7 Signs of an Unhealthy Gut
Until recently, it was thought the bacteria taking up residence in your intestine did not affect much else outside of your gut. However, research spanning the past two decades shows that the trillions of microbes, also known as microbiota, in your digestive system could be influencing your metabolism, immune system, mood, mental health, autoimmune diseases, skin conditions, endocrine disorders, and cancer.
“Gut microbiome” refers to the trillions of microorganisms living in your intestines. Those trillions of microorganisms are made up of about 300 to 500 different species of bacteria living in the digestive tract. While some microorganisms are harmful, many are very beneficial and even essential for a healthy body.
Just having a wide variety of good bacteria in your gut can help improve symptoms of depression, help combat obesity, improve your immune system function, and provide a variety of other benefits.
7 Signs of an Unhealthy Gut
1. Food intolerances
Food intolerances are the result of difficulty digesting certain foods. They are not, however, food allergies, which are caused by an immune system reaction. Research suggests that food intolerances may be a result of poor quality bacteria in the gut, leading to difficulty digesting the food in question and unpleasant symptoms to match.
2. Upset stomach
Signs of an unhealthy gut include constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating, and heartburn. A balanced gut will not have as much difficulty processing food and eliminating waste.
3. Autoimmune conditions
Research shows that an unhealthy gut may increase systemic inflammation and alter the proper functioning of the immune system. This could potentially lead to autoimmune diseases.
4. A diet high in sugar
A diet high in added sugars and processed foods can decrease the amount of good bacteria in the gut. Additionally, this imbalance can cause sugar cravings, which will only cause the gut to be damaged further. High amounts of high-fructose corn syrup and other refined sugars have been linked to increased inflammation in the body. Inflammation can be the predecessor to a number of diseases and cancers.
5. Skin irritation
Skin conditions like eczema could be related to poor gut health. Poor diet or food allergies could cause inflammation in the gut, which could lead to the increased leaking of certain proteins into the body, which can irritate the skin and cause conditions to flare.
6. Weight changes
If you find your weight fluctuating without changing your diet or exercise, it could be the sign of an unhealthy gut. An imbalanced gut could weaken the body’s ability to absorb nutrients, store fat, and regulate blood sugar. Weight gain may be caused by insulin resistance or the urge to overeat due to decreased nutrient absorption, while weight loss may be caused by small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.
7. Poor sleep patterns
Insomnia or poor sleep could be due to an unhealthy gut. Serotonin, a hormone that affects mood and sleep, is produced almost entirely in the gut.
7 Ways to Improve Your Gut
1. Choose probiotic foods
Probiotics are like the seeds to your microbial garden while prebiotics are like fertilizer. Fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and miso are all high in probiotics. However, people with bacterial overgrowth should not take probiotics.
A study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that among all foods studied, yogurt was most strongly correlated with weight loss. The average person gained about a pound a year while those who ate yogurt regularly lost weight.
2. Get moving
Aside from aesthetic, mental, and emotional improvement, exercise may also diversify your microbes. A study found that exercisers with a normal BMI had more diverse microbes than exercisers with a high BMI. The lower BMI athletes also had higher levels of Akkermansiaceae, a type of bacteria linked to lower obesity rates.
3. Reduce stress levels
Sleep and stress are typically inversely correlated, as sleep decreases, stress increases, and their impact on digestion is similar. The digestive process is controlled by your parasympathetic nervous system – also known as “rest and digest” – and stress can quickly impact this process. When your body’s “fight or flight” response is triggered, digestive muscles may exert less effort and digestive enzymes may be secreted in smaller amounts.
In the short term, this just causes a few uncomfortable hours, but it gets much more serious if the symptoms persist. Consistent stress and anxiety will impair your body’s ability to metabolize and digest your food properly. Over an extended period of time, this will reduce the amount of nutrients you absorb.
While you cannot avoid stress entirely, engage in relaxation techniques to help calm the mind and body. Try meditation, walking, a massage, spending time with loved ones, decreasing caffeine intake, laughing, yoga, or being around your animal. Here are 7 Tips to Deal With Stress.
4. Chew more
Chewing is the first step in digestion, so naturally, how you chew will affect the whole process. Saliva contains enzymes that help break down food particles before they even enter the digestive tract. So, the longer the food is exposed to saliva (through chewing), the easier it will move through your intestines, and the less gas it creates. It is recommended to chew about 20 to 30 times before swallowing. This will ease your digestion and improve the absorption of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.
5. Rest up
Tossing and turning all night does more than just make you irritable in the morning. Even just one bad night’s sleep will make you want to reach for sugar and carbs. Lack of sleep will increase the hormone ghrelin, which causes an increase in cravings for fats, sugars, and caffeine – which can all irritate the digestive system. These cravings are the body’s natural response to comfort the body when it is feeling exhaustion. To combat these cravings, eat balanced meals and adequate protein.
6. Stay hydrated
Drinking a lot of water has been shown to benefit the mucosal lining of the intestines, as well as the good bacteria in the gut. Drinking enough water is a simple way to promote a healthy gut. Enough water means drinking between a half ounce and ounce of what you weigh. For example, if you weight 150 pounds, drink between 75 and 150 ounces of water a day.
7. Check for food intolerances
If you have symptoms such as nausea, acid reflux, fatigue, cramping, bloating, diarrhea, rashes, and abdominal pain, you could be suffering from a food intolerance. Try an elimination diet and keep a food journal so you know which foods trigger those symptoms.
4 Types of Food for Gut Health
1. High-fiber foods
Increasing your fiber intake is imperative for bettering your gut bacteria and, in turn, hopefully losing weight. Research has shown that fiber nourishes your microbes, making them more diverse and more likely to keep you at a healthy weight. Find your fiber in fruits (bananas, berries), vegetables (legumes, beans, peas, asparagus, leeks), and whole grains (oats). You should aim for 20 to 30 grams of fiber a day.
2. Fermented foods
Kimchi, yogurt, sauerkraut, tempeh, miso, and kefir are all great sources of probiotics. Probiotics are essential for a healthy gut.
3. Collagen-boosting foods
Bone broth, salmon, and other collagen-rich foods may be beneficial to overall health and gut health. Other foods that will boost collagen production are mushrooms, good dairy, and certain meats.
4. Garlic and onion
Based on various studies, garlic and onion may have some anti-cancer and immune system-enhancing properties, which are closely tied to gut functions.