As I discussed in my last blog post, our gut plays an important role in not just nutrient digestion and absorption, but also in maintaining overall health and well-being.
A healthy gut keeps our immune system in proper condition, while protecting against inflammation and infection, and even supports our mental health.
But how do we know if our gut is healthy? While most signs and symptoms of poor gut health directly point to the digestive system, some of them might not be so obvious and therefore, can be easily overlooked.
Today, I’m going to briefly list 9 common signs you might experience when your gut health is going downhill.
1. Digestive problems
Bloating, acid reflux, gas, and stomach pain are a few common symptoms that tell you there’s something wrong with your gut. These issues can happen when your digestive system isn’t properly breaking down food or when your gut microbiota is out of balance.
These can either be short-term problems that go away after a few days or long-term issues that need to be checked by a doctor.
2. A change in bowel habits
This is another obvious sign that lets you know that your gut is not functioning as usual. Changes in the number of times you move your bowels, consistency of your stools, or the color of your stools can indicate that there is something strange going on. You might experience constipation, diarrhea, or both depending on your condition.
While these changes do not always warrant concern, it is a good idea to pay attention to these signs and talk to your doctor if the symptoms continue for longer than a few days.
3. Issues with weight management
If you are having trouble keeping off weight, there’s a chance that your gut bacteria are off balance. Research findings done during the past decade point out that gut microbiota can mess with your metabolism and cause obesity and other metabolic disorders.
4. Trouble sleeping
Apart from the fact that gut issues such as bloating and stomach pain can keep you awake throughout the night, research suggests that imbalances in your gut microbiome can reduce the quality of your sleep.
So, if you’re having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, you might want to take a look at your gut health.
5. Brain fog
Your gut and your brain are ‘talking’ to each other via a network called the ‘gut-brain axis’. This means that an unhealthy gut can cause inflammation that affects your brain function, making you feel sluggish in the brain.
6. Skin issues
Certain skin problems such as acne, eczema, and rosacea have been linked to gut health. Changes in the gut microbiome can disturb the immune balance and cause inflammation which shows up as skin problems.
7. Autoimmune conditions
Your gut plays a key role in controlling your immune system. When the gut bacteria are out of balance, it can confuse the immune system and make it attack the body’s own cells. This can lead to autoimmune diseases like Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), rheumatoid arthritis, celiac disease, or multiple sclerosis.
8. Feeling sick and tired all the time
Research says that having an imbalanced gut microbiome can leave you feeling chronically fatigued, drained, and unmotivated. Scientists call these collection of symptoms ‘sickness behavior’ and it can also cause other depression-like symptoms such as loss of appetite and social withdrawal.
9. Frequent migraines
Studies show that poor gut health can cause migraines, although the exact link is not yet fully understood.
What should you do if you have these signs?
If you are experiencing any of these signs (or any other sign that I have not included here but you think is linked to your gut health), don’t let it slide. While it probably means nothing serious, it’s a good idea to talk with your doctor to rule out any illness.
Once you get the clearance from your doctor, you can start making some simple lifestyle modifications that will help improve your gut health.
These include:
- Eating a gut-friendly diet
- Managing stress
- Improving sleep habits
- Being cautious with medications
Remember, your gut health affects the health of your entire body. By taking note of these signs of poor gut health and making small lifestyle changes, you can help heal your gut and stay fit and healthy.
A healthy gut is the foundation of a healthy body—and a healthy mind. Take care of it!
References
- Fan, Y., & Pedersen, O. (2021). Gut microbiota in human metabolic health and disease. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 19(1), 55-71.
- Sen, P., Molinero-Perez, A., O’Riordan, K. J., McCafferty, C. P., O’Halloran, K. D., & Cryan, J. F. (2021). Microbiota and sleep: awakening the gut feeling. Trends in molecular medicine, 27(10), 935-945.
- Noble, E. E., Hsu, T. M., & Kanoski, S. E. (2017). Gut to brain dysbiosis: mechanisms linking western diet consumption, the microbiome, and cognitive impairment. Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience, 11, 9.
- Mahmud, M. R., Akter, S., Tamanna, S. K., Mazumder, L., Esti, I. Z., Banerjee, S., … & Pirttilä, A. M. (2022). Impact of gut microbiome on skin health: gut-skin axis observed through the lenses of therapeutics and skin diseases. Gut microbes, 14(1), 2096995.
