As modern as we have become with our lifestyles these days, we cannot ignore the fact that it is all happening at the cost of our health. Today, most people experience high-stress levels due to work pressure and an overwhelming drive to succeed in the capitalist world. Being so engrossed in work, people fall short of time even to cook their meals themselves and instead prefer getting takeout or eating processed, ready-to-eat, instant foods. But have you ever thought about how your body responds to high-stress levels and excessive junk food consumption? Well, to give you a gist about it, one of the most prominent results is an unhealthy gut.
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Gut Imbalance
Gut imbalance is, sadly, an increasing health concern among most adults today, taking a toll on their overall health.
Having poor gut health for a long time is the last thing you want to have because it can practically break down the entire functioning of the body. But, how do you prevent something from happening without identifying it in the first place? Meaning, you cannot prevent an unhealthy gut without understanding what gut issues look like. And to help you with that, here’s a detailed explanation of the top five signs that indicate an unhealthy gut.
First of all, what happens if you don’t recognize an unhealthy gut?
Just like any other health concern, the longer you leave it undiagnosed, the greater the damage will be in the long run. If you don’t identify the signs and treat the gut issues on time, the bacteria in the gut will continue to grow and slowly start taking a toll on the immune system and other parts of the digestive system like the digestive tract.
It can also lead to psychological issues like anxiety and depression resulting from increased stress levels and mental pressure. All of these will collectively hamper your mood throughout the day, as well as the sleep quality at night. Now that you know how important it is to identify the signs of an unhealthy gut or gut imbalance let’s get to the core of this guide.
Here are the top five signs of an unhealthy gut:
Gastrointestinal Issues
Approximately 10 to 20% of Americans experience chronic GI, which stands for gastrointestinal issues. These issues include a variety of conditions such as pain or general discomfort in the abdomen, constipation, nausea, vomiting, gas, heartburn, bloating, and so on. These are signs of poor gut health. The most common cause behind developing such health issues, and causing the disturbance in the gut balance, is a nutrition deficit diet. When food consumption depends heavily on fermented foods, processed foods, artificial sweeteners, excessive alcohol, caffeine, or gluten, gastrointestinal issues are bound to happen.
Unhealthy Bowel Movement
When we say “unhealthy bowel movement,” it includes every issue that leads to unnatural excretion. If you face diarrhea frequently or for a long period, there is something wrong with the digestive system. And that is a sign of an unhealthy gut. Similarly, if you face constipation every few days, your stomach is not getting cleared, meaning bad bacteria reside in your body for longer than it should. This again leads to the disturbance of gut balance. An unhealthy bowel movement often occurs due to either eating foods that are difficult to digest or having a digestive system that can’t digest food correctly. All of this correlates with the gut.
Autoimmune Conditions
As mentioned previously, an unhealthy gut adversely hampers the immune system. When the gut microbes increase and the bacteria take over the digestive system, foods are not processed well. This leads to a lack of nutrition in the body, which ultimately hampers the immune system. Even if you enrich your diet with nutritionally sound meals, your body fails to process it correctly, and hence, the immune response weakens. This leads to various autoimmune conditions such as psoriasis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), etc.
Unstable Mental Health
It is of utmost importance to realize that most physical health concerns are closely associated with psychological issues. Let’s talk about the gut in particular. The gut is majorly responsible for producing serotonin in the body, which is the happy hormone. However, when you have a gut imbalance, the body lacks serotonin, affecting the overall mood, and can lead to anxiety and depression. Other than that, an unhealthy gut also causes trouble in the digestion process, affecting sleep quality. You may face trouble falling asleep, or even experience insomnia, leading to excessive fatigue and a crushed mood.
Skin Concerns
Your skin, hair, and nails are the best indicators of your health. Whatever you see on the surface of your body, which is the skin, hair, and nails, resembles what’s going on inside. So, if your gut is unhealthy and imbalanced, it will show on your skin. Some of the most common skin conditions include acne, eczema, rosacea, etc. This is because when the gut microbes grow extensively, it leads to inflammation in the body. You may also notice your skin becoming extra sensitive and developing skin irritation. However, you will always see that your skin is glowy, healthy, and clear when your gut is healthy.
CONCLUSION
All in all, it is fair to say that your gut health plays a huge role in determining your overall health. Everything revolves around the gut, from your bowel movement and gastrointestinal issues to your skin concerns and mental health. So, make sure you work towards developing a healthier gut that boosts enough serotonin to keep you smiling and cheering at all times.
