Introduction: With the New Year of 2012 just around the corner, company dinners and gatherings with friends and family will follow one after another, inevitably putting great strain on your digestive system. Here, we teach you how to self-assess your gastrointestinal health. The following 12 symptoms can reveal what problems your digestive system might be having. If you experience any of the following 12 symptoms, be careful!
1. Loss of appetite and nausea
A colon full of feces can press on the stomach, slowing down its motility and easily leading to a loss of appetite and nausea.
2. Bloating in the lower abdomen
Bloating in the lower abdomen may be the result of gas accumulation caused by bad bacteria, or it could be due to weak abdominal muscles.
3. Frequent diarrhea
When the intestine's ability to absorb water decreases, it can lead to overly soft stools and cause diarrhea.
4. Acne and dry skin
The proliferation of bad bacteria prevents harmful substances from being expelled, causing them to mix into the bloodstream and circulate throughout the body, worsening acne and dry skin.
5. Severe allergies
A deteriorating intestinal environment can dry the intestinal mucosa, leading to the excessive absorption of allergy-causing proteins and making the condition worse.
6. Stiff shoulders and lower back pain
Harmful substances from bad bacteria can affect blood circulation, disrupt the autonomic nervous system, and cause stiff shoulders and lower back pain.
7. Difficulty losing weight
When old waste is hard to expel, metabolism slows down, making it naturally difficult to achieve weight loss goals.
8. Easy fatigue
A poor intestinal environment hinders nutrient absorption. When the body doesn't get enough of the nutrients it needs, you will easily feel tired.
9. Bad breath and body odor
If the intestines have a foul odor, the gas will not only be expelled as flatulence but will seek other exits. If you continue to eat a meat-based diet, body odor will become more severe!
10. Foul-smelling stools and flatulence
The proliferation of bad bacteria causes food in the intestines to rot, producing foul-smelling gases.
11. Frequent constipation
In people with constipation, bad bacteria multiply rapidly while good bacteria decrease, leading to a worsening intestinal environment.
12. Prone to catching colds
A deteriorating intestinal environment weakens the immune system, making it easier for bacteria and viruses to invade.