10 Top Signs Your Gut is Healing: Getting healthy starts from within!

The gut microbiome refers to the microbes that live in the human digestive tract. Maintenance of a diverse gut microbiome is critical for good health. It might seem that your gut health mainly impacts digestion, but the gut microbiome affects your overall wellbeing. Gut health plays a vital role in nutrient absorption, strengthening immunity, improving heart health, preventing obesity and associated health risks, boosting brain function, and many other health aspects.

Good bacteria fight off the bad bacteria and maintain the microbial balance of the gut through the production of antimicrobial proteins and competing for attachment sites in the mucous membrane of the gut lining, which is an important site for immune activities. Reduced microbial diversity leads to dysbiosis, which is associated with intestinal disorders including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and celiac disease. These often result in extra-intestinal complications, such as asthma, allergy, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome. Dysbiosis in the gastrointestinal tract is often the result of a change in diet, high-stress levels, poor dental hygiene, and accidental chemical consumption.

How can I heal my gut?

Your gut microbiome is a complex ecosystem. It sets the stage for how you feel and respond to different situations in life. There are many factors that influence your gut health. Factors such as lifestyle, diet, sleep, medications, food intolerances, stress, and hormones affect your gut health, and consequently, your quality of life. Nevertheless, a few simple tweaks in your lifestyle can help you improve your gut health. Let’s look at some of the powerful lifestyle changes that can help you improve gut health naturally.

Diet

A diverse diet is a key factor that influences the gut composition and its functions. A diet high in fats and sugars changes the gut microbiome and leads to conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. Nutritionists recommend a diet high in microbiota-accessible carbohydrates (MACs) that are abundant in fresh plant-based foods and lack processed foods.

Here are some of the ways you can improve your gut health through your diet and gut-healing foods.

• Follow an anti-inflammatory, gut-friendly diet: Aim to eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, legumes, lean protein, whole grains, and healthy fats like nuts, and seeds, and avoid inflammation causing-foods, such as refined foods, red meat, and simple carbohydrates.
  
  
• Have whole fruits instead of fruit juice: Having a whole fruit is better than even freshly prepared fruit juice, as the former is high in fiber. The sugar in fruit juice is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and causes an insulin spike. Simple sugars are also linked with gut inflammation. Whole fruits, on the other hand, nourish the gut naturally with healthy bacteria, slow down sugar absorption, and reduce inflammation.
  
  
• Add one prebiotic and one probiotic food to your diet: It is recommended to eat at least one prebiotic and one probiotic food every day to increase the number of good bacteria in the gut. Prebiotic foods include oats, barley, legumes, and beans, while probiotics can be found in yogurt, kimchi, sourdough bread, and other fermented foods which nourish gut flora. These foods seed your digestive tract with diverse bacteria resulting from natural fermentation.
  
  
• Consume more Collagen: Collagen makes up the connective tissue (barrier) of the digestive tract. If this barrier is damaged, it allows toxins and pathogens to enter the bloodstream—a condition known as leaky gut. Collagen can, therefore, improve your gut health and prevent the potential damage caused due to leaky gut syndrome.
  
  
• Snack on homemade popcorn: Popcorns are considered unprocessed whole grains and are loaded with fiber that feeds the good bacteria in your gut.
  
  
• Bone broth: It is full of glycine, which helps to improve your intestinal barrier and decrease inflammation in the gut.
  
  
• Reheat potatoes, rice, and pasta: When starchy foods cool down, their starch is converted into resistant starch. Resistant starch has similar properties to prebiotics that improves your metabolic health. Cook these foods and cool them overnight in the fridge. Reheat when you want to eat them.

Exercise

Evidence suggests that your gut bacteria are enhanced through physical activity and exercise. Regular exercise stimulates gut function by increasing the number and diversity of good bacteria in the gut, better carbohydrate metabolism, and the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). SCFAs, particularly butyrate, are known to support gut health in a number of ways. It fuels the cells of the intestinal barrier, helps heal leaky gut, and reduces inflammation. The bacterial population also depends on the muscle mass and body fat percentage. The following exercises can help you improve your gut health:

• Low-Impact Workouts: Although high-intensity workouts in moderation are great, low-intensity workouts can be beneficial for people with existing gut issues. This is because during high-intensity workouts, the blood flow shifts from your gut to your muscles. Low-intensity workouts also help prevent constipation and improve bowel motility.
  
  
• Tai Chi: It is a mind-body practice, similar to yoga. Its main goal is to increase the flow of qi, or energy, in the body and promote balance and stability. It carries a multitude of benefits, such as improved immunity, better gut function, and increased self-awareness.
  
  
• Cardiovascular Exercises: Cardio workouts include brisk walking, swimming, and cycling. They are known to induce positive changes in the gut microbiome diversity.
  
  
• Crunches and Sit-ups: They are one of the best exercises for good digestion as they help to strengthen the abdominal muscles and ease your bowel movements. Additionally, they can also help you lose belly fat.
  
  
• Traditional Strength Training: It gets your blood flowing to your gut and improves your digestion.
  
  It can be difficult to squeeze in the time for exercise and push your body to work out. Find a workout that you enjoy and incorporate it into your routine. Apart from exercise, try to stay active throughout the day.

Stress

There is a direct correlation between your stress levels and your gut health. Neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine are active in the brain and the gut. They influence gut motility, nutrient absorption, blood flow, gastrointestinal immune system, and the gut microbiome. Conversely, a change in the gut microbiome affects various physiological processes in the body, such as nervous system responses and HPA activation. Evidence suggests stress affects intestinal permeability and cytokine release, which helps the immune system do its job. Psychological stress can influence the consumption of highly palatable foods, which alters the gut microbiome. In turn, the gut bacteria release certain toxins and metabolites that can affect your eating habits.

• Breathing exercises: They can significantly impact your state of mind. It allows your body to take in more oxygen, slows down your heart rate, and signals the brain to wind down.
  
  
• Practicing mindfulness and meditation: It helps with stress, depression, pain, and insomnia. Silent meditation and guided meditation are both great ways to achieve mindfulness.
  
  
• Yoga: Practicing yoga can improve your digestion, reduce stress and alleviate gastrointestinal symptoms. Particularly, hatha yoga is usually undertaken to relieve stress.
  
  
• Include stress-busting foods in your diet: Foods such as almonds, salmon, dark chocolate, and citrus fruits can boost your mood and reduce stress.
  
  
• Adequate amounts of social support: Staying connected with your loved ones can increase your oxytocin levels, which are known to calm down the nervous system and reduce anxiety.
  
  
• Additionally, activities like listening to music, hot water baths, and massages can help you unwind.

Sleep deprivation is another factor that contributes to high-stress levels, and consequently, dysbiosis and inflammation in the gut. In particular, an interrupted breathing pattern from sleep apnea seems to have a negative impact on the gut microbiota, which may not be easy to reverse. As a general guideline, adults need at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep on a daily basis. Practice sleep hygiene, such as sleeping in a dark room, limiting your caffeine intake, and avoiding prolonged use of back-lit devices before bedtime.

Supplements

Health supplements can provide you with an extra nutrient boost to improve your health and manage certain health conditions by aiding in the gut bacteria composition. Supplementation is a great way to improve and restore gut health. Nevertheless, it is always a good idea to talk to medical professionals before taking a supplement to make sure they are necessary and to protect you from any side effects. Also, you can learn more about the Best 10 Pre and Probiotics Supplement for leaky gut.

• Probiotics: Probiotic supplements can restore your gut microbiome composition and help with gastrointestinal disorders and improve your overall digestive health.
  
  
• Prebiotics and butyrate: Prebiotics are the dietary fiber that fuels gut bacteria and stimulates the growth of good gut bacteria. Bacterial fermentation of fiber produces a short-chain fatty acid known as butyrate, which is important for overall gut health. Research has shown that butyrate supplementation can stimulate mucous production and improve the intestinal barrier.
  
  
• Zinc: Zinc supplementation helps in the modification of tight junctions of the intestinal barrier and strengthens the gut barrier in people suffering from Crohn’s disease and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.
  
  
• L-glutamine: Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body. It boosts the growth of intestinal cells and repairs the intestinal lining. It promotes the growth of good bacteria in the gut and is an excellent antioxidant.
  
  
• Omega-3 fatty acids: They cannot be produced by the human body and one has to get them from their diets. They are incredibly important as they promote the diversity of gut microbes and heal a leaky gut through the production of anti-inflammatory compounds.
  
  
• Collagen peptides: They are a more bioavailable and easily digestible form of collagen. It can prevent further breakdown of the intestinal barrier and repair a leaky gut. Collagen supplements are also known to reduce inflammation in the gut.
  
  
• Digestive enzymes: They are naturally found in the body to help in digestion. A variety of digestive enzymes act on different types of foods and break them down for the small intestine to absorb nutrients from the food you eat. Supplemental digestive enzymes help ease digestion issues caused by irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn’s disease, or indigestion. People suffering from a leaky gut or other gastrointestinal disorders may also benefit from digestive enzymes.
  
  
• Deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL): Licorice root contains 75 bioactive compounds and has been used to treat digestion problems, such as acid reflux and heartburn. DGL is an extract of licorice that has glycyrrhizin (GL) removed for consumption. DGL helps lower cortisol levels, reduce inflammation and increase mucous production.

How do I know my gut is healing?

#1.  Hair

The gut bacteria help to produce nutrients that promote hair growth, such as riboflavin and biotin. They also influence certain hormones that affect your hair growth. Poor gut health can cause scalp inflammation and lead to hair loss. Plus, gut problems such as IBS and IBD can impede digestion meaning your body doesn’t get enough nutrients it requires for hair growth. Therefore, an unhealthy gut often leads to hair thinning and hair loss. When your gut begins to heal, you may notice that your hair fall has stopped and you may even see new hair growth.

#2.  Skin

The skin is often a reflection of what’s happening in the gut. An unhealthy gut can significantly impact the appearance of your skin. The gut plays an important immunoregulatory role which affects other organs in the body. When there is an imbalance in the gut microbiome, the gut produces pro-inflammatory cytokines in the body. Stress and systemic inflammation can impair the protective barrier of your skin and it produces fewer antimicrobial peptides, weakening its defenses. As the skin is the body’s largest organ, it reacts to these cytokines and which results in skin eruptions, redness, sensitivity, excessive oil production, aging, and more. A healing gut heals your skin and reduces acne, facial bloating, and irritation that may come with an unhealthy gut.

#3.  Joints

Research shows there is a connection between a leaky gut and joint problems, including joint pain, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthritis. When you have a leaky gut, foreign invaders can permeate through the intestinal barrier. Your immune system sends antibodies to fight these antigens. An immune complex is formed when an antibody and an antigen bind together. Persistent leaky gut causes immune complexes to circulate throughout the body and deposit on various tissues, including your joints and skeletal tissues, causing inflammation. A leaky gut also causes autoimmune diseases that lead to loss of function and damage to the tissue. This results in swelling, stiffness, and pain in the joints. Therefore, if you feel an improvement in your joints, it could mean that your gut health is under control.

#4. Hormones

There is a link between your hormones and your gut microbiome. The gut microbiome plays an important role in estrogen regulation, which may result in conditions like endometriosis, PCOS, and even breast cancer. Most of the serotonin is produced in the gut. That’s why a person with an unhealthy gut microbiome often suffers from anxiety and depression. Poor gut health also leads to high cholesterol levels and insulin resistance. An imbalanced gut microbiome reduces the performance of the thyroid gland, resulting in hypothyroidism. This is because the gut affects the absorption of minerals that are essential for the optimal functioning of the thyroid gland, such as selenium, zinc, iron, and iodine. Its symptoms include hair loss, weight gain, and chronic fatigue. An improvement in these health problems and their symptoms is a sign your gut health has improved.

#5.  Gas and Bloating

The microbes in your gut break down the food you consume. Bacteria in the large intestine digest carbohydrates and produce gas in the process, and some of them produce more gas than others. When there is an imbalance in your gut microbiome, the microbes in the stomach and small intestine don’t fully digest certain carbohydrates, which are passed to the large intestine. The bacteria in the large intestine break down these carbohydrates resulting in gas. Although bloating can be caused by various factors, such as hormonal imbalance, constipation, and overeating, excess intestinal gas is the most common cause of bloating. Therefore, the absence of digestive discomforts like gas and bloating are a sign your gut is healing.

#6. Fluctuation in Weight

Obesity is a complex disorder that involves excessive body fat. It is associated with several risk factors including dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and various forms of cancer. Gut bacteria contribute to the production of flavonoids in the body that prevent weight gain. They also determine how different foods are digested, release hormones that make you feel full and produce certain vitamins. The gut microbiome has a key contribution to metabolism and changes in weight and body mass index (BMI). With an imbalance in the gut microbiome, your body struggles to absorb nutrients, regulate blood sugar levels, and store fat. Lack of nutrients or bacterial overgrowth can cause unintentional fluctuations in your weight. A steady weight is, therefore, a sign of a healthy gut.

#7. Immune System

About 70% of your immune system is controlled by your gut, and improving your gut health can address many of your bodily woes. A healthy gut contains a chock-full of immune cells and bacteria that fight harmful bacteria, fungi, and viruses. The gut has a thin wall of cells that acts as a barrier and allows the uptake of nutrients while restricting pathogens from entering the bloodstream. Behind these barriers are your immunity cells that sense what is there in your gut. They play a vital role in your body’s immune response when you fall sick.

Hence, an unhealthy gut results in increased systemic inflammation and a compromised immune system. It may lead to autoimmune conditions, where the body attacks its own cells instead of the foreign invaders. If you observe you are not falling sick as often and are able to recover well from infections, then it is a sign of a healing gut.

#8. Celiac Disease

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system is triggered when you eat gluten. Gluten is a protein found in grains including wheat, barley, and rye. When a person with celiac disease consumes gluten, their body produces an exaggerated response and damages the villi, the tiny finger-like projections found along the lining of the small intestine. As a result, the small intestine is unable to absorb nutrients properly. This leads to long-term digestion problems and prevents your body from taking up all the essential nutrients. Its symptoms can vary from person to person and commonly include abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, gas, bloating, nausea, headache, mouth ulcers, heartburn, and itchy, bumpy skin rash. If you have celiac disease and notice an improvement in its symptoms, then it may be because your gut is healing.

#9. Histamine Intolerance

Histamine intolerance doesn’t mean you are sensitive to histamine. It refers to the impaired ability to break down ingested histamine and occurs when there is too much histamine in the body. Histamine helps in communicating messages to the brain, triggers the release of stomach acid for digestion, and is released after an injury as a part of the immune response. Foods high in histamine as well as certain medications can lead to intolerance. It can be difficult to quantify the amount of histamine in foods. However, as a rule of thumb, aged, fermented, and overly processed foods are likely to have more histamine than fresh foods.

Symptoms of histamine intolerance include headache, shortness of breath, bloating, diarrhea abdominal pain, dizziness, runny/congested nose, heart palpitations, and red/watery/itchy eyes. Histamine intolerance can arise due to gut imbalance or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). If you notice your allergy symptoms have reduced, it means your gut health has improved.

#10. Reduced Fatigue and Improved Energy Levels

When we think of fatigue, gut health is not the first thing you think about, although it should be! Your energy levels depend on how well your body can digest food and absorb nutrients. Nutrient-dense foods increase your energy levels, but if you aren’t absorbing nutrients properly, you could be missing out on key nutrients like vitamins B1, B2, B5, B12, and magnesium, which are important for energy production. A person with an imbalanced microbiome is not able to digest them properly, which results in feeling constantly tired and lacking in energy. Therefore, an improvement in energy levels is a sign of good gut health.

Studies conducted on Gut Health linked to Body Systems

Gut-brain axis

The influence of multiple strains of probiotics was studied in a triple-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial on 40 non-smoking healthy adults (average age 20 years). The formula comprised strains of B. bifidium, L. acidophilus, L. casei, L. lactis, L. brevis, B. lactis, and L. salivarius with a dose of 5 billion colony forming units (CFUs) daily. The treatment significantly reduced reactivity to depression—particularly, ruminative and aggressive thoughts. This study was significant as a majority of youth with no history of depression prefer a non-pharmaceutical method as a first-line treatment ^[1].

Gut-skin axis

A double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted on middle-aged Korean subjects to demonstrate the influence of gut microbiome and skin aging. Lipoteichoic acid (LTA), a component of Lactobacillus species, is well-known for its anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties. The treatment group was administered Lactobacillus Plantarum for 12 weeks. The treatment group showed increased skin hydration and improved elasticity ^[2].

Gut microbiome and obesity

A double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted on 16 adults who they were given an insulin-like prebiotic fiber. The treatment group reported a significant decrease in hunger and greater satiation after the meal compared to the placebo group ^[3].

A study was conducted on 77 pairs of twins, where one of them has obesity and the other didn’t. The study involved examining the gut bacteria of the subjects. It was found that the ones who had obesity had a lower gut bacteria diversity than their respective twins ^[4].

Gut microbiome and energy levels

A study conducted at Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York, showed that a person’s gut bacteria can influence their energy levels. The researchers found that feelings of fatigue are linked to inflammatory processes, while feelings of energy are linked to metabolic processes. The study also shows that gut bacteria influence a person’s day-to-day personality. A significant change in a person’s gut microbiome can change their demeanour as a result ^[5].

Gut microbiome and sleep

A study was conducted by German and Swedish scientists on nine healthy men, none of whom had any sleep disorders and had regular sleeping habits. It was found that only two nights of partial sleep deprivation led to decreased beneficial bacteria and insulin sensitivity and increased the number of microorganisms linked to type 2 diabetes and obesity ^[6].

Gut microbiome and joints

To study the influence of the gut microbiome on rheumatoid arthritis, researchers of NYU School of Medicine examined the DNA in 114 stool samples (Breus, 2018) from both healthy subjects as well as people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. The studies showed that 75% of subjects with untreated rheumatoid arthritis had the bacterium Prevotella copri in their gut. It was present in 38% of people with psoriatic arthritis and 12% in people with chronic, treated rheumatoid arthritis, and 21% in the subjects of the control group. Increased P. copri bacteria correlated with a decrease in several species of good bacteria ^[7].

Steps of Improvement in Gut Health

The process of healing your gut entails 5 key steps that address a variety of gastrointestinal issues.  It is a comprehensive and systematic method that helps you achieve a healthy gut and maintain it. The steps are as follows:

Step 1: Remove

The first step involves avoiding the stressors or allergens in your gut. This involves removing foods from your diet that trigger your food sensitivities or factors that irritate your gut, including stress. Testing yourself for food sensitivities or food allergies may require a bit of investigation from your side to notice any patterns. Food sensitivities can be tricky as it can take a few hours to several days to experience the symptoms. This is where an elimination-style diet is often recommended. It is best to seek a nutritionist as this may lead to disordered eating patterns if not carried out under proper guidance.

Step 2: Replace

Once you have removed the problematic foods from your diet, the next step is to replace the factors that are lacking in your digestive system. You want to include digestive enzymes, high-fiber foods, and all the essential nutrients in your diet. You may also opt for supplements, depending on your dietary needs.

Step 3: Repopulate

This step involves restoring the good bacteria in the gut. Repopulating your gut with good bacteria is critical for overall health. Slowly increase the intake of prebiotic and probiotic foods in your diet.

Step 4: Repair

Your gut barrier can be severely damaged over time due to stress, inflammation, and exposure to allergens. Repairing focuses on creating a healthy environment for the gut bacteria for a long-term benefit. It encourages repairing the intestinal barrier and reducing inflammation in the gut. This decreases the permeability of the intestinal lining to prevent harmful substances from entering the system. In this step, include foods particularly rich in vitamins A, C, D, and E, zinc, and amino acids like L-glutamine.

Step 5: Rebalance

The last step aims to encourage adopting healthy lifestyle choices to maintain a healthy gut. It is important to address the external factors that influence your gut microbiome. This involves inculcating positive relationships, stress management strategies, and getting adequate sleep and physical activity. These are often overlooked in the healing process as we may not feel they make a huge difference. However, these practices help restore your hormonal balance essential to maintaining a healthy gut.

Conclusion

Your gut microbiome is a dynamic ecosystem where the abundance of species can vary daily, weekly, and monthly depending on your lifestyle. The key to good health is to have a healthy gut microbiome by maintaining a balance between the good and the bad bacteria in the gut. Addressing various aspects of your lifestyle, such as diet, exercise, stress levels, and adequate sleep can help you optimize your gut function. Make sure to take out time for yourself and perform activities that support your mental and emotional health. This allows you to re-energize your body and break the vicious cycle of an unhealthy lifestyle. A nutritionist can help you heal your gut safely and systematically by suggesting the right course of action. [1] 

References

1. Appleton J. The Gut-Brain Axis: Influence of Microbiota on Mood and Mental Health. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2018;17(4):28-32.
2. Salem I, Ramser A, Isham N, Ghannoum MA. The Gut Microbiome as a Major Regulator of the Gut-Skin Axis. Front Microbiol. 2018;9:1459. Published 2018 Jul 10. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2018.01459
3. Davis CD. The Gut Microbiome and Its Role in Obesity. Nutr Today. 2016;51(4):167-174. doi:10.1097/NT.0000000000000167
4. Turnbaugh PJ, Hamady M, Yatsunenko T, Cantarel BL, Duncan A, Ley RE, Sogin ML, Jones WJ, Roe BA, Affourtit JP, Egholm M, Henrissat B, Heath AC, Knight R, Gordon JI. A core gut microbiome in obese and lean twins. Nature. 2009 Jan 22;457(7228):480-4. doi: 10.1038/nature07540. Epub 2008 Nov 30. PMID: 19043404; PMCID: PMC2677729.
5. Good gut health is key to personality and energy levels, finds study. (2015). Times of India.
6. Breus, D. M. (2018).  The Latest on Sleep and Gut Health
7. Elife. 2013 Nov 5;2(0). pii: e01202. doi: 10.7554/eLife.01202. PMID: 24192039.