Six (Little Known) Signs of a Struggling Gut
Our bodies are fascinating. Contrary to the Darwinian world view of competitiveness, every one of our cells collaborates and supports others, in an attempt to keep our bodies in balance. Not one organ or cell in the body works totally in isolation from others.
In addition, it is becoming clear that the health of the digestive system in particular, impacts the entire body.
But how do you know whether your gut is working optimally?
Below are 6 signs that may indicate your gut isn’t working efficiently:
- Tiredness and bad sleep. Fatigue is the most common symptom of ineffective digestion and of an overtaxed liver. This may be exacerbated by serotonin depletion, a ‘feel good’ neurotransmitter found in the gut, which also affects sleep.
- Headaches and migraines. These often disappear once your colon is fully operational and toxins are thoroughly excreted – daily. Constipation is particularly known to cause ‘toxic’ headaches as toxins will tend to stay in the body and the liver, if not regularly and fully eliminated.
- Skin rashes, spots, blemishes and dullness. Your skin is your largest organ of elimination – when toxins remain in the colon and the liver, they will be eliminated through the skin. Lack of nutrient absorption due to a deficient digestive system will also lead to skin issues.
- Frequent colds, auto-immune diseases. Up to 80% of your immune cells reside in your digestive system. Therefore inflammation and low immunity will become chronic if you are not digesting properly or effectively absorbing essential nutrients.
- Unexplained weight gain or loss. When your gut microbiome (bacteria) is imbalanced you are less able to absorb nutrients, regulate your blood sugar and store fat. For instance, if you suffer from cravings, it’s likely that your gut bacteria and blood sugar are not as healthy as they could be.
- Mental health disorders and the gut: There is growing evidence that those who suffer from poor gut health are more likely to experience anxiety, depression or other mental health disorders. This is caused by specific gut bacteria that have been identified to cause brain inflammation.
These are only 6 of many good reasons to honour your gut and make sure it’s receiving the TLC it deserves.
References:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272735820301318?casa_token=Fo-PLItjhxEAAAAA:XEFGyyGC0HVUvcjosZmnHobtIS-RGWiGL6sRcDvjMLtV9TY1DAzVvvNa8cdTooW7ImmqSFsh#bb0080
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31336737/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16965415/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7350295/?fbclid=IwAR31ipZML1rAYX7ZrHKgAsQ4ESGdz0niZy0EOTCmPiqMC24aH2O20FDX8ag
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6042414/?fbclid=IwAR3JBmWSJ3-X9YZ194UUgAiWHbaObeTR16EKXNNdUpMiNsu-ggy95yyH1D8
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