When you have a healthy gut, your whole body hums along happily. It is because your gut influences everything from your brain to your digestion and also your immune system.

But what happens when your gut health is out of whack? Your gut is swimming with millions of bacteria. Did you cringe at the term ‘bacteria’? But the truth is that not all bacteria are harmful. Some of those are actually good for your gut health.

 The key to good gut health

According to the top gastroenterologist in Kolkata, the success mantra of having a good gut health lies in maintaining a healthy balance between the good and bad bacteria. When your gut is acting a little unusual than normal, bacteria ratio could be unbalanced which obviously calls for your attention.

Signs your gut health is out of balance

  • An upset stomach

It goes without saying that an unhappy gut is most likely to cause stomach issues. Stomach disturbance like bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhoea, heartburn can be a sign of an unhealthy gut. When your tummy is sensitive, watch out for your gut health because it can be a WARNING SIGN!

Did you know all that chaos in your gut can also lead you  to have bad breath? Therefore a poor digestive issue can wreak havoc on your self-esteem.

  • Constant Fatigue

No matter what time of a day it is – you just want to crawl back into the bed, under the comforter. Feeling constantly tired even before you have actually started your day, can be a silent scream that your gut is losing it. As per the survey records, people with chronic fatigue syndrome often have abnormal levels of gut bacteria.  In fact, the connection between chronic fatigue and an unhealthy gut is so strong that almost 80% of people with chronic fatigue have the chance of having poor gut health.

As per the best gastroenterologist in Kolkata, a lack of friendly gut flora makes it harder for your body to perfectly absorb nutrients from food and digest them. As a result, it can leave you feeling worn out even before you have barely done anything.

A deficiency of diversity in gut bacteria has a direct connection with chronic fatigue, lack of energy, and sleep disorders like restless sleep and insomnia. Serotonin, a hormone that affects your mood and sleep is actually produced in your gut.  If your gut is not functioning properly, it might be having a hard time regulating and producing serotonin. In turns, your good night’s sleep is ruined. Worst case scenario, your sleep disturbance is linked to the risk of developing fibromyalgia.

  • Different skin issues

Your gut affects everything, even your skin.

You don’t like who you see in the mirror – when you are not comfortable in your own skin. If the symptoms are skin irritations, occasional breakouts, and itchiness, your gut might be the culprit.

While some GI doctors in Kolkata also believe that skin conditions like eczema might be related to a damaged gut. When you’re on a poor diet it causes inflammation in your gut.  Or when you are having food allergies, there might be increased leaking of certain proteins into your body. Your gut is in direct communication with your skin and effects immediately show up on your skin.

  • Abnormal sugar craving 

The microbes in your gut are trying hard to manipulate you into eating foods that are in sugar. The best gastroenterologist in Kolkata says that a diet high in added sugars and processed foods can decrease the number of good bacteria in your gut. Such imbalances often lead you to have an increased sugar craving which damages your gut even further. For example, you will crave a high amount of refined sugars, things like high-fructose corn syrup and all. It also causes inflammation in your body. Inflammation is the contributing factor to lots of complicated diseases and even cancer.

Simply put, the bad bacteria in your gut try to make you eat foods which they thrive on. So, whenever you are eating lots of sugar, you are feeding the bad bacteria in your gut. it will make you crave more sugar and you can understand how vicious the cycle is.

  • Unexpected changes in weight

There are multiple factors that lead you to weight gain and while you might not have thought it, your gut’s bacteria can be the culprit too. The top gastroenterologist in Kolkata says weight gain is one of the major symptoms of imbalanced gut health.

Gaining or losing weight without changing exercise habits or diet plans can point straight to your unhealthy gut. An imbalanced gut can often have trouble in regulating blood sugar, absorbing food nutrients and signaling that you are full. As a result, you store fat and gain weight.