Hidden Symptoms of Dysbiosis: Warning Signs of Gut Imbalance
In my previous videos and blogs, I talked about factors that disrupt the gut microbiome, especially from foods, which cause good bacteria to get overwhelmed by bad bacteria, fungi, or parasites. This imbalance is called dysbiosis. But you might wonder what are the effects of dysbiosis and how do we know if we have it?
Signs Your Microbiome May be Out of Balance
Gastrointestinal Disturbances
Some signs can be surprising because they include more than just the gut. Some early signs that your microbiome is out of balance can include gastrointestinal disturbances, such as constipation or diarrhea (or a mix of both), acid reflux or burping a lot after eating, gassiness, stomach pain, intestinal cramping, or food intolerance.
Skin Issues
Some skin issues include acne, which is especially true for dairy and sugar for those with a genetic predisposition; and eczema, which my son experienced from dairy; or rosacea, which my daughter experiences when she has gluten, dairy, or too much sugar.
Frequent Illnesses & Autoimmune Disorders
Because the microbiome regulates over 70% of our immune system, frequent illness can be a sign of dysbiosis. This may include recurring sinus infections, colds, or other immune-related issues—just as my daughter experienced. As a toddler, she endured repeated antibiotics, followed by chronic tonsil infections, facial swelling, and stomach bloating. It wasn’t until I discovered the importance of the microbiome and eliminated gluten and dairy from her diet that her health began to improve.
Another sign of dysbiosis is when a person catches every bug that goes around and often gets sick longer, while others might be more resistant or recover more quickly. All said, when dysbiosis is left unchecked, more advanced systems may appear as a result of chronic inflammation. This may manifest as GI disorders, including diverticulitis, inflammatory bowel disease, or irritable bowel syndrome; or increased food allergies or asthma, autoimmune disorders (such as fibromyalgia, lupus, or Hashimoto disorder), cardiovascular disease, or diabetes.
Brain Symptoms: Behavioral and Mental Health Problems
Poor gut health also causes neuroinflammation and disrupts neurotransmitter regulation, which cause higher stress hormones and affect mental health. Brain symptoms and behavioral health problems that have been associated with gut dysbiosis and leaky gut include difficulty with focus or brain fog, anger and hostility, anxiety, OCD, depression, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, autism spectrum disorders, and ADHD. Again, this is why the gut is also referred to as the "second brain" and why better gut health improves behavioral health problems.
Changes You Can Incorporate
Removing Certain Foods
Most of the time, we don't recognize how food and gut bacteria affect our mental health until we take a break from foods or add good bacteria back in. I recall counseling a young adult with schizophrenia. I had recommended he go gluten- and dairy-free to help decrease the inflammation in his gut and brain. He told me that he had been feeling better, but his family became concerned when he had a bad week and repetitive self-talk returned. He then shared that during that bad week, he was drinking a Slurpee at 7-Eleven every day when he went for his walk on the beach, because he missed gluten. He decided to stop the Slurpees, which are full of food coloring and fructose corn syrup, and noticed how the behavior subsided just days later.
My son had his own experience with ADHD. He decided to give up gluten to see if it helped him focus when it was becoming increasingly difficult during middle school. After avoiding it for over a month, he was not sure how much it helped, and decided to splurge on a large Wetzel Pretzel at the mall. Immediately afterward, he noticed how he felt very irritated and easily angered by things. He took another break and then tried pizza with the same resulting irritability. He recognized that the gluten caused irritability, which was having an impact on his ability to focus. To this day, the level of irritability is so noticeable that my son does not even want to cheat while on vacation.
Probiotics or Psychobiotics
The use of probiotics have also helped improve mental health. These are often referred to as psychobiotics and sometimes work better than medication. This benefit applies to everyone, regardless of mental health status. As an example, one study found that a single lactobacillus strain alleviated anxiety, depression, and insomnia in test-anxious college students. Multiple studies also found that psychobiotics alleviate the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, insomnia, depression, and more.
Learning More to Take Charge
The importance of taking care of our microbiome to support mental and physical health cannot be disputed. The more we learn, the more we can take charge of improving our health and well-being. Please follow me on my YouTube channel at youtube.com/@normaflood as I share ways to better support the microbiome. Be well.
About the Author: Norma Flood, Integrative & Functional Nutritionist
Norma Flood is a busy mom, wife, friend, and Registered Dietician Nutritionist guiding adults and teens to better brain balance and gut health. Holding a Master of Science in Nutritional Sciences, she is recognized as one of San Diego’s top Integrative and Functional Nutritionists. With a deep commitment to holistic well-being, Norma provides personalized health counseling and applies functional nutrition therapy to effectively support digestive health, mental health, and eating disorder recovery. She offers both in-person and group counseling as well as online education. Follow Norma Flood on YouTube as she shares small, easy steps that you can take each day to support better gut health and mental health using an integrative and functional approach.