What’s an Unhealthy Gut? How Gut Health Affects You

In a medically reviewed report by Saurabh Sethi, MD, MPH he details the incredible complexity of the gut and its importance to our overall health.  It’s another example of the increasing amount of research in the medical community on the subject. It adds to the numerous amount of studies in the past two decades that demonstrate the links between gut health and the immune system, mood, mental health, autoimmune diseases, endocrine disorders, skin conditions, and cancer.

At one time, our digestive system was considered a relatively “simple” body system, comprised essentially of one long tube for our food to pass through, be absorbed and then excreted however, as the increasing amount of research and better technology are proving there is far greater importance of attaining and maintaining a healthy gut.

So, how can you tell if you have an unhealthy gut?

1. Constantly Having an Upset stomach

Stomach disturbances like gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and heartburn can all be signs of an unhealthy gut. A balanced gut will have less difficulty processing food and eliminating waste.

2. Habitual high-sugar diet

A diet high in processed foods and added sugars can decrease the amount of good bacteria in your gut. This imbalance can cause increased sugar cravings, which can damage your gut still further. High amounts of refined sugars, particularly high-fructose corn syrup, have been linked to increased inflammation in the body. Inflammation can be the precursor to a number of diseases and even cancers.

3. Unexplained and unintentional weight changes

Gaining or losing weight without making changes to your diet or exercise habits may be a sign of an unhealthy gut. An imbalanced gut can impair your body’s ability to absorb nutrients, regulate blood sugar, and store fat. Weight loss may be caused by small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), while weight gain may be caused by insulin resistance or the urge to overeat due to decreased nutrient absorption.

4. Nightly sleep disturbances or constant fatigue

An unhealthy gut may contribute to sleep disturbances such as insomnia or poor sleep, and therefore lead to chronic fatigue. The majority of the body’s serotonin, a hormone that affects mood and sleep, is produced in the gut. So gut damage can impair your ability to sleep well. Some sleep disturbances have also been linked to risk for fibromyalgia.

5. Unexplained skin irritation

Skin conditions like eczema may be related to a damaged gut. Inflammation in the gut caused by a poor diet or food allergies may cause increased “leaking” of certain proteins out into the body, which can in turn irritate the skin and cause conditions such as eczema.

6. Autoimmune conditions

Medical researchers are continually finding new evidence of the impact of the gut on the immune systemTrusted Source. It’s thought that an unhealthy gut may increase systemic inflammation and alter the proper functioning of the immune system. This can lead to autoimmune diseases, where the body attacks itself rather than harmful invaders.

7. Food intolerances

Food intolerances are the result of difficulty digesting certain foods (this is different than a food allergy, which is caused by an immune system reaction to certain foods). It’s thought that food intolerances may be caused by poor quality of bacteria in the gut. This can lead to difficulty digesting the trigger foods and unpleasant symptoms such as bloating, gas, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and nausea. There is some evidence that food allergies may also be related to gut health.

8. Digestive issues like bloating, gas or diarrhea

These are the hallmark symptoms of gut dysfunction. This is largely due to the health; both number and diversity, of the bacteria living inside your gut, intestines, stomach and colon. These bacteria are called your microbiome and symptoms such as bowel irregularity or gas occur when the balance of bacteria is not right.”The number and diversity, of the bacteria living inside your gut impact your overall health and wellness.”

Gas in particular is a sign that food is fermenting in your gut as you have insufficient stomach acid or an imbalance of bacteria to break down the food you’ve eaten.

9. Sugar cravings

Scientists have found that gut bacteria actually secretes special proteins that are similar to hunger-regulating hormones; leptin and ghrelin. These proteins affect both our food cravings and mood.

To sum it up, the bacteria try to get us to eat foods that they thrive on. So, if you eat a lot of sugar you feed the unhelpful bacteria that love it and they secrete the proteins to make you crave sugar more. It’s a vicious cycle.

It’s also somewhat of a relief. It’s not a lack of willpower that contributes totally to your weakness for the sweet stuff. Fixing your gut can eradicate the bacteria that cause you to crave these foods in the first place.

Over time you can actually reduce these cravings.”

10. Bad breath

Chronic bad breath is called halitosis. In most circumstances, halitosis stems from odor-inducing microbes that reside in between your teeth and gums, and on your tongue. It can also be caused by bacteria linked to gum disease.

A healthy digestive system is crucial for optimal overall health. The ratio of good and bad bacteria is a crucial indicator of the condition of your health. “Bad breath is a sign your gut flora isn’t optimal.”

Having less-than-optimal gut flora can make you vulnerable to health conditions linked to bad breath such as kidney infections and poorly managed diabetes.

11. Food allergies or sensitivities

If you suffer from food in-tolerances such as gluten or dairy, this is almost always a result of leaky gut. The gut barrier is your gatekeeper that decides what gets in and what stays out.

When you think about it, our gut is a system that operates entirely on it’s own. It is a sealed passageway from our mouth to our bottom. Technically, the scope with which it interacts with other organs in our body is somewhat limited.

Anything goes in the mouth and isn’t digested will pass right out the other end. This is, in fact, one of the most important functions of the gut: to prevent foreign substances from entering the body.

When the intestinal barrier becomes permeable i.e. leaky gut syndrome, large protein molecules escape into the bloodstream. Since these proteins don’t belong outside of the gut, the body mounts an immune response and attacks them. This immune response shows up as food intolerance.

12. Moodiness, anxiety and depression

Part of the reason micro nutrient deficiencies affect mental health is because of compromised gut function. Even if a person with mental heath associated issues did have access to appropriate nutrition or levels of micro nutrients, a leaky gut may mean they are unable to absorb them.

A compromised gut will affect your ability to use serotonin and dopamine—your happy hormones—and vitamin D within your body.”

The majority of serotonin and about half of your dopamine is made in your gut. If you have leaky gut, your body will lose much of the serotonin and dopamine it produces. Treating any gut dysbiosis will be critical for supporting mental health.

The inner workings of your digestive system don’t just help you digest food, but also guide your emotions.

13. Skin problems like eczema

A common sign of food intolerance is eczema. Take a look at this article on what’s driving your eczema which investigates the link between the health of your microbes and eczema conditions.

14. Diabetes

Research is now showing the health of your macrobiotics can give clues as to whether or not you have type two diabetes. Recently, four Russian researchers studied differences in the changes in the microbes of the large intestine, reporting their findings on the link between gut bacteria and type two diabetes in the journal of Endocrinology Connections.

In the study, gut microbial composition and glucose level were analyzed in 92 patients including 20 with type 2 diabetes and 48 healthy subjects without any chronic disease. An additional 24 subjects showed signs of per-diabetes.

Scientists compared the presentation of intestinal microbes among the groups in the study participants, as well as differences in diet. In doing so, they were able to link the level of glucose intolerance with the presence of three types of microbiota: Blautia, Serratia and Akkermansia bacteria. While all three are found in healthy people, their numbers are “greatly increased where diabetes is present.”

Research also concluded that one possible cause and effect between intestinal bacteria and diabetes is that certain bacteria incite an immune response. Within the intestinal bacteria population, there are microbes that form toxins that enter the gut and then cause inflammation throughout the body, including liver and fat cells that can affect overall metabolism and insulin sensitivity.”

15. Autoimmune disease and suppressed immunity

The link between leaky gut and autoimmune conditions is huge. “There is growing evidence that increased intestinal permeability plays a pathogenic role in various autoimmune diseases including celiac disease and type 1 diabetes. Therefore, the hypothesis is that besides genetic and environmental factors, loss of intestinal barrier function is necessary to develop autoimmunity.”

You may also suffer from frequent illness or infections. Again the reason for this is due to a suppressed immune system. 

What can you do to help support a healthy gut?