Gut Dysbiosis: 10 Warning Signs You Shouldn't Ignore

TL;DR Feeling bloated, sluggish, or just off? Your gut might be trying to tell you something! Gut dysbiosis—an imbalance of good and bad bacteria—can lead to digestive issues, mood swings, fatigue, and even skin problems. Your gut is more than just a digestion hub; it’s a key player in immune health, brain function, and metabolism. Testing for gut imbalances might be a good idea if you're dealing with persistent tummy troubles. The good news? A balanced diet, probiotics, stress management, and simple lifestyle tweaks can help support harmony. Take care of your gut, and it’ll take care of you!^†

What Is Gut Dysbiosis?

Gut dysbiosis is when the balance of bacteria in your gut gets disrupted.

Your gut naturally contains both good and bad bacteria, but an overgrowth of harmful bacteria or a decrease in helpful ones can cause problems.

This imbalance can lead to symptoms like bloating, gas, or feeling tired. It might happen because of poor diet, stress, or taking certain chemicals.

The result is a gut that’s not working as well as it should, which can affect digestion and overall health. Understanding gut dysbiosis can help you recognize when your gut may need extra support.

How Can I Tell If I Have Gut Dysbiosis?

Here are 10 warning signs that might mean your gut is out of balance:

• Bloating—feeling like a balloon after eating
• Tummy pain—ouch!
• Diarrhea—running to the bathroom too often
• Constipation—when things get stuck
• Excessive gas—more toots than usual
• Bad breath—even after brushing
• Skin issues—like inexplicable rashes
• Fatigue—feeling tired all the time
• Mood swings—feeling grumpy for no reason
• Food intolerances—you suddenly can't eat your favorite foods

If you experience these symptoms often, it might be time to talk with your healthcare practitioner about your gut health.

What Is the Importance of Gut Health?

Your gut does more than digest food—it’s a thriving ecosystem that impacts your entire well-being. Here’s why keeping it healthy is so important:

The Gut-Brain Connection

Your gut and brain are in constant conversation through the gut-brain axis. This complex network influences digestion, mood, and mental clarity. In fact, your gut plays a big role in producing neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which help regulate your emotions.1

Immune System Support

About 70% of your immune system lives in your gut! The trillions of microbes there help train immune cells to recognize threats while keeping the peace with friendly bacteria and food particles.2

Mood & Brain Function

Dysbiosis has been linked to mood swings, anxious feelings, and trouble focusing.3 It’s related to the development of brain fog and cognitive challenges, making gut health essential for mental well-being.4

Metabolic & Heart Health

Your gut bacteria influence how your body processes nutrients, regulates blood sugar, and stores fat. Imbalances have been tied to weight gain and metabolic issues. 5 Some gut microbes even produce compounds that affect heart health, showing just how far-reaching gut health can be.6

What’s the Link Between Gut Dysbiosis and Leaky Gut?

Gut dysbiosis can lead to other problems like leaky gut, where the lining of your intestines becomes damaged.7,8

When this happens, tiny gaps form in the gut wall, allowing particles like undigested food and harmful chemicals to "leak" into the bloodstream. This can trigger inflammation and make your immune system overactive, causing symptoms similar to gut dysbiosis symptoms.

Taking care of your gut health by eating a balanced diet and supporting it with the right nutrients can help manage both dysbiosis and leaky gut.

Want to learn more about leaky gut? Our Leaky Gut Guide explores this relatively common health condition!

Can MTHFR Cause Gut Dysbiosis?

Yes, the MTHFR gene can affect your gut health and cause dysbiosis!17

MTHFR helps your body process key nutrients like folate and vitamin B12.

If it’s not working right, it can lead to high levels of homocysteine in your blood—basically, too much of a substance your body doesn’t need. This can mess with your gut, slowing down digestion and causing constipation.

MTHFR can also increase inflammation and mess with the balance of good and bad bacteria.18

Bottom line: When your MTHFR gene isn’t working properly, it can throw your gut out of balance in a heartbeat!

What Are the Diagnostic Tests for Gut Dysbiosis?

Think you might have gut dysbiosis? Several tests can help pinpoint imbalances in your gut microbiome. Here are some of the most common options:

What Are the Best Dietary Changes to Support Gut Health?

You are what you eat—and so are your gut bacteria! A gut-friendly diet focuses on whole foods, especially fruits, vegetables, and fiber-rich options.

A gut dysbiosis diet prioritizes whole foods while limiting processed items, red meat, and sweets.11

To support your gut, try these dietary shifts:

• Increase intake of fruits and vegetables
• Choose whole grains over refined grains
• Include legumes and nuts in your diet
• Consume more seafood and less red meat
• Use olive oil as your primary fat source
• Incorporate fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, and sauerkraut
• Eat foods high in resistant starch, such as cooked and cooled potatoes or rice
• Limit ultra-processed foods and added sugars
• Stay hydrated with water and unsweetened beverages
• Consider adding prebiotic-rich foods like garlic, onions, and leeks

By making these dietary changes and maintaining a balanced, whole-food-based diet, you can support a diverse and balanced gut microbiome.

How Do Probiotics Support Gut Dysbiosis?^†

Probiotics are like reinforcements for the good bacteria in your gut, supporting balance —think of them as your gut’s personal support team! Gut dysbiosis supplements, particularly probiotics, can play a key role in maintaining balance in your microbiome. You can eat probiotics in certain foods or take supplements, as we’ll discuss here.^†

Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium are two well-studied probiotic strains that offer big benefits, supporting:^†

• Balance in your gut bacteria12
• Healthy inflammatory responses13
• A strong gut lining14
• Healthy mucus production for protection15
• Healthy immune system function
• Enough food and space for good bacteria in your gut microbiome16
• The growth of other good bacteria

By doing all this, probiotics can help support a thriving digestive system. Many people take gut dysbiosis supplements to support gut health—because a happy gut means a healthy you!^†

Seeking Health’s Gut Health Supplements & Probiotics

Give your gut’s microbiome tender loving care with probiotics and gut health supplements from Seeking Health! Along with a healthy diet and lifestyle, these high-quality supplements are scientifically backed and formulated to support a healthy gut microbiome and strong intestinal barrier so you can eat with confidence!^†

ProBiota™ HistaminX™
This unique probiotic supplement is a best-seller designed specifically for those sensitive to histamine. It contains both Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains to gently support gut health.^†

ProBiota Woman
Delivers large amounts of specific probiotics, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus rhamnosus. It’s designed to support the population of vaginal flora with good bacteria, the overall health of genitourinary tract, healthy bacteria and pH balance, and healthy gut and immune system function.^†

Probiota Bifidobacterium
A live bacteria bifido-only probiotic formula ideal for anyone who negatively reacts to lactobacillus. This product is a specialized probiotic blend that includes 7 extensively researched bifidobacterium strains. These probiotic strains reside primarily in the small intestine and colon mucosal lining.^†

Looking for additional gut health support? Consider Gut Nutrients, Gut Nutrients Powder, Digestive Enzymes, and Digestive Enzymes Chewable to take your support to the next level!^†

The Bottom Line

Your gut does a lot more than just digest food—it influences your mood, immune system, brain function, and overall well-being. When it's out of balance, you feel it. The good news? Small changes can make a big difference. Eating a gut-friendly diet, managing stress, staying active, and adding probiotics can help keep your microbiome flourishing. Testing might be worth considering if you're dealing with persistent gut issues.^†

Listen to your gut—it’s smarter than you think!