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Signs Your Gut Bacteria Are Imbalanced

Signs Your Gut Bacteria Are Imbalanced

By / In Colostrum Benefits, Supplement Research

Your gut is home to more than the cheeseburger and cup of coffee you had for lunch. Your gut houses an intricate, complex system of bacteria that many experts consider an organ in itself. This microbiome plays a vital role in your digestion, health, and general wellbeing, but certain everyday factors, particularly in your diet, can cause imbalances in your gut bacteria that can have overarching effects on your health. Learn more about your gut bacteria and common signs that your gut bacteria are out of balance below.

Understanding Good and Bad Gut Bacteria

Your gut is home to trillions of bacteria, representing about 1,000 different species of bacteria and 5,000 strains of those species. Among these is a mix of both “good” and “bad” bacteria. While the “good” bacteria (often referred to as probiotic) may aid digestion, protect your immune system, and generally make your gut happy, the “bad” bacteria can contribute to health issues.

Staying healthy and keeping your gut happy means balancing the good and bad bacteria, but everyone’s microbiota is unique. Factors that include age, environment, diet, genetics, and medication can affect your microbiome’s balance. The complexities of your microflora contribute to the difficulties of isolating specific beneficial bacteria. Some research suggests there may be an interplay between bacteria communities that ultimately explains good gut health.

Recognizing the Signs

Although we may not be able to identify specific “good” bacteria, we do know that not all bacteria are created equal, and that too much bad bacteria can contribute to some potential health concerns. Here are some of the most common signs of gut bacteria imbalances.

1. Digestive imbalance

Considering where gut bacteria live, it makes sense that they would most immediately affect your digestive health. An overabundance of “bad” gut bacteria can lead to:

  • Gas
  • Bloating
  • Occasional Diarrhea
  • Occasional Constipation

2. Nutrient deficiencies

Related to the above, if your body is having trouble digesting properly, it may have problems absorbing enough vitamins, minerals, and nutrients from your diet. Your gut microbiota plays an integral role in your overall metabolism. Studies comparing germ-free and conventionally raised laboratory animals found that the latter require 30 percent fewer calories to maintain their body weight.

It’s not just nutrient absorption. Studies have actually found that gut microbes contribute to vitamin synthesis. For example, research estimates that nearly half of your daily vitamin K requirement is created by your gut bacteria.

3. Mood health

Your gut and your mood health are more closely linked than you might think. The gut-brain axis is a bidirectional link between your central nervous system (your brain and spinal cord) and your enteric nervous system, a web of more than 500 million neurons spread throughout your digestive tract. Studies have found that gut bacteria can affect behavioral traits, and imbalances in your microbiota have been correlated with the presence of mood

4. Stress

Stress is a modern epidemic that impacts just about everyone. It can contribute to mood concerns and also feeds into physical health problems. Your gut bacteria are responsible for producing a variety of hormones that regulate mood, including serotonin, which is the chemical responsible for creating feelings of happiness and wellbeing. Healthy bacteria in the gut also help to lower levels of cortisol, the primary stress hormone. Considering the close connection between the gut and the mind (the gut-brain axis), research has found that stress can have a significant impact on your gut bacteria, and your gut bacteria can in turn affect your mood. It can be a bit of a vicious cycle.

5. Skin health

Skin conditions can be caused by a wide range of factors, and many of them are not related to your skin at all. Growing research suggests a connection between your gut and skin known as the gut-skin axis. The gut and the skin are related in both function and purpose. Both are necessary to maintaining homeostasis, and numerous cases show that gastrointestinal concerns are often accompanied by skin problems.

How to Balance Your Gut Bacteria

If you’re wondering how to get rid of bad gut bacteria entirely, you may want to rethink your approach. There’s still not a lot we know about the gut microbiome, and some research suggests that interactions between communities of “good” and “bad” bacteria are part of a healthy microflora. That means that getting rid of all your “bad” gut bacteria may not offer the benefits that you think it does.

That said, your gut may be suffering an imbalance. Here are some tips for rebalancing your gut flora.

1. Eat fermented and probiotic-rich foods.

Probiotic-rich foods contain a bounty of helpful bacteria that can help to repopulate your gut and provide balance. Most fermented foods tend to have probiotic cultures. Some probiotic foods that you should consider incorporating into your diet include:

  • Yogurt
  • Kefir
  • Kimchi
  • Sauerkraut
  • Kombucha

2. Feed your good bacteria.

Along with adding more good bacteria to your gut, you can feed the existing bacteria to help them grow and thrive using prebiotics. Prebiotics typically comprise high fiber, which is an undigestible carbohydrate. That “undigestible” bit is crucial as it means that the fiber can pass through your stomach relatively intact and travel to the lower intestine, where most of your gut bacteria resides. Some good prebiotics include:

  • Asparagus
  • Bananas
  • Garlic
  • Onions
  • Green, leafy vegetables
  • Colostrum

3. Avoid certain foods.

If your gut is imbalanced, consider avoiding certain foods that may just make that imbalance worse. Most of the foods that are bad for your gut are also unhealthy in general, including:

  • Sugar
  • Highly processed foods
  • Unhealthy fats and oils
  • Dairy
  • Gluten
  • Alcohol

Conclusion

Research on the gut and its effects on overall health are still ongoing, but following a healthy, diverse diet can go a long way. Listening to your gut can benefit your health and change your life for the better.

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