6 Signs You May Have an Unhealthy Gut

Do You Have an Unhealthy Gut?

6 Common Signs and Symptoms

Your gastrointestinal system plays a central role in health and disease prevention. When gut health is compromised, it can manifest in many ways throughout the body and mind. As a holistic nutritionist, I work with clients to heal the gut as the foundation for achieving optimal wellness.

In this blog, I’ll examine an unhealthy gut's top signs and symptoms. Addressing these issues through dietary changes, stress relief, supplements, and other interventions can help restore gut balance.

Sign #1: Digestive Troubles

One of the most obvious signs of poor gut health is ongoing digestive problems. This includes symptoms like:

• Bloating, gas, abdominal cramps
• Constipation and/or diarrhea
• Nausea and vomiting
• Heartburn and acid reflux
• Undigested food in stool
• Visible inflammation like redness, swelling

If you regularly experience any of these common GI issues, it likely indicates inflammation, infection, permeability, or another imbalance in the gut. Healing the gut can resolve these unpleasant symptoms.

Pay attention to changes in your bowel movements, stool consistency, pain levels, or nausea/vomiting. Don’t ignore new digestive symptoms - they are a sign something is off. Keeping a symptom journal can help identify triggers.

Sign #2: Food Intolerances

Developing new intolerances to foods you once ate without issues is a clear sign of gut dysfunction. This happens when increased permeability (leaky gut) allows food particles to enter the bloodstream and trigger immune reactions.

Typical food intolerances that may develop include dairy, gluten, egg, soy, corn, nuts, and nightshades. Keeping a food journal can help pinpoint problem foods. Removing irritants and healing the gut barrier restores tolerance.

Reacting to several different foods is a sure sign of a leaky gut. Work with a nutritionist to test an elimination diet and reintroduce foods one at a time. Look for reactions like rashes, fatigue, joint pain, and changes in digestion.

Sign #3: Skin Conditions

Many chronic skin conditions, such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea, are driven by gut imbalances. Inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract is communicated to the skin through the gut-skin axis.

Healing your gut by reducing inflammation and antigens entering the blood can improve these embarrassing skin conditions. A healthy gut means clear, glowing skin!

The gut is your “second brain” - what happens in the intestines directly impacts the skin. To clear up skin from the inside out, avoid inflammatory foods, load up on collagen, zinc, and antioxidants, and lower your stress levels.

Sign #4: Nutritional Deficiencies

Poor gut health impairs your ability to digest and absorb nutrients properly. This can result in deficiencies in vitamins, minerals, protein, fatty acids, and more, leading to symptoms like chronic fatigue, brain fog, and frequent illnesses.

Restoring gut function through diet, supplements, and microbial balance helps you properly break down and assimilate nutrients to correct deficiencies.

Nutrient deficiencies develop slowly over time. Get tested to identify any low levels of iron, B12, zinc, magnesium, omega-3s, or other critical vitamins and minerals. Improving digestion and eating a nutrient-dense diet can resolve them.

Sign #5: Mental Health Issues

There is a strong connection between the gut and brain through the gut-brain axis. Dysfunction in the gastrointestinal system can manifest through anxiety, depression, mood swings, brain fog, and sleep issues.

Correcting underlying gut issues can dramatically improve mental health symptoms. A healthy gut equals a stable, happy mood and sharp cognition.

Stress also damages the gut-brain connection. To improve one's mental health outlook, one can adopt relaxation practices, avoid inflammatory foods, and correct nutritional deficiencies.

Sign #6: Autoimmunity

Intestinal permeability allows antigens to escape the gut and trigger autoimmunity in susceptible individuals. Autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus have been linked to gut dysfunction.

Healing leaky gut and sealing the junctions between cells can help reverse autoimmune disease. Removing trigger foods is also essential. A compromised gut is a significant contributor to systemic inflammation.

If you have been diagnosed with an autoimmune condition, work with a functional medicine or nutrition practitioner to identify and heal underlying gut issues through diet, stress relief, microbiome support, and other interventions.

Take the Next Step to Heal Your Gut

If you are experiencing any signs of poor gut health, take action today to restore optimal digestive function. Eating a clean, anti-inflammatory diet, managing stress, taking supplements, and adding gut-healing foods can all help get your gut back on track.

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"Information courtesy of www.mebykatie.com; Katie Marshall is a certified Medical Esthetician, Acne Specialist, Functional Nutrition Counsellor, Holistic Chef, and Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. Specializing in skin health, gut health, hormone health, and the whole body. The basic premise is that functional nutrition gets to the root of the problem and resolves the actual problem. This differs from conventional medicine, which prescribes multiple meds to deal with symptoms, with little regard for resolving the root cause of the symptoms. Functional nutrition is more personalized, customized, and holistic. My job is to work with your medical team and advocate for you if necessary."   

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