8 Symptoms of an Unhealthy Gut That Everyone Should Know
Your gut interacts with almost all organs and systems of your body, playing a big role in digestion, brain function, and immune system. But if your gut is unhealthy, it can lead to lots of health issues and you find unhealthy gut symptoms.
There are trillions of bacteria along with yeast and viruses that live among this bacteria in your gut. When your gut bacteria, yeast, and viruses are imbalanced, this can provoke gut dysbiosis, which in turn negatively affects other body systems and organs.
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Causes of Gut Issues
An unhealthy diet is one of the most common causes of gut problems. Good bacteria feed on fiber and plant foods, while bad bacteria and yeast love processed products and sugar. Therefore, when you eat lots of processed foods and sugar, gut bad bacteria start to grow and can overtake good bacteria. However, while your diet is essential, it isn’t the only cause of gut issues. Other things include:
- Frequent use of antibiotics
- Alcohol consumption
- Chronic stress
- Medications
- Food intolerances
- Travel
- Bad sleep
Let’s look at the top signs of an unhealthy gut each of us needs to know:
Unhealthy Gut Symptoms
1. Diarrhea
Diarrhea is common and affects everyone at some point. However chronic or acute diarrhea(1) often indicates bacterial overgrowth or infection with a harmful type of bacteria.
Diarrhea can also worsen gut health by pushing out the good bacteria which will result in even more gut dysbiosis.
2. Constipation
Constipation usually has several underlying causes but according to one scientific review, constant constipation is often linked to gut imbalance. People who have chronic constipation typically have lower levels of good bacteria in their stool samples. Keep in mind that ignoring constant constipation may result in bleeding hemorrhoids, rectal prolapse, and fecal incontinence.
[Read: Foods for Constipation Relief ]
