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WITH research linking a “disturbing” surge in cancer cases affecting people under 50 to poor gut health, it’s worth knowing how to spot signs that your tummy is in trouble.
Unhealthy lifestyles, an obesity epidemic and poor gut health are feared to be fuelling an explosion in cases of early-onset cancer.
Experts have previously said that looking after your tummy can help cut your risk of issues such as diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s.
Dr Austin Chiang, author of Gut: An Owner’s Guide and TikTok star, told Sun Health: “The gut is much more than a sack of organs floating in a void.
“It is a highly sophisticated network that toils around the clock to support life.”
Trillions of bacteria live in our colon – this is known as the gut microbiota.
“We’re only just beginning to learn how this affects our health and how we can potentially target it for treatments in the future,” Dr Chiang said.
“The fact is, we often don’t appreciate our gut until things go wrong – and there’s plenty that could go awry.”
Most of us probably don’t know where to begin when it comes to gut health, nor can we spot when our body is alerting us that all is not well in our gut.
We might typically associate tummy pain or bloating with signs of poor gut health.
According to Dr Chiang, the location and nature of your pain can give you clues about what the issue is.
But there are a number of ways your gut can warn you that it’s not happy, according to experts.
The Sun spoke to gut health specialists about some surprising ways poor gut health can reveal itself.
1. Brittle skin, hair and nails
Is your skin looking dull or irritated?
Does your hair feel dry and are your nails breaking easily?
These could all be signs that all is not well in your gut, Lucy Kerrison, expert registered dietitian at The Gut Health Clinic told The Sun.
2. Breaking bones easily
Poor gut health sees more than just your nails breaking.
IBS consultant dietitian Kirsten Jackson said frequently breaking your bones could indicate you have a condition such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or coeliac disease.
IBD describes two long-term conditions that involve gut inflammation: ulcerative colitis, which affects your colon, and Crohn’s disease, which can affect any part of the digestive system.
Meanwhile, the NHS says coeliac disease is a condition where your immune system attacks your own tissues when you eat gluten, damaging your gut so you are unable to take in nutrients.
According to Kirsten, the damage these conditions cause to your small bowel mean you can’t absorb adequate amounts of calcium.
This could lead to osteoporosis, which weakens your bones, making them fragile and more likely to break.
“I once had a client who had no noticeable digestive symptoms but kept breaking bones too easily and it was later discovered he had undiagnosed coeliac disease,” Kirsten recalled.
3. Going to the loo multiple times a day
Being able to poo regularly means all is well with my gut, right?
Not necessarily, Kirsten said.
“People presume that if they open their bowels daily they are not constipated,” she explained.
“Actually their gut may be struggling to ‘fully evacuate’ and so they end up having to do multiple ‘mini‘ trips’.”
According to Dr Chiang, a healthy poop schedule will look different for everyone.
“Some people have three bowel movements a day, while others have three bowel movements a week,” he said.
“It depends on what foods are being eaten throughout the day or week.”
It’s worth familiarising yourself with what is normal for you.
“If there is a sudden change from what is typical for you, it is worth asking your doctor in case it needs to be looked into further,” he added.
4. Gas and bloating
One of the ways poor gut health can make itself known is through excessive bloating or gas, Lucy said.
Abdominal noises could also tip you off.
5. Fatigue
Are you constantly tired and lacking in energy?
Fatigue could be yet another sign of an unhappy gut, Lucy told The Sun.
6. Low mood or depression
Kirsten said: “The gut and brain talk to each other through something called the ‘gut-brain’ axis.
“This means your poor gut health is capable to sending signals to your brain to cause a negative impact.”
So gut health could be at the root of low mood or depression, aside from struggles with mental health.
7. Frequent coughs and colds
Are you always picking up whatever cough or cold is going around?
Lucy explained that “70 per cent of your immune system is within your gut”.
She noted that some people might have no symptoms of poor gut health at all.
What can I do to improve my gut health?
There are a number of changes you can implement – both dietary and not – to get your gut health into gear.
When eating lunch and dinner, Kirsten advised you aim for between a third and half of your plate to be taken up by vegetables.
This “will help feed your microbiome and produce big enough poo that your body can pass out”, she said.
For Lucy it’s also about eating a diversity of plant based products.
“Aim for 30 different plant-based products per week,” she said.
You should also try and eat 30g or more a day of fibre, though studies show lots of benefits from eating over 50g a day, Lucy added.
Good sources of fibre include starchy foods like porridge, oat bran, high fibre breakfast cereals, sweet potato, potatoes with skin, wholegrain bread and pasta, as well as beans and pulses, vegetables
fruits, nuts and seeds, according to the NHS.
Lucy added herbs and spices to the list.
Best and worst foods for gut health
THOUGH not everyone will be affected in the same way, some foods could exacerbate gut issues.
Dr Chiang gave examples of food and drink that can trigger conditions like acid reflux and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
“For acid reflux, there isn’t concrete evidence around what specific foods are triggers, but anecdotally, people say spicy foods, citrus foods, chocolate, and coffee can trigger heartburn,” he explained.
“For irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), when people often experience bloating and abdominal pain, some patients find that certain foods (known as FODMAPs) can cause their symptoms to worsen.”
“These include onions, Brussels sprouts, and apples, which naturally ferment in the gut.”
Dr Chiang also touched upon lactose intolerance, which can cause gut discomfort.
“For certain conditions like lactose intolerance, dairy products are directly to blame for a patient’s gut symptoms,” he said.
It’s not just about what you eat: how you eat your food can have an impact on your gut health, Kirsten said.
She recommended you eat your lunch away from your desk and the scroll of Instagram.
“When we are distracted we tend to eat too quickly and sometimes too much,” she said.
“Not taking our time to chew the food means that large pieces of food end up in our gut, which is more difficult to process.
“Eating too much can cause more gas to be produced, making you feel sluggish and uncomfortable in the afternoon.”
You can add a cup of fresh coffee to your morning routine, Kirsten said.
“Coffee contains polyphenols, which can help feed your gut microbiota and the caffeine can help stimulate that first poo of the day,” she added.
“If you suffer with loose stools, opt for decaf to get the benefit without the extra stimulation.”
Non-dietary hacks to improve gut health
Exercise regularly can do wonders to your gut health, Lucy said, as it can independently increase the diversity of gut bacteria – and this will improve your health overall.
Meanwhile, Kirsten said: “Aiming for 30 minutes of movement per day can be really beneficial in improving the gut microbiota levels, reducing bloating and improving digestive symptom severity.”
Lucy’s two additional tips for improving gut bacteria were to sleep well – most of us need seven to nine hours of sleep per night – and spending time outdoors and within nature.
Kirsten stressed: “Digestive symptoms are not normal, so you must see your doctor for some routine tests to rule out any underlying conditions.”
These can include constipation, diarrhoea, stomach pain, bloating and excess gas.
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