd stuff goes floating through the body, causing problems that don't appear related to digestion.
With this model in place, she proceeds to the theme of the book. Our bodies work when everything is in balance. We throw our bodies out of balance by taking in too much food, the wrong kinds of food and the wrong balance of foods. She is especially critical of two major industries that control our diet: the processed foods producers and the restaurant industry. They exploit our weak natures to improve their corporate profits, at the cost of our health. One of her favorite targets is the soft drink industry, filling us with sugars we don't need and acids that are hard to digest.
Balance goes beyond diet, however. Exercise is important, eliminating stress is important, and taking time to eat as well. Digestion begins in the mouth. If we don't have food that requires chewing, or don't take time to chew, the process does not get off to a good start. She reconfirms the wisdom of the home-cooked family meal, with the family saying grace as they savor the aroma, and then taking time to enjoy it.
After this well constructed lead in, she comes to the most important part of the book for most readers: how to diagnose common problems associated with the digestion and how to treat them. She provides a number of lists for self-diagnosis, but also provides detailed information on the laboratory tests that a doctor can order to confirm the suspicion. There are so many conditions and tests available that you, the patient, and the doctor are obliged to do all you can to narrow it down for you present the problem to the medical establishment for a solution.
Lipsky shows a good understanding of the pharmaceuticals of involved in treating digestive problems as well as herbal remedies and dietary changes. Her preference is for the latter when they will work. They are more natural, and of course less expensive. However, she makes no bones about the fact that pharmaceuticals are often required.
The most common complaint among Americans is heartburn, which now goes by the acronym GERD. She offers the very useful observation that heartburn is not a problem of excess stomach acid but rather misplaced stomach acid. As the valve meant to contain it within the stomach weakens with age, it gets up into the esophagus. The situation is exacerbated by the wrong food and drink, alcohol among the greatest offenders.
Her useful observation is that the pharmaceuticals used to treat GERD can have detrimental side effects, tickly if used over the long-term. Proton pump inhibitors, a number one profit maker for the pharmaceuticals, lower stomach acid. This treats the symptom, but a proper level of acidity is essential to digestion on the other side of the stomach. Without enough acid, the microbes from the big intestine invade the small intestine and interfere with its ability to do its job. The take-home point is that there are no shortcuts. Good health ultimately depends on a good diet, good exercise and other good habits.
She addresses a number of ailments that would not seem to be digestion related, among them migraine headaches, psoriasis, even autism. These conditions are complicated. They manifest them differently in different people, they may have some genetic basis, and they have different dietary triggers in different people. The book provides useful lists of things to look for and alternatives to try and treating such conditions.
All this is in keeping with the view of medicine that she espouses. Rather than look at the body as something that is expected to be in perfect health, and requires treatment by a physician when it is not, she takes a wellness centered approach. We, the masters of our bodies, should take responsibility for keeping them well before problems occur, and also take an active role in diagnosing and treating problems to the extent that we can. We can do this by changing our diet and lifestyle. Doctors and drugs are a necessary part of the system, but they cannot do it all themselves.
I bought this book for my wife whose digestive issues seem to be impacting her hormonal system. In reading it I learned a lot about dealing with my own issue with heartburn and our babysitter's issue with migraines. I write this review two days after having read it. I expect to come back in a year with an update with regard to how effective the advice turned out to be.
This is a large book dedicated to an educated readership of people that have the background and inclination to analyze and resolve their own medical problems.
The book begins by introducing the reader to the components of the digestive tract. It is an extraordinarily elaborate system, made up of large areas for absorption, a circulatory system to carry nutrients to the body and wastes back, and its own almost autonomous nervous system capable of functioning independent of the brain.
A healthy digestive tract is fundamental to overall health. Moreover, seemingly unrelated problems elsewhere in the body – a fuzzy brain, migraine headaches, pains in the elbows and knees – can very often be traced back to problems in nutrition and digestion.
The next part is dedicated to the DIGIN model she refers to throughout the remainder of the book in pointing out where problems originate. The acronym consists of the following:
Digestion/absorption
Intestinal permeability
Gastric flora – the microorganisms
Immune system/inflammation
Nervous system
Intestinal permeability is a fairly recent concept. The intestine walls are designed to allow nutrients, small molecules, to penetrate and enter the bloodstream, while restraining larger molecules within the got. When the intestinal walls don't do this job, larger bacteria and other odd stuff goes floating through the body, causing problems that don't appear related to digestion.
With this model in place, she proceeds to the theme of the book. Our bodies work when everything is in balance. We throw our bodies out of balance by taking in too much food, the wrong kinds of food and the wrong balance of foods. She is especially critical of two major industries that control our diet: the processed foods producers and the restaurant industry. They exploit our weak natures to improve their corporate profits, at the cost of our health. One of her favorite targets is the soft drink industry, filling us with sugars we don't need and acids that are hard to digest.
Balance goes beyond diet, however. Exercise is important, eliminating stress is important, and taking time to eat as well. Digestion begins in the mouth. If we don't have food that requires chewing, or don't take time to chew, the process does not get off to a good start. She reconfirms the wisdom of the home-cooked family meal, with the family saying grace as they savor the aroma, and then taking time to enjoy it.
After this well constructed lead in, she comes to the most important part of the book for most readers: how to diagnose common problems associated with the digestion and how to treat them. She provides a number of lists for self-diagnosis, but also provides detailed information on the laboratory tests that a doctor can order to confirm the suspicion. There are so many conditions and tests available that you, the patient, and the doctor are obliged to do all you can to narrow it down for you present the problem to the medical establishment for a solution.
Lipsky shows a good understanding of the pharmaceuticals of involved in treating digestive problems as well as herbal remedies and dietary changes. Her preference is for the latter when they will work. They are more natural, and of course less expensive. However, she makes no bones about the fact that pharmaceuticals are often required.
The most common complaint among Americans is heartburn, which now goes by the acronym GERD. She offers the very useful observation that heartburn is not a problem of excess stomach acid but rather misplaced stomach acid. As the valve meant to contain it within the stomach weakens with age, it gets up into the esophagus. The situation is exacerbated by the wrong food and drink, alcohol among the greatest offenders.
Her useful observation is that the pharmaceuticals used to treat GERD can have detrimental side effects, tickly if used over the long-term. Proton pump inhibitors, a number one profit maker for the pharmaceuticals, lower stomach acid. This treats the symptom, but a proper level of acidity is essential to digestion on the other side of the stomach. Without enough acid, the microbes from the big intestine invade the small intestine and interfere with its ability to do its job. The take-home point is that there are no shortcuts. Good health ultimately depends on a good diet, good exercise and other good habits.
She addresses a number of ailments that would not seem to be digestion related, among them migraine headaches, psoriasis, even autism. These conditions are complicated. They manifest them differently in different people, they may have some genetic basis, and they have different dietary triggers in different people. The book provides useful lists of things to look for and alternatives to try and treating such conditions.
All this is in keeping with the view of medicine that she espouses. Rather than look at the body as something that is expected to be in perfect health, and requires treatment by a physician when it is not, she takes a wellness centered approach. We, the masters of our bodies, should take responsibility for keeping them well before problems occur, and also take an active role in diagnosing and treating problems to the extent that we can. We can do this by changing our diet and lifestyle. Doctors and drugs are a necessary part of the system, but they cannot do it all themselves.
I bought this book for my wife whose digestive issues seem to be impacting her hormonal system. In reading it I learned a lot about dealing with my own issue with heartburn and our babysitter's issue with migraines. I write this review two days after having read it. I expect to come back in a year with an update with regard to how effective the advice turned out to be.
March 10, 2012
This book contains good solid information and could absolutely really help improve the health of a lot of people.
This book was good, but not as good as the book on this topic by Dr Sherry Rogers which I found far more thorough. That book was excellent and so I would recommend it over this one. If all your library has is this book however, it is well worth a read and makes many important points.
Also worth reading are books on the SCD eating plan and the GAPS diet, if you have serious gut issues and dysbiosis and need to heal your gut. These books take a very different and diet-based approach, that may be even more beneficial for some people.
Jodi Bassett, The Hummingbirds' Foundation for M.E.
This book was good, but not as good as the book on this topic by Dr Sherry Rogers which I found far more thorough. That book was excellent and so I would recommend it over this one. If all your library has is this book however, it is well worth a read and makes many important points.
Also worth reading are books on the SCD eating plan and the GAPS diet, if you have serious gut issues and dysbiosis and need to heal your gut. These books take a very different and diet-based approach, that may be even more beneficial for some people.
Jodi Bassett, The Hummingbirds' Foundation for M.E.
March 24, 2013
Really a mini-encyclopedia of how you can improve your digestive wellness and, in the process, a lot of problems and serious illnesses that ail you. It is honestly the first place where I've seen someone connect the dots with things like digestive health and rosacea but on reading it all, it makes perfect sense. I wish I could get some people I know to change their diets and see if some of their health problems would go away. If you're interested in autism, ADD, and ADHD, you should buy "Digestive Wellness for Children" as they are covered there specifically and not in this book (although I'm sure this book would have a lot of interesting information for you).
July 6, 2012
I read Digestive Wellness in conjunction with The Inside Tract by Gerard E. Mullin. I don't know how lucky I was, out of all the books that Amazon recommends to me, to find just what I was wanting/needing/hoping for! I am not disappointed!
I'm using this book as a reference to holistic and herbal remedies and other methods of developing an individual program of digestive well-being. Lipski's explanations of digestive diseases and self-care practices are worth downloading the book!
I have a remarkable duo, here.
I'm using this book as a reference to holistic and herbal remedies and other methods of developing an individual program of digestive well-being. Lipski's explanations of digestive diseases and self-care practices are worth downloading the book!
I have a remarkable duo, here.
April 21, 2017
I guess I have a fairly slow transit time as it took me 6 months to digest this book, and even then parts weren't fully digested. It was interesting enough but fairly repetitive. A lot of the illnesses weren't relative to me so I skipped over them.
January 17, 2020
This is an incredibly informative book on the importance of digestive health. A must-have reference book about what is going on in your gut, how does it impact health and what you can do to care for it.
January 29, 2025
Super super interesting!! This will be a great resource to have on hand for helping my future clients. If you’re a nutritional therapy or holistic health nerd, this is a good read. It does dig in fairly deep, so be warned.
February 18, 2023
A very useful book. Lipski explains clearly how the digestive system works. She provides questionnaires for what could go wrong and links this to why. She also provides an entire chapter on how to restock your pantry without all the foods that might cause problems and specific diets/plans according to what challenges you're facing. This is all expressed in a very easy to read way and with a healthy and understanding attitude to wellness and digestive difficulties. I liked her note that modern medicine considers if you don’t have a disease you are perfectly healthy, but alternative medicines cater for wellness, not diseases.
June 12, 2024
Digestive wellness is a composition of techniques to maintain health, recover from illness, and diagnose symptoms. The simple suggestions for eating mindfully are especially helpful. By reading how our health is a system regulated by our mind and body explains a lot about self care and control over preventing illness. Also, the diagnoses for different digestive issues are vast and are related to other symptoms that can be overlooked. I read this book to learn how to select a healthy diet and learned that it's more important than I thought.
September 7, 2018
3rd Edition, 2005. Outdated (2018). I felt instructions were slightly useless. I spoke to my Dr. about a few things I read and not much aligned. What I did like about this book is its suggestion of color coding your food diary to help balance your diet. It lost me when it told me to be a vegetarian. Lol.
June 17, 2020
Very informative. I can see why it’s advised to read this book slowly, which I did. It made me realize how important it is to understand the human body better and to take care of what we’ve been created with. We can’t always prevent certain diseases or problems but we can lesson the severity of what we may be experiencing.
March 8, 2025
Great information, HORRIBLE editing. Literally 20% of the book is repeating the same things over and over again - some paragraphs and lines even repeated back to back word for word. A bit annoying to read. I wonder if my book was incorrectly made or if the editor just didn’t do their job?
But content is great!
But content is great!
Read
April 6, 2020Really helpful book if you have any digestive issues whatsoever. The author explains all aspects of the digestive process in layman's terms and offers possible testing ideas with your doctor or possible treatment options for many different concerns like irritable bowel, Crohn's etc.
January 28, 2023
It's like a full check up , closest thing to it from the comfort of ur home. Of course it doesn't mean You shouldn't go in for a full check up but it needs you to the areas that you should be focusing on. The quiz in the beginning Is very specific
July 2, 2024
Excellent review for balancing the digestive system. The first half of the book covers general principles of health, while the second half describes more specific conditions people may experience. Highly recommended!
September 7, 2017
very detailed and informative...a didn't read the whole book thoroughly since parts of it didn't pertain to me at all
May 5, 2021
Exceptionally good explanation and dietary advice to take wellness into your own hands.
June 20, 2022
very good book
https://www.buysynogut.org/
https://www.buysynogut.org/
January 22, 2026
A wealth of information on self-care and healthy living. A rich resource for self-care that everyone should own.
August 17, 2011
A very resourceful book on all aspects of digestion. If you want to understand the way your digestive system wants to communicate with you, then you have to read this book. I assume it was written for the regular reader, who only needs to understand the digestive system & how to deal with the most basic signs. It's a great resource for everyone, Elizabeth Lipski offers many alternative treatments for any digestive condition, as a preventative way to maintain the health of your digestive system. Highly recommended.
March 25, 2015
Review from a nutrition student: This book is great! It offers a plethora of information and detail, which I love and really look for in this genre of books. Causes, symptoms, and treatment, and the mechanisms of each are all included. It is such a great source for all digestion-related health and disease information, which is of course related to so many other health problems. Essentially a textbook, but so much better because it has room for all the things a textbook may not, and the author's excitement bounces off the page and makes the information that much more interesting.
June 21, 2007
A well-written, enjoyable, at times humourous book about the digestive system and how to keep it healthy. Introduces basic concepts about food and anatomy first, then delves into specific health concerns and how to care for them using nutrition and supplements. Even if you are not experiencing digestive upsets, you could benefit from this book, as Lipski points out connections between digestive health and overall wellness. One of the best nutrition books I've ever read. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews