Gut health is one of the most important parts of having a healthy body and a healthy mind. 80% of your immune system is directly tied to your gut (1), meaning that it should be looked after. Ensuring positive gut health gives you a head start in achieving well-being in a number of different areas of the body. Below we list the six signs that you have poor gut health.
However, how do you tell that you have bad gut health if it’s not something that you can see? The gut is a vital part of the interior of your body, so it’s important to look out for the signs and realise that you, in fact, maybe at risk of having poor gut health.
To aid you in your discovery, below is a list of six signs that could potentially mean you have bad gut health. If you have a majority of these signs, then it’s best to visit your doctor to ensure what steps you should take, whether that be a change in diet or live culture supplements like our Daily Vitality supplements.
An Upset Stomach/Digestive issues
If you are suffering from gas, diarrhoea, constipation, bloating or heartburn, then you could be experiencing the results of poor gut health. The most likely cause of poor gut health is the microbiome in your gut likely being unbalanced, meaning you need a more balanced diet to counteract this problem. If you have gas and bowel irregularity, this is the most probable cause.
A high sugar diet/sugar cravings
Sugar is what bad bacteria feeds of most. A high sugar diet increases the number of bad bacteria in your gut, and decreases the number of good bacteria. This, in turn, causes increased sugar cravings.(2) Eating high-refined sugars is linked heavily to an increase in body inflammation, which can cause major problems for your body. (3)
Weight gain/loss
A dramatic change in weight can be a sign of poor gut health. Dependent on the bacteria in your gut, this can cause a dramatic gain or loss of weight. The gut being imbalanced means your body is at risk of not consuming nutrients, storing fat or taking more calories from foods. It’s vital to identify whether your body is consuming more of either bacteria so you can counteract this.
Skin irritation
Skin conditions like eczema may be linked to poor gut health. Whilst not all cases of eczema can be linked to the gut, it is linked to bacteria. (4) The reason why many link eczema to poor gut health is due to “leaky gut”, where the gut leaks proteins which can be harmful to your skin.
Food intolerances
Food intolerances can be caused by poor quality bacteria in the gut. Intolerance to certain foods can cause, when consumed, diarrhoea, gas, bloating and nausea. This is due to the gut being unable to break down certain foods correctly. It’s important to stay away from foods that you are intolerant to, as continuing will only make your gut health worse.
Anxiety, depression or moodiness
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that can affect a wide range of things in your body; mood, sleep, behaviour, memory and much more. Around 80-90% of Serotonin is produced in the gut, and studies show that imbalanced bacteria in the gut has been linked to an increase in depressive symptoms. (5)
Check out more information on our blog here, or take a look at our patented direct live cultures, Daily Vitality here.
References
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2515351/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4270213/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25515398
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022202X15342196
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6378305/
