In recent years, doctors and researchers have learned more and more about how the state of your gut contributes to your overall health. Your microbiome, or the millions of bacteria that call your gut home, plays a role in everything from your digestive system and immune system to your metabolism. That’s why being able to recognize the signs of an unhealthy gut is so important—they help signal when the balance of your microbiome is out of whack.
Meet the experts: Pratima Dibba, M.D., a gastroenterologist with Medical Offices of Manhattan; Lena Bakovic, M.S., R.D.N., C.N.S.C., a registered dietitian nutritionist at Live It Up.
Here, experts explain why you should prioritize gut health, plus share the key symptoms that signal something has gone awry.
Why is gut health so important?
“Issues with gut health can have a systemic effect on the body,” says Pratima Dibba, M.D., a gastroenterologist with Medical Offices of Manhattan. “When gut health is not prioritized, it can result in systemic symptoms that impede quality of life and also result in long term complications.” The main reason for this is that the health of your microbiome—i.e. the balance of good, healthy bacteria vs. bad, harmful bacteria—seems to impact numerous systems throughout the body.
“Gut health (or lack thereof) has been scientifically linked to certain forms of cancers, increased inflammation, immune function impairments, and even effects on mood status,” says Lena Bakovic, M.S., R.D.N., C.N.S.C., a registered dietitian nutritionist at Live It Up. According to research published in the journal Infectious Medicine, an unbalanced microbiome (aka dysbiosis of the gut microbiota) has been linked to type 2 diabetes, obesity, non-alcoholic liver disease, cardiometabolic diseases, cancer, arthritis, depression, sleep disorders, and hypertension.
In addition to the ways that your microbiome impacts your overall health, Dr. Dibba explains that health problems that start in your gut, such as digestive issues or bowel diseases, can ultimately lead to more serious conditions if left unaddressed. “Bleeding ulcers, for example, can lead to anemia, which can result in fatigue and cardiac symptoms. Untreated inflammatory bowel disease can result in colon cancer,” she says.
Signs of an unhealthy gut
While the health of your gut is linked to many different symptoms, most of the early signs that your gut health is out of whack are digestive in nature. According to Dr. Dibba, these may include:
- Abdominal pain
- Heartburn
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Difficulty swallowing or pain while swallowing
- Bloating
- Changes in bowel habits
- Rectal bleeding
- Loss of appetite
- Abnormal weight loss in association with headaches
That said, an unhealthy gut may also present in other ways that you may not immediately associate with the area of your body. “An unhealthy gut can also result in neurologic manifestations, cardiac manifestations, and systemic symptoms,” says Dr. Dibba. Per Bakovic and Dr. Dibba, these may include:
- Brain fog
- Chest discomfort
- Palpitations
- Weakness
- Fatigue
- Frequent illnesses or infections
- Mood swings
- Bad breath
- Asthma
- Cough
The bottom line
While problems with your gut health may manifest as digestive problems like gas, bloating, or changes in your bowel movements, they can also present in seemingly unconnected ways. If you start to experience anything out of the ordinary, especially if you are also having digestive issues, it’s smart to give your healthcare provider a call to figure out how to treat any underlying issues.
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