A Healthy Gut Is Crucial For Skin Health
It’s the gut’s job to break down our food and turn it into vital nutrients that support the body’s functions and protect against premature aging. Your gut microbiome is made up of good and bad bacteria and when out of balance can negatively affect every organ as well as your skin, immune system, and emotions. A healthy gut microbiome is influenced by our diet and lifestyle and gaining a better understanding of it has become a focus among the medical community says skin surgeon and dermatologist Dr. Carole Hazan. Research suggests an unhealthy gut microbiome can also increase the risk of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
1. Digestive Discomfort
If you are regularly bloated, have excessive gas and flatulence, abdominal pain and discomfort this can be a sign of poor digestion and gut health according to the health experts at Forbes.
2. Persistent Diarrhea
Chronic or persistent diarrhea suggests the good and bad bacteria in the gut are out of balance and could also indicate a potential infection.
3. Can’t Poop
Constipation or having difficulty regularly passing stools can be a sign of an unhealthy gut.
4. Acid Reflux
Heartburn, which can cause pressure in the chest that mimics heart attack symptoms, frequent acid reflux, burning in your throat, and belching or regurgitating food is often related to poor gut health.
5. Food Intolerances
You may not be aware you are intolerant to certain foods and can also develop food intolerances with age. Food intolerances can also cause acid reflux, diarrhea, constipation, and an unhealthy gut. Keep a food diary and have allergy tests to determine any intolerances. Sometimes even healthy food isn’t good for you.
6. Weight Fluctuations
Rapid or unexplained weight loss or gain has been linked to gut health issues.
7. Flagging Energy
Feeling fatigued, low in energy, constantly tired, or experiencing sleep disturbances are all signs of an unhealthy gut.
8. Skin Conditions
There is evidence an unhealthy gut microbiome impacts the health of your skin, so if you’re suffering eczema, acne, breakouts, rosacea, and redness, this could be related to your gut.
9. Poor Immunity
If you are often sick or prone to infection, this could indicate compromised immune function and gut health. Left untreated, poor gut health can increase the risk of developing autoimmune diseases.
10. Bad Breath
Chronic bad breath can be a sign that there is an imbalance in your gut microbiome.
11. Mood Swings and Irritability
An unhealthy gut can affect your mental health. The gut produces neurochemicals like dopamine and serotonin and disruptions in the in its microbiota can interfere with these neurotransmittersleading to mood swings, anxiety, and depression.
12. Sugar Cravings
What we eat can have a major influence on our gut health. If you have a diet high in fat, sugar, and processed foods this can throw the bacteria in your gut out of balance and cause sugar cravings, trigger inflammation, and increase the risk of obesity and diabetes.
13. Joint Pain
Inflammation in the gut can contribute to joint pain and conditions like arthritis.
14. Brain Fog
Difficulty concentrating, brain fog, and lack of motivation have been linked to poor gut health.
15. Raging Hormones
An unhealthy gut can impair hormone regulation, impacting your physical and mental health and causing chronic inflammation. When the gut microbiome is upset hormone-producing glands and organs like the thyroid, ovaries, and adrenal glands cause imbalances in estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.
16. Nutrient Deficiencies
If you have an unhealthy diet, you no doubt have an unhealthy gut which means your body isn’t absorbing nutrients properly, and this can lead to deficiencies in the essential vitamins and minerals you need for optimum health and wellness.
17. Increased Allergies
An unhealthy gut microbiome can trigger an increased risk of developing allergies or asthma.