5 Signs That Your Gut is Unhealthy and Needs Attention
Anywhere you go, it seems like everyone is talking about the importance of taking probiotics and its effectiveness in improving gut health. Clearly, gut health is the new fitness buzzword doing the rounds.
Research has revealed that your gut health has a direct connection with your vital body organs, such as brain, heart, and liver and is critical for overall well-being. There are several studies that trace the roots of obesity and even Alzheimer’s, back to an unhealthy gut.
The question here is if everything is happening inside, how do you determine if your gut health is good or not? If you do not suffer from the obvious signs such as bloating or constipation, are there any other signs you should know about?
To help you recognize the hidden signs and symptoms of an unhealthy gut, #TheCoconutPeople have compiled an exhaustive list.
1. Acne
Everybody hates that untimely breakout of acne on the face. Acne is probably one of the world’s oldest diseases and the one that humans so far have not been able to find any permanent cure for.
However, not many people realize that an unhealthy gut is one of the primary reasons behind those annoying breakouts. Research shows that your gut communicates with the cells of your facial skin and plays an important role in keeping it healthy. Even the slightest imbalance in its functioning can break this communication and lead to problems such as skin inflammation and acne among others.
2. Obesity
Obesity is caused by a number of factors. One of which is the number of good bacteria in your gut. Good bacteria help in breaking the food into energy. Thus, their numbers in your gut directly influence your body weight.
3. Sugar Cravings
Your food craving is actually the microbes in your gut trying to manipulate you into eating food that helps them thrive. However, different types of microbes (or gut bacteria) like different foods, such as yeast grow on sugar. So, if your gut contains too much yeast, you may have strong sugar cravings.
So the next time you feel like eating another piece of cake after finishing one, you probably need to take care of your gut health.
4. Mood swings
A lot of people feel irritated and also experience (extreme) mood swings when suffering from an unhealthy gut. Researchers say that our gut has bacteria that empower our brain to deal with anxiety. An unhealthy gut does not have enough of this bacteria and as a result our hormones go haywire leading to mood swings and even to panic attacks, stress and anxiety.
5. Gas
While our gut produces gas as part of its food digestion process, bad gut health may result in release of excess gas which may make you feel bloated and uncomfortable. Gas in your body is a sign that your gut has an imbalance of bacteria which breaks the food you’ve eaten.
Also, gas is a sign that your stomach lacks the required stomach acids needed for proper digestion of food, which is again a sign of poor gut health. Apart from these signs like constipation, diabetes, skin diseases, and low immunity can also be caused due to an unhealthy gut.
Reasons for Compromised Gut Health
Bad dietary habits is one of the primary reasons for poor gut health. With increasing consumption of processed food, sugar has become a thriving ground for bad bacteria and yeast resulting in bad gut health. Therefore, it is important to include things like fiber and plant foods in your diet to promote growth of good bacteria.While diet is primarily responsible for gut health, it isn’t the only thing that matters. Other factors that have an effect on your gut health are –
- Poor Sleep
- Medications
- Alcohol
- Nicotine
- Chronic stress
- Frequent antibiotic use
- Frequent Travel
- Poor sleep
Tips to Cure your Unhealthy Gut
Mentioned below is a list of things you can do to improve the health of your gut and to keep it healthy all the time -
- One simple trick of cleaning your diet can do wonders for your gut health. Too much oil, spices, and junk are a strict no-no. Always include lots of fibre, green veggies, and proteins in your diet.
- Drink plenty of water. It flushes out all the toxins from the body making your gut squeaky clean from inside out. Water also keeps your gut hydrated.
- Exercise regularly to keep your gut in the pink of health. Body movements increase blood flow in your body supplying enough oxygen to your body organs including your gut.
- Despite being healthy, there are certain food items that your body can be allergic to and may result in an unhealthy gut. Milk and gluten are some food items that many people cannot digest properly. If you regularly feel bloated or constipated after consuming these items, maybe it is time to visit a doctor
- Add a few tablespoons of coconut oil to your daily diet. Coconut oil is rich in Omega 3 and fatty acids that play a vital role in boosting collagen production in your body which is vital for gut health
- Avoid too much sugar as sugar promotes growth of bad bacteria and restricts good ones.
- Try getting at least 7 to 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night. It is very important for your gut health.
A healthy gut has a huge impact on the overall well-being of your body. It contributes to good heart health, strong immune system, effective digestion, improved mood and relaxed state of mind. The key is to follow a healthy lifestyle and rely more on food items that positively affect your gut health.