Gut Check: 6 Warning Signs Of An Unhealthy Gut

by John Griffith
Advertisement

Making sure your gut is healthy is a must! While you may only think of your digestion when you hear gut health, it is actually a bit more complicated than that. Yes, digestion is a big part of your gut health, however, the gut directly impacts your overall health. There are a ton of tiny microorganisms living in your intestines. They are a mix of bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Some are beneficial, some are harmful. It is important to have a variety of bacteria in your digestive tract and to make sure the beneficial ones are more than the harmful ones. The gut is a very complex organ that affects your immune system, mental health, heart healthy, skin, weight, and so much more. That’s why it is significant you keep it healthy. But in order to do so, you need to know what an unhealthy gut looks like. So, here are some tell-tale signs of an unhealthy gut.

Making sure your gut is healthy is a must

drawing of gut health

Signs Of An Unhealthy Gut

It is very important to have a balanced gut flora. However, if you don’t know your flora is out of balance, then you won’t try to fix it. Our bodies are very smart. This means that it will send you signals if something is wrong. What you need to do is learn how to intemperate them. That’s why we are here to help. We will show you all the ways your body is trying to indicate that the gut is not feeling it’s best.

It is very important to have a balanced gut flora

heart on stomach

#Upset stomach

The most obvious signs of an unhealthy gut are stomach problems. If you commonly experience symptoms such as gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, bad breath, or heartburn, then you have a gut issue. A gut that is healthy and balances won’t have such a hard time processing food, as well as eliminating waste. This means that you won’t be experiencing these symptoms.

The most obvious signs of an unhealthy gut are stomach problems

signs of an unhealthy gut woman holding her stomach in pain

#Skin problems

If you are struggling with acne, rosacea, eczema, dandruff, and psoriasis, then your gut may be at fault. Certain foods exacerbate skin ailments. Some studies have shown that people with inflammatory skin conditions have a different gut microbiome composition than those without these conditions. This means your gut is directly linked to your skin. Unhappy gut = unhappy skin. Lower concentration of good bacteria can impact the body’s immune system. And the immune system is responsible for multiple organs, including the skin.

Unhappy gut = unhappy skin

woman popping a pimple

#Problems sleeping

An unhappy gut may be keeping you up at night. An imbalance in your gut bacteria may be shortening your sleep or causing fragmented sleep. So, if you are constantly feeling tired, your gut may be at fault. Overtime this will turn into chronic fatigue. The majority of serotonin is produced in the gut. You need serotonin to sleep and regulate your mood. So, if the gut microflora is damaged, it’s no wonder why sleep is disrupted.

An unhappy gut may be keeping you up at night

woman eyes wide open under covers

#Weight changes

Gaining or losing weight without doing any changes to your daily diet or lifestyle are a clear sign of an unhealthy gut. A gut that is unbalanced will impair the body’s ability to absorb nutrients, store fat, and regulate blood sugars. This can lead to yo-yo effects in your weight. Gut bacteria affect energy expenditure as well as the amount of calories a person extracts from their food.

A gut that is unbalanced will impair the body’s ability to absorb nutrients

signs of an unhealthy gut scale for measuring

#Sugar cravings

Sugar is addictive. However, if you have excessive sugar cravings that seem to never go away, this may be a clear sign your gut is struggling. Gut bacteria secrete unique proteins that affect what we crave. So, this creates a toxic cycle. You crave sugar, so you eat sugar, which makes you crave even more sugar. Bacteria try to get you to eat foods they thrive on, and bad bacteria love sugar. So, a diet that is high in added and refined sugars will significantly decrease the good bacteria and diversity in your gut, giving the bad bacteria a chance to make you crave sugar. Truly a vicious cycle. This will lead to an increase of inflammation in the body, which can lead to a number of diseases.

You crave sugar, so you eat sugar, which makes you crave even more sugar

box full of sweets

#Food intolerances

Food intolerances and sensitivities are usually first felt in the gut. For examole, after you eat certain foods you may start to feel bloated, uncomfortable, and your bowels may suffer. The most common intolerances are towards gluten, dairy, and nuts. These intolerances are the result of difficulty digesting certain foods, which is what differentiates them from food allergies, as they are caused by an immune system reaction. Research shows that intolerances are caused by poor quality bacteria in the gut. So, if you have certain intolerances, it may mean your gut is in trouble.

Food intolerances and sensitivities are usually first felt in the gut

woman with a stomach ache

These were some tell-tale signs of an unhealthy gut you should look out for. We hope you found this article useful. Now you know what signs to keep an eye out for, so you can act quickly and restore balance in your gut. This way you can ensure you stay happy and healthy!

These were some tell-tale signs of an unhealthy gut you should look out for

woman with drawn on gut health

Related Articles

John Griffith

John Griffith is a young, passionate journalist. Writing has been John’s hobby ever since he was a boy. He has worked in some of the UK’s most successful news portals over the course of his professional career but found his forever home at Archzine.