Recognizing the Signs of an Unhealthy Gut

You have trillions of bacteria in your gut, which play a part in your digestion, immune system, and many other important functions. There are many different species of bacteria, all of which play a part in keeping us healthy.  When the bacteria in your gut become imbalanced, you will notice symptoms such as gas, bloating, an irritated bowel, and heartburn. You could also experience gaining or losing weight without meaning to (1).

There are lots of things that can cause an imbalance in your gut bacteria, including stress (2), a poor diet, taking antibiotics (3), a lack of sleep (4), eating processed foods (5) or too much sugar (6), depression, and some medical conditions (1). However, there are also several ways to promote a healthy gut microbiome, such as eating probiotic-rich foods, exercising regularly, getting plenty of sleep, and reducing stress. By taking steps to maintain a healthy microbiome, you can enjoy better digestive health and overall well-being.

One of the reasons our gut can become unhealthy is due to pathogenic bacteria that can cause us to become ill. These bacteria are always present but are in small enough numbers so as not to cause problems. In addition, the good bacteria are normally present in high enough numbers to literally crowd out the pathogenic bacteria and keep them under control. However, when the bad bacteria are able to reproduce unchecked, it causes something called dysbiosis. Dysbiosis can cause a range of symptoms, including abdominal pain, bloating, gas, diarrhoea and fatigue. Taking antibiotics can also lead to dysbiosis, as the medication kills the bacteria causing the infection, while also killing our helpful gut bacteria (7). For this reason, once you have finished a course of anti-biotics, it is a good idea to take a therapeutic course of probiotics in the form of supplements. These supplements usually have billions of probiotics in each dose. Therefore, taking probiotics for just one month should be enough to repopulate the gut with lots of beneficial, health-boosting bacteria (8).

Gas and Bloating

When asked what you would notice as a sign of an unhealthy gut, most people would probably think of the more obvious symptoms, such as gas, which can be embarrassing, or a bloated stomach, diarrhoea or constipation, which can be painful. When you experience gas or bloating, especially after eating certain foods, this may be an indication that the bacteria in your gut are not breaking down those foods properly. In some cases, these symptoms can be caused by food intolerance.

With food intolerance, your body has trouble digesting certain foods because it lacks the enzymes needed to break them down. Many of these enzymes are produced by the gut bacteria (9). This can lead to digestive problems like gas, bloating, and stomach pain. Unlike a food allergy, food intolerance isn’t life threatening and doesn’t cause an immune response. However, it can still be unpleasant. If you think you might have food intolerance, it’s important to get tested in order to find out which foods you’re intolerant to so that you can avoid them.

Constipation or diarrhoea

In addition to gas and bloating, stomach pain, diarrhoea or constipation can be caused by a disease called irritable bowel syndrome. One of the causes of this painful condition is an unhealthy gut, in the form of dysbiosis. This disruption in the gut bacteria can activate the immune system, reacting to the presence of pathogenic bacteria. This then causes inflammation and pain (10). Stress is also one of the factors playing a part in the development of irritable bowel syndrome (11). Unfortunately, to make matters worse, stress can also affect the health of the gut bacteria so it is a good idea to get some stress management strategies in place to avoid gut health issues (12).

Skin Problems

You may not realise it, but the health of your gut has a big impact on your skin. In fact, people with skin issues like acne, rosacea, eczema, psoriasis and dandruff are more likely to have tummy problems. That’s because the bacteria in your gut play an important role in regulating your immune system. When your gut bacteria are out of whack, it can lead to inflammation and skin problems (13). Eating the right kinds of foods can help to promote a healthy balance of gut bacteria. So, if you’re struggling with skin issues, it’s worth considering making some changes to your diet.

Insomnia

Most people know that a good night’s sleep is important for overall health, but few realise that there is a strong link between sleep and gut health. The gut bacteria produce serotonin, a hormone that affects mood but is also a component of another hormone called melatonin (14). Melatonin helps us get to sleep and regulate the body’s sleep-wake cycle. Lack of sleep can disrupt the delicate balance of the microbiome, leading to digestive problems (15), and can also cause a rise in the stress hormone, cortisol. The knock-on effect of this can be constipation, diarrhoea, bloating, gas, and stomach pain. One reason for this is that the presence of cortisol means the body ‘’thinks’’ it is in danger and ranks the function of the brain and muscles as more important than digestion. In so doing, it reduces blood flow to the digestive system, which plays a part in causing the symptoms mentioned (16). In turn, these symptoms can make it difficult to get a good night’s sleep, creating a cycle that can be difficult to break. However, by getting plenty of shut-eye and paying attention to improving your gut health, it is possible to restore balance.

Sugar cravings

As mentioned, being tired can cause us to reach for sugary foods in an attempt to give us some much-needed energy. Unfortunately, ‘‘bad’’ bacteria love sugar, and when they get to eat this sugar, they are able to multiply. This can lead to issues linked to dysbiosis as well as cause us to gain weight (17). This is not great news, as being overweight is also linked to having an imbalance in the different types of bacteria residing in the gut (18).

Heartburn and acid reflux

As a rule, bacteria are not present in the stomach due to the acid that kills them. However, pathogenic bacteria are much more suited to living in acidic conditions so if they are able to multiply in the gut, they can move into the stomach. When we eat too many sugary foods or processed carbohydrates, those pesky bacteria feast on it too and quite literally start farting and burping themselves. In other words, they get gas! This gas causes the stomach acid to rise into the gullet and give us acid reflux and heartburn. In extreme cases this can also lead to cancer in the digestive tract (19).

Accidental weight gain or weight loss

The diet that we eat in the western world is unfortunately high in processed carbohydrates, sugar, and saturated fat (20). This can lead to dysbiosis in the gut. This means that bacteria that are linked to weight gain, increase in number and can make us liable to pile on the pounds (21).

When we think about the bacteria in our gut, we usually think of them as being helpful. And most of the time, they are. But sometimes things can get out of balance, and there can be too much of a good thing. This is what’s known as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, or SIBO. SIBO occurs when there is an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine. This can cause a variety of symptoms, such as diarrhoea, weight loss, and even nutritional deficiencies (22).  Unexplained weight loss can also be caused by much more serious conditions, such as cancer. The good news is that SIBO is treatable, but if you are losing weight without meaning to, it is best to get a full health check with a healthcare professional.

If you notice any of these digestive symptoms happening either on a regular or long-term basis, it is worth having a word with your doctor. Usually, following a healthy diet full of fruit and vegetables, including fermented foods and water, getting plenty of sleep, and not overindulging in processed, sweet, or saturated fat-laden foods will help to get your gut health back on an even keel.