Gut health is a topic many people overlook. Your gut is a really important part of your body. As you eat food, it enters the gastrointestinal tract, where it is digested. The nutrients in the food you eat then need to be absorbed into your body. Once in your bloodstream, these nutrients flow throughout your body and are directed to every cell. These cells then depend on the nutrients to function as they should. Sometimes, the gut becomes unhealthy. The signs I am going to discuss in this article can also tell you that you have a bad gut and that it is time to take action.
1. Acid Reflux and Indigestion
When you have acid reflux, it causes a very unpleasant experience where acids from your stomach move up your esophagus. This can cause a sour taste in your mouth and even lead to painful symptoms. Indigestion and acid reflux are often signs of gut health problems. They can signal that your gut is unable to properly digest the foods you eat.
Taking antacids is usually the first thing you do when you experience acid reflux. However, it is important that you also consider the longer-term outlook. By addressing a bad gut, you could find that your indigestion and acid reflux symptoms not only ease up but also become less frequent.
2. Food Sensitivities and Allergies
When you suddenly develop food sensitivity, it could be a sign that your gut needs some attention. This happens when there is a disruption in your gut microbiome. The number of bad bacteria becomes too overwhelming compared to the good bacteria that live in your gastrointestinal tract. This can make you experience sensitivity to certain foods, which can result in stomach cramps, bloating, and even changes in your bowel movements.
There are cases where these food sensitivities eventually lead to the development of an allergy to the specific foods. This can make you experience more serious symptoms because now your immune system becomes involved and attacks your gut when exposed to these foods.
3. You Regularly Get Sick
Catching the flu now and then is usually not a concern. However, if you find that you get sick regularly, it is another sign of gut health problems you should not ignore. This can happen due to dysbiosis, a term that refers to an imbalance between good and bad bacteria. When you have too many bad bacteria in your gut, it can weaken your immune system. It can cause serious concerns with your gut health. If this happens, the natural defenses your body uses to protect you from pathogenic invaders do not work as well as they should.
4. Changes in Your Mood
This one might come as a surprise to many, but sometimes changes in your mood can also signal problems with the gut. This is where serotonin comes into the picture. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that acts as a chemical messenger in your brain. It is a critical part of mood regulation, and a majority of serotonin in your body is made in your gut. If your gut is not healthy, then this can disrupt the normal production of serotonin, which can affect both your mood and sleep in turn.
A problematic cycle can develop here. When your gut is not healthy, and you have dysbiosis, it can cause you to experience low serotonin levels. This raises the risk of mental health problems like depression. Research has shown that people with depression are more likely to experience dysbiosis. All of this is due to the gut-brain axis that exists in your body.
5. Food Cravings
We all get food cravings from time to time. If your cravings become more frequent and intense than normal, though, it is time to consider whether this might be a sign of gut health problems. Disruptions in your gut microbiome can interfere with the production and effects of certain hormones. Two particular hormones that can be affected include ghrelin and leptin, which are involved in satiety and hunger.
There are many ways to tell when your gut is not in good shape. Craving food constantly, finding that you have changes in your mood, getting sick more often than usual, experiencing acid reflux regularly, and finding that you suddenly start to develop food sensitivities are important signs. However, it is also important to understand that an unhealthy gut can manifest as various symptoms, including skin-related problems in some cases.
