Listening to your body helps you learn how to nourish it, so you can feel fit and healthy from the inside out. If you think you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms, your body may be trying to tell you that you may be experiencing a gut imbalance and it’s time to prioritize your gut health.
#1 Fatigue
Even after cups of coffee, tea, or energy drinks, do you feel tired? Do you wake up feeling worn out even after a nourishing night’s rest? Then you might be experiencing symptoms of an unhealthy gut.
A study published in the medical journal Biome showed that individuals who had been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome often had a severe gut imbalance in their microbiome.
Translation? There wasn’t enough healthy bacteria to support the proper digestion of food, the body’s energy source.
The gut’s main job is to help turn food into the essentials your body needs to survive—that includes breaking down food sources so your body can convert them into energy.
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#2 An Upset Stomach
When your stomach doesn’t feel well, it can be hard to do some of the activities you love. Your gut, after all, is at the very center of your body. When your stomach is upset because of digestive issues, that discomfort can feel like it's emanating out to every limb.
An upset stomach is your body sending a clear message—something isn’t working in your gut. When your body struggles to digest food, it means some aspect of your system is in need of help.
Here are some common symptoms of an upset stomach associated with poor gut health:
- Gas and bloating – Gas is a normal byproduct of gut bacteria breaking down food. In fact, most healthy people pass gas 14-23 times a day! But excessive gas and bloating (meaning gas has not been passed, but is staying in your stomach) may be a symptom of harmful bacteria in the gut. When the bad bacteria outnumber the good bacteria in your body, it can take longer for your body to absorb food in healthy ways.
When there’s balance in your bacteria, the nutrients in your food are digested primarily in the small intestine, where good bacteria break down the particles so your body can absorb the good stuff. From there, the leftovers move through the large intestine.
But when there isn’t enough good gut bacteria to digest food in the small intestine, your body is forced to break down food through the large intestine, where bad bacteria live. The chemical reaction between bad bacteria and food results in excess gas, leading to bloating and discomfort. (Follow the link provided to learn how to get rid of bad bacteria in the gut!)
- Constipation – Constipation occurs when food takes too long to move through the digestive system. This occurs when your stomach struggles to extract the necessary nutrients from your food and can be caused by:
- An excess of difficult-to-digest foods in your diet like processed foods, dairy, or meat products.
- Not enough water, which helps your digestive tract function.
- Diarrhea – Bacteria, viruses, or food sensitivities can cause watery, loose stool. Diarrhea is your body’s way of saying “get out!” to harmful elements that make their way into your gut’s system. So if you’re experiencing diarrhea, something is likely amiss in your gut. (For a guide outlining the worst foods for gut health and the best foods to cleanse gut intestines, click the link provided)
- Heartburn – Heartburn has nothing to do with your heart, but everything to do with your gut health. When stomach acid backs up into your esophagus—the tube that connects your mouth to your stomach—you may experience a burning sensation behind your breastbone. This is heartburn. Stomach acid is supposed to stay in the (you guessed it) stomach. So when you experience heartburn, something isn’t quite right in your gut.
#3 A High-Sugar Diet
Sugar and processed foods are the kryptonite to your super-powered good bacteria. They keep your body from producing the specific proteins that allow good bacteria to flourish and keep your gut microbiome healthy.
Increased amounts of sugar in your diet can lead to increased sugar cravings. If you find yourself hankering for sweets more than usual, there may already be too much sugar in your diet.
#4 Unintentional Weight Changes
Both unintentional weight loss and unintentional weight gain may point to an unhealthy gut. Your body may be struggling to absorb necessary macronutrients like carbohydrates and fats to sustain you. This can trigger weight loss, or it can cause your brain to send an emergency response to your body to eat more, resulting in excess cravings and overeating.
#5 Skin Irritation
If you regularly experience a rash or skin irritation, the culprit may not be a lotion or a brush with poison oak—it may be in the status of your gut.
When your gut is unhealthy, it can trigger an immune response in your body. Just like individuals allergic to certain foods will break out in a rash or hives at allergen exposure, your body will send a distress signal for your gut through your skin.
#7 Food Intolerances
Unlike a food allergy, a food intolerance occurs when your body has extreme difficulty digesting certain foods. A food intolerance can occur because of low levels of good bacteria, hindering your body from expelling waste and extracting nutrients.
#8 Changes in Your Mood
The health of your gut can impact the health of your mental well-being. Researchers have connected the production of certain mood hormones to gut health. And when there’s an imbalance of mood hormones in your body, you may start to feel less than your best.
Mood symptoms of an unhealthy gut include:
- Anxiety
- Feelings of depression
- Stress
#9 Migraines
A review published in The Journal of Headache and Pain may have found a connection between poor gut health and migraines. This publication has linked conditions related to gut health, such as IBS, to frequent migraines.
While scientists still have some work to do to solidify their theories, the brain-to-gut connection isn’t too far-fetched. Just as researchers have theorized that certain mood hormones are produced in the gut, researchers believe the production of certain neurotransmitters occurs in your digestive system as well.
