Medical experts say that the gut is the body’s second brain. This implies that when you have an unhealthy gut, it can has an effect on your entire body.
How do know if your gut is healthy or not?
A healthy gut is usually functioning properly when you have a bowel movement one to two times daily that is well-formed and easy to pass,” says Rosia Parrish, ND, a naturopathic doctor based in Boulder, Colorado, who specializes in natural and complementary medicine. These daily bowel movements should be free of symptoms like diarrhoea, constipation, and loose stools. Other signs of a healthy gut include being free of rectal symptoms like haemorrhoids and abdominal symptoms such as gas, bloating, and abdominal pain.
Here are some specific signs
- Stomach discomfort: If your stomach is frequently upset by symptoms such as gas, bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, and abdominal pain, these can be signs of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a common condition that affects the large intestines.
- Fatigue: A study published in April 2017 in the journal Microbiome found that people with chronic fatigue syndrome may have imbalances in the gut microbiome, which consists of the bacteria, microorganisms, fungi, and viruses present in the gastrointestinal tract. Researchers also found that almost half of the people with fatigue also had IBS.
- Food cravings: Eating too much sugar can lead to an abundance of “bad” bacteria in the gut and dysbiosis. Research published in August 2014 in the journal Bioessays suggested that one way to change your eating habits is by changing what is present in the microbiome.
If you experience any of these various symptoms, it’s best to get checked out by a doctor to determine if your symptoms are due to an unhealthy gut or other factors.
A naturopath can also help identify if you have bacterial overgrowth, yeast, or parasites that are affecting your gut health.
From there, a naturopath will likely recommend tailored foods and supplements that can help repair your gut, including probiotics, prebiotics, enzymes, glutamine, fish oil, and more.