The digestive system is a complex group of organs, starting from your mouth and ending with… you know. This is one of the ways this system is unique — its journey begins and ends outside you. It’s essential to consider carefully what you allow to pass through these organs, as they can be sensitive and easily affected. It’s pretty easy to upset your gut, and you might be noticing some signs already like bloating, fatigue, and poor bowel movements. Keep reading for symptoms of an unsettled gut and what you can do to help get it back on track.
1. You’re Bloated
Bloating is usually the warning sign that an angry digestive system sends out. Bloat is caused by the intestines holding on to too much gas, making your abdomen feel tight and crampy. You might even notice a difference in your waistline, depending on how bloated you are.
The colon, or large intestine, holds on to this gas and has trouble allowing it to pass through when it’s upset. This can occur when you eat too fast, swallow air, or have a food intolerance. Many people are lactose intolerant, meaning dairy will give them side effects like bloating or sometimes something worse, like diarrhea.
A good way to test yourself for food intolerance is to keep a food diary. Write down everything you eat each day, specifying what food for what meals, too. This way, you’ll be able to more easily pinpoint what has caused your bloating. Then you can avoid the suspected food for a few days and see if that helps.
2. You’re Not Sleeping Well
The gut controls a lot more of your body than you might realize — and it’s not just your digestive system. It can even control your sleep quality from time to time, believe it or not. This is mainly due to the fact that the gut can directly influence the release of hormones, including melatonin. This hormone shares a big responsibility in how and when you sleep, and how deeply.
If you’ve ever had trouble sleeping, you’ve probably been told to try melatonin supplements. While this can help a select few, it isn’t always a good idea for your body. Putting artificial, extra hormones into your body might give a short-term solution, but there can be long-term problems. One of the most common issues that arises from continued use is dependency. Your body might begin to rely on the supplemental melatonin, so you’ll be unable to get restful sleep without it.
A better strategy to try is helping the body naturally release melatonin, and this can start in the gut. Taking probiotic sleep gummies won’t overload your hormone levels, but instead boost what’s already there. Probiotics will encourage what melatonin is there and render it more effective, meaning you’ll get better sleep as it begins to work.
3. You’re Getting Sick Often
Here’s something else that might take you by surprise — around 70% of the immune system is found in the gut. This is why what you eat and how happy your gut is can affect your immunity. If you find yourself battling colds quite often, it might be time to focus on the digestive system as a possible factor.
As you’ve probably heard before, the gut is a balanced microbiome of bacteria, both ‘good’ and ‘bad.’ You’re likely to suffer digestive upset when you have too much ‘bad’ bacteria in the microbiome. Moreover, you’re more likely to get sick when this balance is thrown off. Your ‘good’ bacteria is overwhelmed, struggling to fight off their enemy.
Adding a daily probiotic can help alleviate the frequency of this occurrence. You’ll be adding in more of the good, helping restore that careful balance. This way, your microbiome will be better able to fight off infection and other bacteria that threaten your health. You can even find probiotic supplements with added vitamin C, zinc, or elderberry to give an extra, immune-boosting kick.
4. You’re Constipated
Constipation is an unfortunate ailment that almost everyone will deal with from time to time. When you’re constipated, the colon has a hard time pushing waste through, leading to built-up waste, bloating, and painful bowel movements. Additionally, the more constipated you are, the more strained your trips to the bathroom will be. Frequent straining can lead to even more uncomfortable afflictions, like hemorrhoids and broken blood vessels.
If you’re constipated, your gut is definitely trying to send you a message that something’s wrong. The most common causes for this are a lack of fiber and water in your diet. If there’s not even water going in your body, the organs aren’t as lubricated as they should be. This makes it harder for waste to pass through. Fiber is a nutrient that helps bulk up waste to push it through your body more efficiently. It can be found in many foods, like whole grains, leafy green vegetables, avocados, nuts, and apples.
Try to improve your water and fiber intake and see how much of a difference that makes. If you need quicker relief, try taking a fiber supplement or gentle laxative for the time being. You can also use a probiotic to prevent constipation. Some supplements have fiber and probiotics.
Get in Tune with Your Gut
Listening to your gut is one of the most important things you can do to improve its health. Be vigilant about noticing what negatively affects your digestive system. Keep a food diary, take probiotics, and implement any necessary diet changes, like adding more fiber. And remember that the results of any changes will occur gradually — not overnight. The body takes its time to process and react, so be patient with your gut.