Many facets of modern life such as high stress levels, too little sleep, eating processed and high-sugar foods, and taking antibiotics can all damage our gut microbiome. This in turn may affect other aspects of our health, such as the brain, heart, immune system, skin, weight, hormone levels, ability to absorb nutrients, and even the development of cancer.

Here are 7 Signs You May Have an Unhealthy Gut

1. Upset stomach

If you experience stomach symptoms such as gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and heartburn these can all be signs of an unhealthy gut. A balanced gut will have less difficulty processing food and eliminating waste.

2. A high-sugar diet

A diet that is high in sugar and high in processed foods can decrease the amount of good bacteria that is in your gut. This imbalance can cause increased sugar cravings, which has damaging effects on your body and liver. 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. 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. Sleep disturbances or constant fatigue

An unhealthy gut may also 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. Skin irritation

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.Skin conditions like eczema may be related to a damaged gut.

6. Autoimmune conditions

Many researches link 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.

A Healthy GUT is CRITICAL to Your OVERALL Health!

Hormone changes occur in ALL of us as we age. That’s pretty much a guarantee. All sorts of signs and symptoms of hormone decline become dog-gone obvious... with hot flashes, night sweats, bloating, weight gain, sleep problems, muscle loss, joint pain, stiffness, hair loss, wrinkles, sagging skin, irritability, mood changes, vaginal dryness... need I go on?

FORTUNATELY, we can curb a lot of these symptoms while also preserving bone, brain, breast and heart health SIMPLY by supplementing with Bioidentical Hormones.

But sometimes we STILL have symptoms that are quite frustrating that our hormones don’t fully take care of. They help… but don’t resolve ALL the symptoms. Like getting our weight back to where we REALLY want it. That seems to be the toughest area to deal with. 

And what about all those associated GUT symptoms that seemed to creep up as we moved into our midlife years?!