Whilst interesting I didn’t find this book very helpful, particularly when compared with other books on the same topic.

The premise of the book is great and the author really delivers. Great read. Highly recommended. .

This is a great book to help with dealing with tummy problems! I have IBS and really found this helpful!

"Gut Health and Probiotics" was somewhat underwhelming. Some of the information was interesting and new to me, but it sometimes felt like the author was trying to push probiotics and prebiotics on the reader without really giving any scientific evidence on their use and effect.

Some good information on gut health. A little more scientific than I would like. I need easy to read instructions that I can implement.

I received this galley from NetGalley.

Thank you White Owl and Netgalley for this ARC.

I was looking for a book to give me the fundamentals of gut health and I am happy to say this book delivered. It was engaging, informative and easy to read. I came away with lots of new knowledge and tips for improving my health. I would recommend this book for anyone wanting to become better informed this is area.

Gut Health and Probiotics is a layman guide to all things digestive. Author Jenny Tschiesche is a nutritionist and lecturer on healthy cooking, gut health, probiotics, etc. Released Aug 2018, the book is 160 pages and available in ebook and paperback formats.

This is an informational book aimed at the average person, it's not a medical/technical manual, there is little technical information ('biochemical' appears only 2 times in the text), and as such, it does a pretty good job of covering the essential information without being overly academic or 'scary'.

The book progresses from the introduction through the normal function of the alimentary canal with discussions on normal digestion and moves on to environmental factors' negative impact on function and health. The author includes a good discussion of probiotic/naturally fermented foods and how our dietary and lifestyle changes in just the last century have affected our health and gut environment.

I would recommend this as a reference for readers who are looking for a 'bridge' book at a level somewhere in between pop-science and medical reference. It's accessible, but not oversimplified.

This is an up to date book. There is exciting current research being done in the neurology/biome linkage to which she refers several times in the book. Good stuff.

Four stars

I was pleased to review this book for the publisher and Net Galley. Thank you for the opportunity. My opinions are my own.
This is a important book for maintaining the health of your digestive tract. After losing my entire family to stomach cancers I have launched a personal study on digestive health. I found this book to be a important body of work that i highly recommend to everyone who is seeking better health.

The science of digestion is described here for any layperson to understand. as well as how the gastrointestinal system works. The author explains how what we eat and the stress levels we experience all affect our microorganisms of our stomachs. The author talks about how stress of our careers, family stress and our environment all affect our stomachs as well as our eating habits and even lack of sleep. How to improve your digestion is discussed and changes we all can make that include probiotics and the use of.
This is easily explained for anyone to understand and learn from.
I highly recommend this book.

White Owl and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Gut Health and Probiotics: The Science Behind the Hype. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Right off the bat, the author delves into the science of digestion and does a great job of explaining how the gastrointestinal system works. She explains that the health of the microbiota, gut residents including bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi, and yeasts, is important to overall health of a person. They are the ones that help us fight off infection, digest food, make vitamins, and so much more. What a person eats affects the microbiota, which can lead to illness. The author goes on to explain that the overly processed foods that humans have consumed in rising quantities may be the reason for the increase in food intolerances and allergies. Also playing a part are modern lifestyles, with job stress, living conditions, and environment all contributing.

Gut Health and Probiotics is not a scholarly journal, but the author does not "dumb down" the science either. Jenny Tschiesche does a good job of explaining how digestion works, with all of the microscopic assistants that exist within. Vitamin K and the B vitamins 1, 2, 6, and 12 are created during the digestive process, which helps those with nutrient poor diets. The problem comes in when antibiotics are used, wiping out the good bacteria. The author presents good arguments as to the effectiveness of probiotics in our overall health and she counsels readers to research the supplement they are taking for maximum effectiveness. Although prebiotics are easily obtained through the food we eat, such as quinoa, lentils, and chickpeas, probiotics are more easily obtained with supplements.

Medication, environment, eating habits, and stress are huge contributors to an unhealthy gut, which the author points out. She goes on to explain how to improve the health of your digestive tract and make overall lifestyle changes that can make your whole body respond in a positive manner. The most surprising thing that I learned while reading this book is that stress has an effect on your gut health, lowering the amount of helpful elements located within your intestinal tract which keep your system in check. I was also unaware of the fact that gut health issues can manifest as skin rashes, autoimmune changes, allergies, and intolerances, just to name a few. I was completely impressed with this comprehensive look at gut health, making it a must read for those with digestive issues and those looking to maintain a healthy gut.

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher Pen & Sword for the opportunity to review this digital copy. Gut Health and Probiotics was a very informative and up to date read on this currently popular topic. The concepts of a healthy gut, dysbiosis and the benefits of probiotics (and probiotics) were well explained. These were linked to a wide range of common and not so common health complaints and diagnoses, from a wide range skin conditions to mental health. A good book for anyone interested in the role of food and toxins on the gut in human health. Although there were scientific words I don’t think it would be difficult for a wide audience to understand.

Much of the information regarding how the body works was informative, but much of the recommended methods of obtaining Probiotics deals with dairy and animal exploitation as part of the diet. I would reference back to this book for certain things but won't take much of
it seriously.

This book starts with a decent introduction to the subject and some promising chapter headings. The author is someone who has been writing about the importance of diet to health for some years now so has some background in this field. The idea is that this will give a simplified introduction to the gut (and the biome) and what it and Probiotics do for our health. In the main I would suggest it succeeds in its aim.

While this book focuses on the gut it manages to cover many fairly common health conditions both associated with the gut and those with less obvious connections. There is plenty of information here and it can be quite scientific. I would suggest that this may not a starter book on the subject though it is not hard to read - some prior knowledge would be helpful perhaps. It is pretty good on the subject of the gut biome and there is extensive information on some of the more obvious health issues. Gut sensitivities, Leaky gut, the environment and allergies are looked at. Maybe less obvious are the consideration Autism and Eczema . There is discussion on Probiotics and Antibiotics which was one of the many subject areas I found very interesting.

If I have any real complaint with this book it would be that I'm not sure I found it easy to work out which bits of information were actually applicable to me and my issues. I guess the answer will be to go and see someone who knows more and probably undergo some testing. There is information on the tests commonly used too.


While the book is pretty good on Gut Health and useful on Probiotics I felt that Prebiotics got little mention overall. There is a chapter on them however given their importance to gut health I'm not sure that is the correct balance. Closing the book there is an adequate index and good references.

Given we now know far more about the gut and it's effects on our bodies and health this is not some wild crusade. There is enough quality information about the gut biome around to be fully credible. Equally the current state of knowledge about the Vagus nerve the basics of this book are fairly well underpinned. I am no expert in this field however there are lines and connections drawn that may not be well substantiated yet I guess.

If it is a subject that interests you (or you have issues) this should make an interesting read. There is plenty of food for thought as well as for feeding the biome.

Note - I received an advance digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review

Always wanted to know a bit more about gut health generally and this book answered most of my questions. Gut health is so important to our overall health and wellbeing and I learnt a lot. Very informative, great read.

A very informative and insightful read. It was an actual book was easy to read and understand. I could actually take something from it and use it to change my eating habits.

For anyone who has problems with their Gut, this book is a wealth of information and really gives you an excellent insight to Probiotics and just how they affect your body.

As someone who was recently diagnosed with Fructose Malabsorption, trying to get as much information on the damage to my gut and how to manage the condition, I can certainly say this book delves into so many areas of your body that I had no idea could be affected and so many ways in which to help your body get back on track to become healthy again.

This is not a quick read, you will definitely need a quiet space and time to take in everything that is presented to you in this book but in so saying this, the information is eye opening and provides many answers to questions that you would never think to ask or be offered to me by a visit to my Gastroenterologist.

Thanks to NetGalley, Pen & Sword White Owl and Jenny Tschiesche for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Very informative. I learned a lot from reading this book. It had a great amount of reading and knowledge in there and the content was great