Gut Check: Unleash the Power of Your Microbiome to Reverse Disease and Transform Your Mental, Physical, and Emotional Health: Library Edition

by Steven R. Gundry

In this groundbreaking addition to his New York Times bestselling Plant Paradox series, Steven R.Gundry, MD offers a definitive guide to the gut biome and its control over its home — us! — revealing the unimaginably complex and intelligent ecosystem controlling our health and teaching us how to heal our guts to prevent and reverse every type of disease. We may believe that we are the masters of our fates, but in reality, we are at the mercy of hundreds of trillions of single-celled organisms that exert control over every aspect of how our minds and bodies function. These are the diverse species of microbes living in our guts, mouths, and skin that work together synergistically to communicate with each other and with every system in our bodies. You are your microbiome’s home, and it wants to take care of you, but first you have to protect it. In Gut Check , Dr. Steven Gundry reveals the emerging science proving that Hippocrates was right – all disease begins in the gut. When our microbiomes are out of balance, it affects our immune systems, our hormone levels, our mental health, our longevity, and our risk of developing autoimmunity, heart, and neurodegenerative disease, as well as arthritis, diabetes, and cancer. Yet, not all hope is disease can also be healed in the gut if we choose to treat our microbes right. In Gut Check , Dr. Gundry shows us how.  In his warm, authoritative voice, Dr. Gundry provides us with the keys to unlocking our gut health, allowing our bodies, and its microbiome, to function at their highest potential. Sharing shocking new research as well as a detailed eating plan with food lists and recipes to heal and rebalance the microbiome, Gut Check provides the cutting-edge information and tools we need to repair our health and reclaim our lives. 

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Science, Audiobook, Self Help, Food, Nutrition

Audio CD

Published January 9, 2024

Reviews

[Perri · Rating 1 out of 5]

A dangerous book. I'm a journalist and am on some mailing list so received an advanced copy of this book unsolicited. I had never heard of the author before so decided to give it a try. The first few chapters were interesting enough and had me convinced I should be paying more attention to my microbiome. While Gundry used WAY too many exclamation marks, I didn't really become suspect until he started throwing out ridiculous claims like whole grains are bad for you, smoking is OK, and you should drink champagne and red wine daily. Things really devolved once the book finally got to the actual "Gut Check program" which was basically just a random section on intermittent fasting and a list of acceptable/not acceptable foods with no context or info. Then alarm bells went off more when he started plugging his own food products throughout the book, like, hey, don't eat spaghetti but eat Gundry spaghetti. Also, I found it really odd that he spent a few pages bashing Dan Buettner's Blue Zones, yet also regularly referred to Blue Zones when trying to lend credence to his cherry-picked hypotheses about health , like 99% of men in Ikaria smoke or 4 out of 5 Blue Zones eat this random nutrient I reccomend. He seems like a total quack. Please don't read this book.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I don’t understand the intense criticism toward Dr. Gundry and the misrepresentation of what he writes. “He’s a quack who supports smoking” has become such a common sound bite, when he quite directly states smoking is bad and you should abstain. What he discusses in relation to smoking is the interesting longevity experienced by some cultures who smoke, and the theory that other foods they are consuming offer a protective effect against the damage from cigarettes.

You have to have some critical thinking skills as you read this book and knowledge of the complexity and difficult nature of nutrition research. It also helps to understand that while scientists universally agree the gut microbiome is important, they haven’t figured out the best way to protect and repair it. Maybe it’s fair to fault Dr. Gundry for presenting himself as a definitive expert, but if you can get over that, there are many interesting takeaways and only a few utterly wacky claims.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is being slaughtered in the reviews. I can't refute the negative feedback because of course I have my own and I agree with a lot of what has been said especially the part where his books are informercials for his products.

Now with all the irritants aside, I can appreciate the author for sounding the alarm when it comes to microbiome health and the crucial role it plays in the overall health of humans at any age. I think he sincerely wants to help people and he tries to create space for future dialogue. However, with that said it always feels like his books miss the mark because at times it feels like he is helping himself more than his audience.

And that leads me to this one thing common in his last few books. What is the most irritating are all his metaphors, similies, and analogies (all are present) when trying to illustrate his message. It is mind boggling the number of times he tries to call a thing something entirely different and then assign it a personality and a role....ugh. I am so not a fan of that. So 3 stars.

[Caleb Fogler · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some of the things I’ve heard before from other sources such as eat more fermented food and less processed sugar, etc. However this author sounds more like a Wild West drug salesman, as he stating how his diet is basically a cure all from depression to cancer and diseases in between.

As mentioned in other reviews, the author states how the blue zone study is not factual but then uses the communities of the blue zone study to argue his point. And while I’m not a medical expert, some of his theories go against wide spread nutritional advice such as not eating whole grains or when the author seems to advocate for smoking to introduce nicotine to the gut.

Interested to hear more nutritionist and doctors opinions on the author’s theories but not willing to try them out on myself.

[Aly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having absolutely no background in bio or anatomy this book was tough to comprehend, despite the author’s best efforts at making it non-science reader friendly. My biggest struggle with the book however is that I unfortunately am coming away from it more confused about how to achieve better health. Apparently all of these things I thought were “healthy” (spinach, fruit, oats, eggs, whole grains) are not? May not be? May be okay if I only eat them at certain times, or cut them out of my diet and add them back in? Wish I could come away from this book with clearer takeaways beyond the fact that intermittent fasting = good… more takeaways on what to eat that are more achievable/realistic to the average person who isn’t a health nut.

[Johnny · Rating 4 out of 5]

These kind of books tend to make me feel helpless as most of the suggested dietary changes are expensive and isolating, not to mention dramatic. But the science is interesting.

[Arielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn’t love it as much as his other books, but I appreciate the evidence-based updates and his detailed scientific explanations (for the average listener) to his conclusions, as always. I think nothing is lost by skipping the first few chapters.

[Eleanor Eck · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book is great for informing readers as to WHY they should care about the health of their microbiome. So many diseases can be prevented with proper lifestyle habits. I do think the author is a little extreme with his Gut Check regime and I think it is unrealistic for most audiences. I do think most of his claims, especially in the beginning of the book are backed by scientific research, but I do not think people should use this book as a word for word health guide.

[Valerie Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very educational. Dr Gundry explains how our microbiomes work in our bodies when they are fed the right foods. Some of his explanations are quite scientific and I would've understood them a little better if written in layman's terminology which is why I gave it 4 stars, but there is no denying that he gets the point across on why Western diet is so harmful to our health and especially to our "gut buddies". He proves in this book that our bodies are amazing vessels designed to protect us as long as we protect our microbiomes by eating clean foods. He also explains how outside sources such as plastics and pesticides are so harmful to us and why.

[Salt Beauty · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I liked about this book at the beginning was the science behind how compounds in nature affect our gut biome. It certainly provides one with discussion and curiosity, but know that you need to take some of his directives with a grain of salt and continue to do more research. Eat the rainbow as the science is still in the discovery phase with all the benefits from the foods we eat!!

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am very interested in how your "gut health" affects your overall wellbeing, especially your mental heath so I enjoyed my time with this one, but it did seem like the author took it a little far sometimes, connecting your gut to different types of cancers, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, etc..

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

i have a couple issues with this book. Firstly, I love the idea of gut health guiding your life and everything, yes I support the research. But the author loses credibility in his delivery. He starts the book by saying lectins are bad IF YOU DONT HAVE AN ESTABLISHED HEALTHY GUT BIOME with a healthy mucus barrier in your intestines that can handle lectins, and then villainized beans and lentils the rest of the book, never reminding people that if they support their gut it can adapt and handle the lectins, once it restore its mucus barrier. Also I am not on board with the villainization of seed oils either, for the same reason. The benefits outweigh these temporary negatives. Yet he never brings that up, oh but he will mention the products he earns a commission from. Red Flag.

He also attacks the keto diet in the beginning, and in the end of the book talks about his fasting plan which activates, you guessed it, ketones. Red Flag.

He says MCT oils can’t be trusted because they have the wrong carbon chains and coconut oil is a sham, and at the end of the book touts his superior MCT oils that which he sells and makes a commission on. The main ingredient? Coconut oil. Red Flag.

He says the results the the Blue Zone are skewed because the author is a vegan has an agenda and the data isn’t representative and the areas are hokey, then spends a chapter twisting all the results of the Blue Zone to push his own rhetoric of his gut check program. Double standard much? He could have just said their established gut bacteria adapted to the rice bean lentil consumption of this area, instead he puts down one approach to raise his approach, and I don’t like that. I’ve read both and he twisted the other authors words and dismissed 90% of his points. He even admits that red meat is bad in current consumption and to focus on small servings on fish goats and poultry WHICH IS EXACTLY THE BLUE ZONE DIETS but no we can’t admit that because it supports someone else’s research and not his. Major major major red flag.

I get the medical research. I fully support the industry leaning into gut health. but to put it bluntly this guy bullies his work onto you and taints his credibility with his products and the fact that he makes MILLIONS if you hate seed oils and lectins unless they’re the ones he’s selling. And I don’t like it. For people looking to get out from under the thumb of Big Pharma and a capitalist society that doesn’t put your health first, I would warn against blindly following this guy. He is a walking red flag who put himself in a position to earn MILLIONS off of your ignorance on lectins and seed oils and anything that he sells an alternative on.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

The information is fascinating and motivational, but the delivery is repetitive and overattempts to entertain the reader. Perhaps everyone should share the knowledge presented in this book but by the time you finally reach the "Gut Check Program" (the diet and recipes that fill the last 1/3 of the book), you'll realize only the most privileged people have the time and money to afford what Gundry prescribes.

[Cristian Cristea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Might be seen as controversial but far from being dangerous. There is so much we don’t know and truth is so well hidden from us by the food industry giants that any book based on research on ecosystems in our gut is welcome.

Now, we can’t take everything for granted. I apply some logical filters
1. Is the recommended food readily available in the supermarket? If no, then it got my interest.
2. Is the recommended food something a hunter gatherer ( some 30k years ago) might recognise as food? If yes, it got my attention.

We evolved for millions of years with our “gut buddies” and what we currently call food only has at best a few thousand years but more likely a few decades and is produced by one of the less than 50 companies that directly or indirectly “feed” the world. These companies couldn’t care less about gut buddies, especially if they cannot bring quick profits.

Research in this field is only a few years old. What was good 10 years ago, is refuted by new studies. Worse, some studies are paid by giant food corporations. What we all should do is educate ourselves in this area so that we are less dependent on the companies that are feeding us junk for their bottom line only.

[Matthew Sattlegger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought the book was very heavy on the background and biology of why certain things are good or bad for the gut, but I loved to learn about how everything interacts within the body and how leaky gut leads to chronic inflammation.

The main take-aways I got were that Lectins (especially WGA) are bad, and if you can enhance mitochondria uncoupling and nurture your "gut buddies" with as many pre-, post-, and pro-biotics, the healthier you will be.

So why not give a few of his tips a shot? I'm not going to go full blown into the gut check program, but balancing red meat with chicken and fish seems reasonable, and I love goat cheese. It's probably not going to be too 'dangerous' to eat some basil seeds once in a while.

[Rory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye opening work on the under-appreciated role our microbiome plays in keeping us healthy. Dr. Gundry gives a compelling argument that our diet is key to preventing disease from the view point of how it affects our gut bacteria.


He links multiple maladies from auto-immune disease to cardiovascular disease to alterations in our gut microbiome, and surprise, the standard American diet is about the worst for our intestinal bacteria. As are antibiotics, which destroy the beneficial intestinal microbiome.
The idea that we can take control of our health and not rely on pharmaceuticals resonates with me. Recommend this book to any human with a gut.

[Amy Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting book. This medical doctor writes about the microbiome and its influence on overall health. The first half of the book explains the science behind his method in great detail and with thorough citations. I found it interesting, but more detailed than I was interested in.

In the second part of the book he explains how to put the science into practice. He believes in preventing disease through diet. He has a thriving practice in Palm Springs. I was surprised to find lots of new information here. Very different from things I've read in other sources.

[Mir Shahzad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary:

Gut Check illuminates the profound influence of our gut bacteria on health and longevity, debunking conventional dietary myths. It emphasizes the significance of nurturing our microbiome with specific foods like fermented dairy products, polyphenol-rich fruits, and vegetables, and highlights the detriments of lectins. Ultimately, it presents a compelling case for reevaluating our dietary choices to support vibrant health and a longer life.

[victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

learned lots about my gut buddies!

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

While there is much more research to be done, I appreciated the explanations and suggestions he provided with current research. Being my first book about all things gut, I found it to be a useful starting point.

[Danica · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thorough and comprehensive book about how your microbiome controls and affects your other biological systems, communicates with your brain and can make or break your body’s functionality. If this book is read thoroughly and properly there is NO promoting smoking, no promoting drinking or flagrant product placement (the people claiming this are cutting out important information on purpose to tarnish this book). He is not encouraging alcoholism - he encourages MODERATION for those who do choose to drink, and what to drink for good health should you like a drink. He also recommends lots of alternatives for those who do not consume alcohol for whatever reason. He mentions smoking because of the evidence found that many smokers (including the high percentage in certain Blue Zones) who have diets that seem to counteract some of the negative effects of smoking. If you review a book please stick to the actual material and don’t cherry pick words and string them into something else. Be accurate or don’t bother. It’s not helpful.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, had such great info in easy to read format. I changed my way of thinking and also the way I take care of myself. Glad this book found its way into my hands.

[January · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gut Check: Unleash the Power of Your Microbiome to Reverse Disease and Transform Your Mental, Physical, and Emotional Health by Steven R. Gundry, MD with Jodi Lipper (2024)
Plant Paradox #8
xi+324-page Kindle Ebook book pages 1-208 Recipes pages 209-242

Genre: Nutrition, Self-Help, Nonfiction,
Gastrointestinal System

Featuring: Table of Contents, Immunology, Microbiology, Bacterial Brain Washing, Gut Biome Leaky Gut = Leaky Brain, Leaky Gut = Leaky Hormones, Depression, Autoimmune Disease, Chronic Illness, Microbial Endocrinology, Gut Check Eating Cycle, The Plant Paradox 2.0, I Said It First, The Gut Check Food Plan, Fasting, Recipes, Advertisement with Covers for The Plant Paradox Series, Notes, Index, Praise, Author's Bibliography

Rating as a movie: PG-13

Songs for the soundtrack: "The Boxer"
Song by Simon & Garfunkel

Books and Authors mentioned: The Plant Paradox: The Hidden Dangers in "Healthy" Foods That Cause Disease and Weight Gain by Dr. Steven R. Gundry, The Men in Black by Lowell Cunningham, Unlocking the Keto Code: The Revolutionary New Science of Keto That Offers More Benefits Without Deprivation by Dr. Steven R. Gundry, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Graduate by Charles Webb, Dr. Gundry’s Diet Evolution: Turn Off the Genes That Are Killing You and Lose the Weight for Good by Dr. Steven R. Gundry, The Plant Paradox: The Hidden Dangers in "Healthy" Foods That Cause Disease and Weight Gain by Dr. Steven R. Gundry, The End of Alzheimer’s by Dr. Dale Bredesen, Eat Smarter and Sleep Smarter by Shawn Stevenson, The Keto Reset Diet by Mark Sisson, The Betty Body by Dr. Stephanie Estima, The Wahls Protocol by Terry Wahls, MD; Unshakeable by Tony Robbins, Clean Gut and Clean Eats by Alejandro Junger, MD; Food: What the Heck Should I Eat? by Mark Hyman, MD; Grain Brain and Brain Maker by by David Perlmutter, MD; The Longevity Diet by Valter Longo, PhD; Breath by James Nestor

Memorable Quotes: The truth is that inside your digestive system lives a galaxy made up of trillions of bacteria belonging to at least ten thousand different species, plus an as-yet-undetermined number of viruses, fungi, and other microbes. This is your gut biome. You also have an oral biome with seven hundred species of bacteria and a skin biome with a thousand different species. As I’ve written before, all these living microscopic creatures collectively make up your holobiome. Among them, these microbes contain more than three million genes, whereas the human genome contains a mere twenty-three thousand.

Take a moment to consider just how vast this thing is. There are somewhat more than eight billion human beings on this planet. That means there are 12,500 times as many bacteria in your own gut as there are humans on Earth. If you prefer plants to humans, consider this: it was recently calculated that there are approximately three trillion trees on Earth. That’s more than seven times as many as experts previously believed, despite the billions that humans cut down each year. Even with that discovery, however, there are ninety-seven trillion more bacteria in your gut than there are trees on Earth.

But toxoplasma has evolved over millions of years so that it doesn’t have to just wait around; it can actually change the rodent’s behavior so that it’s far more likely to get eaten by a cat. What’s that? A single-celled organism can manipulate the actions of a mammal? Yes, it can, and if I teach you anything in this book, hopefully it’s that single-celled organisms are far more intelligent than we’ve ever considered—and that they not only are capable of controlling us but in fact are already doing it. Constantly.

This brilliant single-celled organism has completely hijacked the brain chemistry and behavior of a mammal for its own selfish purposes. Pretty darn impressive, isn’t it? But these little buggers don’t stop with rodents.

In other words, toxoplasma uses us (and our close chimpanzee relatives) in the exact same way it does rodents: it eliminates our fear and causes us to run toward danger so that we turn ourselves into easy prey. We think that we’re the highest-functioning organism on the planet and that our mind has complete control over our behavior, but in the hands of a simple single-celled organism, we are essentially nothing more than a giant lab rat.

The good news is that the vast majority of the bugs living in our guts do not want us to run toward danger as toxoplasma does. Quite the opposite! They want us to stay healthy and thriving because it is in their own best interest. As far as these gut buddies, as I like to call them, are concerned, we’re the cat; they want to reproduce in our guts and pass on their genes.

THE MITO CLUB This hip new spot has one main entrance that lets you in and a one-way revolving door at the rear where you can exit. (There are also some emergency exits. The Mito Club does want to stay in code, after all, but we’ll talk more about those later. At this point, there’s only one way in or out for the Mito Club’s patrons.) The Mito Club is crowded, hot, and packed to the gills with hundreds of protons, electrons, and other molecules including oxygen and hydrogen. Because the Mito Club can get so full—anyone who is anyone is trying to get in—a doorman oversees the entrance. It’s his job to admit only so many people. But even with the doorman working hard, patrons can barely get to the bar without bumping into at least a dozen other people. And, as in a real club, there are plenty of protons and electrons that are there with the hope of connecting (coupling) with an oxygen molecule. Some do manage to couple with that desirable oxygen. They link arms, head to the back revolving door—and make a lot of ATP upon exiting. It’s a bit like the way water creates the power to turn a millstone when it goes over a mill wheel. When the positively charged protons, now coupled with oxygen, pass through the back door turnstile of the mitochondria’s membrane together, they make energy. Furthermore, in the process of exiting, the protons leave behind carbon dioxide (CO2). In this scenario, you can think of the CO2 as the beer bottles and other trash the proton patrons toss before heading out the door with their dates.

In humans, NO is directly linked to mental health. Too much NO damages synaptic connections and neurons and is present in patients with severe bipolar disorder (BP). Wouldn’t you know it, lithium, the first line of treatment for BP, regulates NO levels. In addition to its impact on dopamine, NO mediates the effects of various neurotransmitters that make you feel good, including norepinephrine, serotonin, and glutamate. Patients with depression have altered NO levels in various brain regions, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), blood, and exhaled gas. Like lithium, many antipsychotic medicines work in part by altering levels of NO in the brain. It’s ironic that so many effective medications work by altering the gut biome. Why not go straight to the source and heal the gut itself? Well, that’s what we’re going to do.

A great future for plastics, indeed. A less rosy future for the environments both inside and outside us.

These drugs are present in the products you eat from treated animals, essentially providing you with a low dose of antibiotics with every portion. This contributes to the antibiotic resistance crisis and, more important for you today, it damages your microbiome.

Infants who were exposed to antibiotics in the womb have an increased risk of developing colitis, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and cardiac and genital malformations. They are also more likely to develop asthma, allergies, functional impairments in development and cognition, obesity, and diabetes.

Now, remember that the USDA’s job is to promote agriculture, not health, yet it is in charge of creating our “healthy” food pyramid. That’s the equivalent of putting drug companies in charge of most of the research and education of physicians in the United States, which would be a profound conflict of interest. But wait! That’s exactly what has been done both with drugs and with food. The fox is clearly guarding the henhouse.


My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🧠🫀🫁🦠🧫

My thoughts:🔖 Page 46 of 324 Chapter 3 I Have a Crystal Ball—and It’s Your Gut Wall - This is interesting but my brain is bouncing between watching an informative show on National Geographic and listening to a science teacher sound like one of the adults on Peanuts. I'm probably not going to use this information.
🔖112 Chapter 7 Leaky Gut = Leaky Hormones - I just knew I was halfway done with this book, but nope. On the bright side, he stopped talking about worms. Basically, every illness is tied to bacteria in our gut controlling us. I was with him until he said cigarettes are better than perfume.

This wasn't bad, it took a minute to fully understand and there are still parts my brain glossed over, mostly about cell structure. A lot of what he was saying makes sense but the cigarettes were a hard pass, may he meant tobacco which isn't the exact same.

Recommend to others: Maybe. I'm probably not going to read more of this series anytime soon.

The Plant Paradox Series
1. The Plant Paradox: The Hidden Dangers in "Healthy" Foods That Cause Disease and Weight Gain (2017)

2. The Plant Paradox Cookbook: 100 Delicious Recipes to Help You Lose Weight, Heal Your Gut, and Live Lectin-Free (2018)

3. The Plant Paradox Quick and Easy: The 30-Day Plan to Lose Weight, Feel Great, and Live Lectin-Free (2019)

4. The Longevity Paradox: How to Die Young at a Ripe Old Age (2019)

5. The Plant Paradox Family Cookbook: 80 One-Pot Recipes to Nourish Your Family Using Your Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, or Sheet Pan (2019)

6. The Energy Paradox: What to Do When Your Get-Up-and-Go Has Got Up and Gone (2021)

7. Unlocking the Keto Code: The Revolutionary New Science of Keto That Offers More Benefits Without Deprivation (2022)

8. Gut Check: Unleash the Power of Your Microbiome to Reverse Disease and Transform Your Mental, Physical, and Emotional Health (2024)

9. The Gut-Brain Paradox: Improve Your Mood, Clear Brain Fog, and Reverse Disease by Healing Your Microbiome (2025)

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this right after The 30 Day Alzheimer’s Diet. They are both about fixing the brain, but Gundry is very focused on it starting in the gut, which 30 Day says the same thing since it is what we put in our gut that affects our brain. However these two books are in opposite corners for what they suggest to do to help the brain. It was very frustrating and I only felt some peace after following up both books with Outlive. So if you are looking for a book to help guide you—skip straight to Outlive.
I will say I like the 30 Day Diet better than Gundry. Something about cutting all lectins from your diet (beans, oatmeal, grains, nightshade vegetables etc) but go ahead and eat all the meat just doesn’t sit well with me. But I also don’t believe that you can never eat ANY meat.

[Sara Fox · Rating 2 out of 5]

While he includes sources, I didn't read the primary sources, so I can't evaluate his scientific claims. I agree that our bacteria are likely not happy with the SAD, but this book ends up being incredibly elitist. By requiring such specific foods and outright banning entire categories, this is for the privileged few who can devote their time, money, and energy to sourcing these exotic foods.

[Hamed · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good information about the biology and mechanism of our microbiome, but do your research before taking any statement in this book at face value. Many of the claims and statements do not have credible clinical evidence. At best, there may have been an identified correlation in a study that is presented as a proven causation in this book. Furthermore, some important and publicly known facts are missing when it does not support the author's claims. It seems the author is trying to sell his "gut check" method rather than truly educating people with the latest scientific facts.

[Paulette · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author geeks out on biochemistry and a large portion of the book is very dry. He tries to make it interesting, but I found his analogies distracting.

Basically, in a nutshell, gut biodiversity equals health. Decrease in gut biodiversity increases autoimmune disease and illness. Microbes communicate with each other to maintain homeostasis. Get your microbiota in tip top shape to improve your health and immunity. Do this by: avoiding sugar and processed food, eating fermented foods, participating in intermittent fasting and (per the author) avoiding lectins.

There are better books out there explaining how your microbiome impacts health, autoimmune diseases and mental disorders. “Psychobiotic Revolution” by Scott C. Anderson is one. Other interesting nutritional books are: “Metabolical” by Robert H. Lustig and “How Not to Die” by Michael Greger.

I anticipate a lot more research coming out soon exploring various prebiotic and probiotic treatments for disease and mental health issues. Psychobiotics have potential to make a significant impact on mental health statistics. Very fascinating stuff 🤓

Fecal transplants, organic foods and nutritional counseling for everyone! 😂

[Agustina Vergara Cid · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found Gundry’s bold claims to be suspicious. E.g.: he recommends against ginger (!) but says drinking 4+ oz of wine with dinner is fine. Science has repeatedly shown than alcohol in any amount is detrimental to overall health. While it *may* help the microbiome in some way (which I find doubtful), you can’t lose sight of the fact that the human body is a whole, not a sum of parts. You can’t just look at things that are good for the microbiome and say that’s what’s overall best to do for someone. Otherwise, we’d never take antibiotics and we’d die with our first bout of strep throat.

On this last point, this book bashes modern science like it’s absolutely toxic. It talks endlessly about how our ancestors lived, like it was a dream situation they had going because their microbiome were immaculate. Gundry fails to acknowledge that men back then lived to the ripe old age of 35 years old, and women to the ripe old age of child birth. Modern science (including antibiotics) is what has allowed us to live so long. From Gundry’s book, you’d never know that modern science and medicine did any good to humanity, it has only poisoned it. It attacks pesticides and GMOs as if they hadn’t allowed millions and millions of people to be fed, when they would’ve starved otherwise.

This is an utterly dishonest book, and the fear-mongering is intense. I feel bad for those who read it without a critical eye, they’ll see evil and destruction all around them and they’ll be afraid to eat thinking they’re being poisoned. There’s some good advice, like intermittent fasting to allow your gut time to digest properly and help with motility (not sure Gundry puts it on this exact terms).

I regret reading this book. I’d advise people interested in gut health to seek actual specialists on gut issues that are evidence-based in actual human trials, and that have a nuanced view of modern life and science. Yes, a lot of our modern life, including antibiotics when overprescribed, are damaging our gut. But we also have the best standard of living *overall* in history, we have the best life expectancy ever, and modern science fixes a lot of the problem it causes (e.g.: we have incredibly effective probiotics). Not to mention that we wouldn’t have half of humanity without antibiotics and other wonders or modern medicine. It’s true, medications including antibiotics are overprescribed and it often makes us sicker, but a nuanced approach is needed to judge the topic objectively.

Gundry lacks all nuance and objectivity.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great first read for me on Gut Health! I’ve been hearing about this for a couple of years, and finally took the time to buy a book to delve into it further! Very interesting stuff, and I really like the way he lays out the scientific complexity of gut health in an understandable way! However, as with any health topic, trusting the word of one book is not enough. I ended up doing side research as I was reading the book to see what other doctors, nutritionists and scientists had to say about his assertions, and it’s not always black and white and conclusive as he makes it seem. I also have a huge problem with him even suggesting that cigarettes can benefit health in any way (even if minutely) as cigarettes as a whole have no place in someone’s system considering all the other healthy ways to make your gut and metabolism happy. I also got a little annoyed that with certain foods (e.g. beans and lentils) he kept pointing out that they’re great for your gut biome as long as they’re pressure cooked, but then in the end, he puts them on the don’t eat list.

Anyway, overall, it was a good first read on the topic! It’s opened a doorway for me to delve into this topic further and try to do a better job looking after my gut!

[Johnna Stein · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to part of this book, then read the last chapters. I found the microbiome info quite interesting. It got a little repetitive yet I continued to get to the best part. But for me, I cannot spend that much time figuring out which food is in season when and what to eat, not eat, how little, how much. It felt overwhelming to figure it all out and would truly become the focus of my life. I do appreciate that he says red wine and champagne are good in moderation!