What causes gut problems?
Stress
Anxiety and stress are notorious for bringing on (and in some cases, worsening) gut problems. Stress affects your gut because the gut and the brain send signals to each other through the gut-brain axis. Several studies have shown that stress worsens conditions such as IBS, inflammatory bowel syndrome, peptic ulcer disease, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Eating On The Go
When you eat on the go, you are more likely to eat your meals fast. When this happens, you may not chew your food thoroughly. This, in turn, will affect the process of digestion and the absorption of nutrients, which could lead to digestive discomfort and poor gut health.
Too Many Processed Foods
Eating too many processed foods, foods with high sugar content, and foods with high fat will result in gut problems. When you do not incorporate enough fruits, vegetables, and fiber in your diet, you starve your gut bacteria of essential nutrients that they need to thrive.
Too Much Sugar
A high-sugar diet decreases the population of good gut bacteria while increasing the numbers of bad gut bacteria. These bad bacteria will then increase your sugar cravings, which leads to a vicious cycle.
Antibiotics
Antibiotics work by eliminating disease-causing bacteria or stopping them from increasing in number. However, they can’t tell the difference between the good and bad guys - especially in the gut. As a result, antibiotics negatively affect the gut microbes, lower microbial diversity, and affect general functioning.