Maintaining good gut health is paramount to maintaining overall health. However, issues with the gut are very common and experienced by almost everyone despite our best efforts. On top of that, the symptoms are not always obvious, like diarrhoea or stomachache.
Taking to Instagram on July 6, Dr Kunal Sood, a Maryland-based physician in Anesthesiology and Interventional Pain Medicine, shared six such signs of poor gut health that can be easily recognised at home if one knows what they are looking for. They are presented as follows.
1. Bloating after meals
Feeling bloated after meals is not always about how much a person has eaten. Sometimes, bloating can stem from gut issues like constipation, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or impaired gastric emptying.
“More gas means more fermentation, which means more discomfort,” noted Dr Sood. Weekly episodes lasting three months or more require diagnosis.
2. Stinky poop
If there is a particularly foul, rotten-egg smell that comes with bowel movement, it might mean that the gut bacteria are out of balance, shared Dr Sood. “Some bacteria make sulfur gases that smell bad and are linked to gut issues like Crohn’s or poor nutrient absorption,” he shared.
3. Low energy
Feeling low on energy is a less obvious symptom of poor gut health. As Dr Sood explained, “A leaky gut lets endotoxins enter circulation, driving inflammation that disrupts energy metabolism. Gut imbalances may also block vitamin B12, iron, folate, and magnesium absorption, all key to energy.”
4. Breakout of pimples
Compared to the previous one, pimples breaking out all over the skin are a more commonly recognised sign of gut health issues. “The gut-skin axis is real,” pointed out Dr Sood.
“Dysbiosis (imbalance in the microbiome) can alter immune responses, promoting acne. Acne patients often show depleted Lachnospiraceae and elevated Bacteroides, pointing to a gut trigger.”
5. Food intolerance
If certain foods, such as dairy or gluten, to which a person has never been allergic, start to give them trouble all of a sudden, it is an obvious sign of poor gut health. As per Dr Sood, “Your gut might be reacting poorly because the bacteria that help break them down are missing or out of sync.”
6. Unexplained weight change
Suddenly, unexplained weight change is another symptom of poor gut health. “Gut issues like SIBO or celiac can block nutrient absorption. Meanwhile, low-grade gut inflammation may skew insulin, leptin, and fat storage, causing gain or loss,” explained Dr Sood.
