This Is How to Tell If You Have an Unhealthy Gut
Your health is linked to your gut. The cause of many diseases is also linked to your gut. If things are balanced in the gut microbiome, everything from your cells to your digestion and hormones works as they should.
If you have an unhealthy gut, you may suffer from minor health issues or develop severe health complications over time.
How do you know if something is wrong with your digestive system? You’re about to find out a few signs that may tell you.
Signs of an Unhealthy Gut
Our digestive system hosts more than 400 species of bacteria, good and bad. If the gut becomes unhealthy, the bad bacteria overthrow the good bacteria.
Weight Changes
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) may cause weight loss and insulin resistance, and it may be the cause of weight gain for those who experience weight problems without changes in their diet. An unhealthy gut disrupts the body’s ability to store fat, regulate hormones, and absorb nutrients.
Skin Changes
Itchy, red, or flaky skin can also be a sign. For example, eczema is linked to systemic inflammation that starts in the gut.
Food Intolerances and Cravings
If you can no longer eat certain foods like dairy or have strong cravings for sugar, there is something off in your intestines. You may not be able to absorb certain nutrients, or you may feel you need sugar when it’s your bad bacteria that craves it.
Sleep Issues and Fatigue
Chronic fatigue and problems sleeping could be due to imbalances in the gut that disrupt hormones and affect mood.
Autoimmune Complications
There are certain strains of bad bacteria that cause autoimmune conditions and trigger symptoms due to inflammation. For example, Bacteroides fragilis may cause multiple sclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis.
Upset Stomach
You may need to take a closer look at stomach problems like bloating, gas, and constipation if you suffer from an upset stomach often.
Allergies
Inflammation in the gut can put the body’s immune response in overdrive with histamine and cause allergies.
Tests You Can Take
There are also tests you can take to find out if there’s something wrong with your gut. Most tests are worth it to get a better picture of what’s going on inside you. You may have something wrong and not notice it if you don’t have any symptoms.
A few tests that can give you more insight on the state of your gut would be a histamine intolerance, SIBO breath, intestinal permeability, cross-reactive food reactivity, or comprehensive stool tests.
Fixing an Unhealthy Gut
When things are out of whack in your digestive system, all hope isn’t lost. There is a way to reverse and treat a variety of problems you may have.
Treating an unhealthy gut doesn’t have to be expensive either. There are ways you can reverse the problem through your diet and through supplementation.
There is no real “definitive” way to know if you have a problem with your gut, even if you take a test or rely on your symptoms. If you do feel you are having problems, you can keep your gut healthy by keeping it moving. Do this by eating enough fiber and taking prebiotics/probiotics.
If you found this article helpful, please check out other health-related posts on our website.
