Gut The Inside Story of Our Body's Most Under-Rated Organ

About this book

For too long, the gut has been the body's most ignored and least appreciated organ, but it turns out that it's responsible for more than just dirty work: our gut is at the core of who we are. Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body's Most Underrated Organ gives the alimentary canal its long-overdue moment in the spotlight. With quirky charm, rising science star Giulia Enders explains the gut's magic, answering questions like: Why does acid reflux happen? What's really up with gluten and lactose intolerance? How does the gut affect obesity and mood? Communication between the gut and the brain is one of the fastest-growing areas of medical research – on par with stem-cell research. Our gut reactions, we learn, are intimately connected with our physical and mental well-being. Aided with cheerful illustrations by Enders's sister Jill, this beguiling manifesto will make you finally listen to those butterflies in your stomach: they're trying to tell you something important.

Contents

Preface

Gut Feeling
How Does Pooping Work? And Why That's an Important Question
The Gateway to the Gut
The Structure of the Gut
What We Really Eat
Allergies and Intolerances
A Few Facts About Feces
The Nervous System of the Gut
How Our Organs Transport Food
Reflux
Vomiting
Constipation
The Brain and the Gut
The World of Microbes
I Am an Ecosystem
The Immune System and Our Bacteria
The Development of the Gut Flora
The Adult Gut Population
The Role of the Gut Flora
The Bad Guys – Harmful Bacteria and Parasites
Of Cleanliness and Good Bacteria

Acknowledgments
References

Customer Reviews

Biography

Giulia Enders is a two-time scholarship winner studying medicine at the Institute for Microbiology in Frankfurt. Her presentation of Darm mit Charme (Gut Charm) won her first prize at the Science Slam in Berlin and went viral on YouTube.

Jill Enders is a graphic designer whose main focus is communication in science, and the founder of a collaborative network of designers and scientists.

David Shaw was born in Leeds, UK. He has worked at Deutsche Welle, Germany's international news broadcaster since 1995. Shaw has an M.A. from the University of Bath in Interpreting and Translating German and Russian, where his thesis was on the adaptation of German Television news texts for an international, English speaking audience. He regularly translates books from German to English.