Do you have bad gut health? This tell-tale symptom will show you

A growing body of evidence supports the importance of gut health to our overall wellbeing. This is because what goes on in the gut is linked to many other organs and systems in the body. For example, the gut is in direct contact with the brain (known as the gut-brain axis) and is also an integral part of our immune system. This means our gut is not only responsible for digesting food and absorbing nutrients, it can lead to a host of other symptoms too, from altering our mood to influencing how many colds we get.

If you’re feeling bloated, most of the time, then listen up, because your body could be telling you that your gut is not as ‘healthy’ as it could be. This is because regular abdominal bloating can be a sign of too much gas in your system. If you experience regular bloating, say it happens every day from lots of different foods and drinks, it suggests the food you eat isn’t being digested properly, and instead is fermenting in the gut and producing lots of gas. One reason for this is that the balance of bacteria that are known to live in the gut may be less favourable. Remember not all bloating is caused by an unhealthy gut, for example, drinking lots of fizzy drinks can cause bloating, occasionally, as can gulping your food too quickly so it may be helpful to keep a food diary to see how relevant this is for you.

Discover more about gut health with the Good Food guide to digestive health, or try some of our gut-friendly recipes and the best probiotic foods.

Here's some other ways to tell if your gut might not be as healthy as it could be…

1. You’re suffering excessive wind

Everyone passes wind (the average is around 25 times a day), but if you’re finding you have a lot of wind, it’s another sign that excess gas is being produced in the gut.

As humans we can’t digest fibre, so we rely on good gut bacteria to digest it for us. If we don’t have the right balance of bacteria in the gut – a condition called dysbiosis – the breakdown of certain foods can be affected, causing lots of gas to be produced.

2. You’re having loose stools

If your poo is soft, mushy and quite watery it is often referred to as ‘loose stools’. If you have three or more episodes of loose stools in a day, this is called diarrhoea. This is a sign that food is moving through the digestive system too quickly and may be due to an infection, medication you are taking, extreme stress or inflammation in the gut.

Certain foods – depending on the individual – may also cause loose stools as will some food intolerances or too much alcohol.

3. You’re constipated

Constipation is when food moves too slowly through the gut. Constipation is often caused by dehydration and not moving around enough, so it can often be easily fixed by drinking more fluids and engaging in gentle exercise. However, it can occasionally be caused by a long-term problem with the muscles in the gut.

Read more about constipation

4. Unexplained chronic fatigue

Feeling mentally and/or physically tired can be another indicator of poor gut health, it suggests there may be an imbalance in the bacteria that live in your gut.

5. Poor skin health

Many common skin conditions, including atopic dermatitis and rosacea, have been linked to imbalances in the gut and even healthy skin ageing may be connected to the balance of your gut microbes.

6. Carb cravings

How healthy your gut is can influence the amount you crave certain foods, especially carbs and sugars. This is because poor gut health, can influence the hormones that control your appetite, the reward pathways that are triggered by eating as well as your mood. Likewise, eating lots of sugary foods can influence the balance of bacteria in the gut, and potentially lead to a condition called SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) where bacteria that normally live in the large intestine overgrow into the small intestine. This can lead to digestive issues and discomfort including bloating, diarrhoea and pain.

How can I improve my gut health?

A healthy gut often depends on the bacteria that live in it. We call this community of microbes the gut microbiome, it is responsible for digesting food, producing vitamins and hormones, and other compounds to fuel our cells. A healthy microbiome trains our immune system and reduces inflammation. But for the microbiome to be healthy we need to have a wide variety of useful bacteria and not too many harmful bacteria. If this balance is off, then we may start to see the side effects of an unhealthy gut. Follow these practical ways to improve the levels of good bacteria in your gut.

1. Eat fibre-rich foods

The useful bacteria need fibre to live on, so we need to make sure we eat a diet full of fruit, vegetables, pulses, nuts and wholegrains to provide plenty of variety. The bacteria can also benefit when we eat fermented foods like yogurt and sauerkraut.

Learn more about fermented foods

2. Look at your sleep schedule

Good bacteria thrive in a gut that is well rested so if your sleep schedule is disrupted it can really affect the balance of your microbiome. Research shows that even one night of poor sleep can cause a reduction in a useful type of bacteria called lactobacillus. Having a good routine in place can really help improve the quality and duration of your sleep. Disruption to sleep and the circadian rhythm can impact the balance of the bacteria in the gut.

3. Do some exercise

Exercise has also been shown to improve gut health and there can be added benefits if done in nature. It isn’t just food that brings us into contact with good bacteria – all living things that we encounter has its own microbiome.

For example, taking a walk through a park means you come into contact with lots of healthy microbiomes from trees, soil, grass and plants, compared to walking along a busy road with lots of buildings and traffic.

There is also evidence that contact with animals can improve our gut microbiomes, so having a pet – particularly a dog that you walk outside in nature – can have a beneficial effect on gut health.

4. Seek professional advice

It’s important that if you do think you might have a gut health problem you speak to a doctor or healthcare professional – especially if symptoms persist for more than a few days for no obvious reason.

Further reading:

How to avoid indigestion
Eating for IBS
Home remedies for constipation
What are probiotics and what do they do?
Best probiotic supplements

Have you implemented ways to improve your gut health? What worked for you? Share your experiences in the comments below.

This page was reviewed on 13^th October 2025 by Kerry Torrens

All health content on goodfood.com is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. If you have any concerns about your general health, you should contact your local health care provider. See our website terms and conditions for more information.