When all the “good” bacteria, yeast, and microorganisms in your gut are playing nice, the rest of your body is probably singing a happy tune.

But when there’s an imbalance, the unhealthy gut blues may resonate throughout your body.

Please take a minute now (don’t worry, we’ll wait!) and guesstimate the most common symptoms of an unhealthy gut.

Did your top answers focus on digestive issues, such as bloating, gas, and irregularity? Now in our little gut health trivia game, you wouldn’t lose points on these guesses. (You’re still in the game!)

Okay, contestants, for bonus points, let’s look at the top five most surprising signs that your gut needs some TLC. And don’t forget to stay tuned, because later in the “show,” we’ll offer a public service announcement on how to support your gut.

5 Ways Your Gut Is Sounding the Alarm

Skin Health

That’s right, those pesky skin irritations and flare-ups may be the result of a mixed-up microbiome. That’s because your gut is in cahoots with your skin through something called the gut-skin axis. Your gut plays a role in skin homeostasis and physiologic pathways that keep your skin blemish-free and healthy. Simply put, an imbalance in your gut can cause an imbalance in your skin and various skin health issues, such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, acne vulgaris, and dandruff.

Sleep

Are you tossing and turning and struggling with daily daytime fatigue? Blame your gut. That right, research shows that an imbalance in gut bacteria may be linked to fragmented sleep and short sleep duration, which may lead to chronic fatigue. What’s more, your unhealthy gut can also negatively impact your natural circadian rhythm, disrupting your nighttime zzzs and leaving you overly tired throughout the day.

Healthy Weight

Is your weight see-sawing without explanation, even though your diet and exercise habits have remained consistent? Your unhealthy gut may be the culprit here. An unbalanced gut can alter your body’s ability to absorb essential nutrients, regulate blood sugar, and store fat. Certain types of bacteria can influence weight gain since bacteria help break down food and the way your body absorbs nutrients.

Sugar Cravings

Your gut microbes are pretty darn clever at trying to entice you into eating types of food that feed them and help them grow. To that point, different types of microbes favor different foods. For instance, yeast thrives on sugar, Bifiodobacteria love dietary fiber, while Bacteroidetes favor fats. So, it stands to reason that if your gut contains too much yeast it can lead to mighty powerful sugar cravings that sadly perpetuate a subpar gut cycle.

Mood + Brain Health

Research shows that your gut microbiome plays a vital role in your mental health and the way you respond to stress. Furthermore, there’s some evidence that certain hormones that are made in the gut control the messaging between your gut and brain and vice versa. It’s a Catch-22 because if this gut-brain conversation is derailed, it can contribute to behaviors such as worry and general mood imbalance. There’s also research that shows poor gut balance can negatively affect learning and memory.

How Did We Get Here?

There are scores of reasons that your gut is unbalanced. But not surprisingly, a poor diet is at the top of the list. Those “good” bacteria that you want to reside in your gut thrive on “good” foods rich in fiber and plants. And the “bad” guys? They love processed foods and sugar.

These days stress seems to be linked to myriad health issues, and gut health is no exception. Pay attention to stress and try to reduce it with sufficient sleep, exercise, yoga, meditation, or even having a good laugh with friends.

Sure, diet and stress reduction can help bring gut balance, but sometimes it just isn’t enough. That’s where high-quality probiotics, prebiotics, and digestive enzymes can come to the rescue.

Want to be a champion of the good gut health game? Our customer service team is ready can help at support@zenwise.com or M-F from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST at (800) 940-1972.

Zenwise. Then Eat.

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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8489915/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28767318/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5794698/