Post #2 Symptoms of an unhealthy gut
The symptoms of an unhealthy gut are diverse, frequently overlap and when severe, can be devastating. Often these symptoms start slowly and progress over time. They can be hard to diagnose and complex to treat. Below are the most commons symptoms:
Sleep Disturbances: The majority of the body’s sleep hormone serotonin is produced in the gut. An unhealthy gut can impair the production/function of serotonin cand lead to chronic fatigue.
Food Intolerances: Poor gut health can lead to food intolerances causing bloating, gas, and abnormal bowel movements. Often this is due to a combination of bad gut flora and a genetic susceptibility.
Skin Irritation: Skin conditions like eczema or hives can start or become exacerbated by an unhealthy gut allowing unintended food products to enter our bloodstream.
Auto Immune Conditions: There is a a great deal of emerging science which indicates that an injured gut can either produce or exacerbate auto immune conditions like arthritis, thyroid dysfunction, lupus…. An injured gut produces inflammation in the blood stream which can trigger Auto- Immune reaction. Interestingly, there can be more than one auto immunity condition in a person since the greatest risk of having a second autoimmunity condition is already having one.
Brain Fog and other Mental Health Issues: This is a fascinating area of Functional Medicine. The very same processes of oxidative stress and inflammation that can be so damaging in our body can damage our brain tissue with attendant brain dysfunction. Besides impaired cognition and mental acuity these processes can have a powerful negative effect on depression.
