DO you feel sluggish in the afternoons or a bit down in the evenings? These could be signs your gut is in trouble, experts warn. But there are a whole host of other signs too - from skin redness to bloating and constipation, and anxiety to recurrent colds. If you're unsure whether poor gut health could be causing your ailments, there's a simple checklist that can do the work for you.
It's from the new book Genius Gut by Dr Emily Leeming, a leading microbiome scientist and dietitian. She said: "Gut health is your gut functioning at its best. "It's where there's no disease or disorder, no gut symptoms, and a healthy gut microbiome.
"If your microbiome is unhealthy, you're likely to feel the same too - from feeling sluggish to low mood, and often digestive problems as well. "Your gut isn't just a digestive system, it's a powerhouse - your second brain. "Your gut microbiome influences every aspect of your health and has the capacity to signal to your brain influencing your mood and how well you think.
Most read in Health "Your thoughts and moods can influence the biology of the rest of your body." While your poo can reveal major clues as to how unhealthy your gut is (think sudden changes in how often you 'go' or poo that's mushy, runny or hard pellets ), the quiz below can too. The gut-brain quiz Answer the following 12 questions.
For the first four, give yourself a score of 1 for yes, and 0 for no. For questions five to 12, score 0 for yes, and 1 for no. Is the shape of your poo.