Early Signs of Gastrointestinal Disease and What You Can Do About It background image
June 21, 2024

Early Signs of Gastrointestinal Disease and What You Can Do About It

Dr. Thomas Wnorowski profile image

Dr. Thomas Wnorowski

PhD, CNCC, Clinical Nutrition Researcher & Biomedical Nutritionist
Pooja Mahtani profile image
Medical Review By:

Pooja Mahtani

PHARMD, MS, CNS, LDN, IFMCP, RN

Key Takeaways:

Key Points:

  • Gastrointestinal diseases are on the rise — and one of the best ways to avoid a diagnosis is to recognize symptoms and treat them early on. While we shouldn’t feel ashamed to talk about gut symptoms, they shouldn’t be normalized either. It’s time to take action to improve symptoms and overall health.
  • Key early symptoms of gastrointestinal disease can include constipation, diarrhea, fatigue, skin issues, bloating, and heartburn.
  • Holistic healing tools for GI symptoms include a microbiome-supporting diet, calming the nervous system, targeted supplements, and a gentle detox.

Your coworker is trying a new diet to balance her microbiome. 

And every fitness instructor on your feed is on a mission to find answers to mystery stomach bloat.

Growing up, discussing gut health and digestive issues was considered a faux pas. 

But today, it’s a normal part of the cultural conversation.

Perhaps it’s because younger generations crave deeper connections—conversations that honestly address physical and mental health without shame.

Or, maybe it’s because gastrointestinal diseases have become so prevalent that they’re impossible to ignore. The most common diagnoses, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), and leaky gut, are consistently on the rise.

If you’re starting to experience regular cramps, bloating, and inconsistent bathroom trips, it’s time to address these symptoms head-on. After all, addressing these symptoms early on is the best form of treatment.

Let’s dive into the early signs of gastrointestinal disease and what you can do now to stop symptoms in their tracks.

Table of Contents:

Early Signs and Symptoms of Gastrointestinal Disease

If you’re googling early signs of gastrointestinal disease, your intuition is probably telling you that something is wrong (call it a “gut feeling”). While we don’t recommend obsessing over early signs and symptoms, being informed can provide a starting point and roadmap to healing. Here’s what you should watch out for: 

  • Gas and cramping
  • Diarrhea
  • Constipation
  • Floating stool
  • Fatigue
  • Frequent heartburn
  • Frequent belching
  • Bloating
  • Sugar cravings
  • Weight fluctuation
  • Mood swings
  • Skin issues
  • Frequent headaches or migraines
  • Sleep issues
  • Brain fog
  • Newly developed allergies
  • Inflammation

Ideally, you should be aiming for one to three bowel movements per day—preferably well-formed without any undigested food remaining. Too many bathroom trips in a day could be an early sign of gastrointestinal disease. While too few trips to the bathroom could also indicate dehydration or the need for more fiber in the diet.

List of Gastrointestinal Diseases

Understanding the early signs of gastrointestinal disease could help you find the right tools and diagnosis to stay ahead of symptoms. Here are some of the most common gastrointestinal diseases.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is an umbrella diagnosis, often used to describe inconsistent and uncomfortable GI symptoms. It’s typically diagnosed when no other gastrointestinal disease can explain your persistent symptoms. There isn’t a firm understanding of what causes IBS in the first place, making treatment especially tricky.

The good news is that you don’t always have to know the cause to improve the symptoms of IBS. Holistic solutions that focus on dietary changes, targeted supplementation, nervous system regulation, and increased mineral and electrolyte intake can help.

Leaky Gut

Intestinal permeability (or leaky gut) occurs when the gut lining is compromised. The cells that line your gut intentionally allow nutrients to pass through the gut lining and into the bloodstream. (In fact, it’s only one cell layer thick!) For this reason, the gut lining is permeable — ushering nutrients in and out of the intestine.

However, if the gut lining is too permeable, it can start to release toxins, chemicals like glyphosate, and even microscopic food particles into the bloodstream. This is called a leaky gut. It’s characterized by a high inflammatory response and may be caused by a high toxic burden, pathogenic bacterial overgrowth, inflammatory foods like gluten, excess antibiotic use, alcohol consumption, and/or chronic stress.

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

This gastrointestinal disease is hard to miss. It’s characterized by pain in the chest — as stomach acid flows back up into the esophagus. Symptoms of GERD may include a burning sensation in the chest, trouble swallowing, acid reflux, and frequent belching.

It’s uncommon for GERD to develop without a deeper root cause issue at play. While pursuing symptom management, it may be helpful to explore common causes like low stomach acid, an H. pylori infection, high stress, and acidic food intake.

Microbiome Imbalance

Like many other systems in the body, the gut microbiome relies on a careful balance of bacteria to maintain a healthy ecosystem. An imbalance of bacteria could result in symptoms like gas and bloating, diarrhea, constipation, undigested food in the stool, blood sugar imbalances, poor immune system health, and even the development of autoimmune disease. A gut microbiome-friendly diet and careful focus on prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics can help.

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)

Unhealthy bacteria can overtake the gut and eventually make a home in the small intestine. This is what we see in Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO). Typically, SIBO accompanies a diagnosis of IBS or another gastrointestinal disease. It’s possible to treat, though, and may be managed with a low-fermentation diet or low FODMAP diet and careful supplementation.

Holistic Support for Gastrointestinal Diseases

There are effective ways to treat the early signs of gastrointestinal diseases — getting ahead of the symptoms before they become life-altering. Here are some powerful holistic treatments for gut dysbiosis.

Supportive Diet and Lifestyle Choices

Diet and lifestyle can play a big role in your recovery from gastrointestinal disease — starting with, as a general rule, eating whole and minimally processed foods. 

That said, we don’t recommend hopping on a restrictive diet without a game plan. If you don’t understand the root cause of your gut issues, diets like the low FODMAP diet (helpful in some cases) can cause more harm than good.

It’s also essential to ensure you’re getting enough vitamins and minerals before removing food groups. Working with a holistic practitioner or functional medicine provider to understand exactly what gastrointestinal disease you have is the best way to target your symptoms with a helpful diet rather than a harmful one.

The same goes for exercise. For a sensitive gut, harsh activities like running and CrossFit could cause more harm than good. You may want to ease off intensive exercise and focus more on walking, yoga, pilates, and activities that bring you joy.

Nervous System Support

The gut and the brain are connected by something called the gut-brain axis. Meaning, a “gut feeling” or “butterflies in your stomach” could actually be anxiety showing up in your gut from a stressful situation. Most of us are under more stress than we’d like to admit — and this can wreak havoc on our digestive system over time.

Calming your nervous system with things like Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) tapping, brain retraining, nature walks, vagus nerve stimulation, somatic exercises, and meditation can all help to relieve persistent gut symptoms.

Supplements

When used intentionally, supplements can be a powerful addition to support overall gut health. Especially for those dealing with frequent diarrhea and malnourishment, supplements can help replenish nutrient stores.

Our favorite supplement for GI health, butyrate, can strengthen the intestinal wall and help to balance blood sugar levels — supporting symptom relief while you work on other lifestyle factors. Other supplements like minerals, adaptogens, collagen, targeted probiotics, and colostrum may be helpful in rebuilding your gut lining, too.

Detox

Heavy metals, mycotoxins, microplastics, and pollution can all play a role in your gut ecosystem (and not for the better). As environmental toxins continue to rise, so do gastrointestinal diseases — and this may help us draw some conclusions on the root cause of persistent GI symptoms.

If you’re suffering from a high toxic burden, you’ll probably notice increased inflammation, brain fog, metabolic issues, thyroid issues, mood changes, and weight fluctuation — on top of gut symptoms. Consider essential supplements like phospholipids and glutathione to help support a healthy detox.

When It's Time to Seek an Expert Opinion

When it comes to gut health, most of us try quick-fix remedies for symptom management. Other times, we are willing to invest the time by trying different dietary and lifestyle interventions — after all, healing from a gastrointestinal disease using a food first approach takes time.

However, what if you are not seeing the results you’d have hoped for several weeks to months down the line? 

In cases of SIBO, leaky gut, and microbiome imbalance, one must pay careful attention to the bacteria and yeast that make up your gut ecosystem. The best way to do this may be stool testing with a functional medicine practitioner. 

Once testing reveals the bacterial imbalances in your gut, your practitioner can help you target them with prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics. Biofilm disruptors and bacteriophage supplements can be helpful, too.

Don’t wait until symptoms become unmanageable. Partnering with an expert today can help speed up your gut healing timeline.

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Comprehensive Guide to Butyrate: What it is, Benefits, Side Effects, & More
Ashley Palmer | 06.16.2026

Comprehensive Guide to Butyrate: What it is, Benefits, Side Effects, & More

Butyrate is a necessary component to a balanced microbiome, also working as an inflammation guard*. One of several, short-chain fatty acids created from fermented resistant starches, low butyrate levels have been associated with serious health concerns.

Butyrate and IBS: What Your Gut Cells Actually Need
Ashley Palmer | 04.24.2026

Butyrate and IBS: What Your Gut Cells Actually Need

You've tried the probiotics. You've cleaned up your diet. You're doing everything you're supposed to do, and your gut still isn't cooperating.

If you have IBS, that frustration is familiar. Bloating, urgency, unpredictable mornings, the constant guessing game of what's going to set things off.

What often gets missed in the conversation around IBS isn't a trendy new supplement or a stricter elimination diet. It's something more foundational: what your gut's own cells actually need to function.

Here's a closer look at what butyrate does, why IBS and low butyrate levels are closely linked, and how supporting the gut at the cellular level can make a difference.

Table of Contents:

  • Understanding Butyrate

  • How Butyrate Works in the Gut

  • Why This Becomes an Issue for People With IBS

  • Supporting the Body More Effectively

  • Butyrate, IBS, and the Cellular Health Connection

  • How Butyrate Supports IBS Comfort Long-Term

Understanding Butyrate

Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) produced in the colon when beneficial gut bacteria ferment dietary fiber, specifically resistant starch. It belongs to a class of compounds called postbiotics, the functional byproducts of a healthy microbiome.

Unlike probiotics, which are living bacteria, butyrate is a metabolite. It's a compound your body puts to work directly at the cellular level. Understanding the difference between probiotics and postbiotics, like butyrate, is a useful shift you can make when thinking about gut health.

Why the Body Relies on Butyrate

Your colon is lined with specialized cells called colonocytes. These cells run almost entirely on butyrate, providing up to 90% of their energy needs.

When colonocytes have what they need, they do their job well. They maintain the integrity of the gut lining, regulate what passes into the bloodstream, support a healthy inflammatory response, and help keep gut motility on track. Without enough butyrate, the gut’s main source of energy, the gut simply can't do its job well.

How Butyrate Works in the Gut

Butyrate supports three interconnected systems in the gut: the gut lining, the immune environment, and gut motility.

The gut lining is just one cell layer thick. Butyrate fuels those cells and supports the tight junctions between them, the structural connections that keep the barrier intact and functioning.

At the immune level, butyrate helps the body maintain a balanced inflammatory response in the colon without triggering overactivation. And because it directly influences the rhythmic contractions that move contents through the digestive tract, it plays a meaningful role in the irregular patterns that so many people with IBS experience.

What Happens When Butyrate Levels Are Supported vs. Strained

When butyrate is available in adequate amounts, the gut lining stays resilient, motility is more regular, and digestive comfort improves, whether you have a diagnosis of IBS or not.

If butyrate levels fall short, the gut barrier may become less stable, motility can become unpredictable, and the colon's immune environment may shift. How pronounced these patterns are varies from person to person. Diet, stress, genetics, and microbiome composition all play a role in your body’s patterns too.

Why This Becomes an Issue for People With IBS

Modern Stressors on Butyrate Production

Butyrate is made by gut bacteria that ferment resistant starch, a type of fiber found in foods like cooked and cooled potatoes, legumes, and underripe bananas. The modern diet is low in these foods. That means many people simply aren't giving their gut bacteria the raw materials they need to produce adequate butyrate levels.

Antibiotic use, chronic stress, and certain medications can also reduce the population of butyrate-producing bacteria in the colon. Over time, that compounds the butyrate production gap.

Why Common Approaches Often Fall Short

Probiotics can be a valuable part of gut health support, but most probiotic strains are not butyrate-producing species. They can shift the microbiome, but they don't directly address the fuel shortage that many IBS-related symptoms may stem from.

Fiber-based approaches come with a similar challenge. In some people with IBS, increasing fermentable fiber can worsen bloating and gas before it helps, because a disrupted microbiome may not efficiently use that fiber to make butyrate.

Since butyrate works at the cellular level, the signs of low butyrate can overlap common IBS symptoms, which is part of why the connection between the two gets overlooked.

Supporting the Body More Effectively

Foundational Support for Butyrate Production

Diet is the first step to improving the body's natural butyrate production. Foods high in resistant starch give butyrate-producing bacteria what they need to function properly.

Foods that naturally support butyrate production include cooked and cooled rice, potatoes, and legumes. A steady intake of resistant starch over time does more for the microbiome than occasional high-fiber days followed by low-fiber ones.

Stress management and adequate sleep can also support a more stable gut environment. Chronic stress directly affects microbiome composition and motility through the gut-brain axis. 

When Targeted Butyrate Support Makes Sense

For people whose microbiome is disrupted or whose diet can't consistently provide enough resistant starch, direct butyrate supplementation is another option for long-term support.*

Supplemental butyrate delivers the short-chain fatty acid directly to the colon, where colonocytes can put it to use.* Clinical research has shown that sodium butyrate supplementation is associated with improvements in abdominal comfort and bowel regularity in people with IBS.

Sodium butyrate and calcium magnesium butyrate are both effective options, and the differences between which works best for your body often come down to your individual health history and mineral needs.*

Butyrate, IBS, and the Cellular Health Connection

IBS is complex, and its causes vary from person to person. But one consistent finding in the research is that people with IBS tend to have lower levels of butyrate-producing bacteria and overall reduced short-chain fatty acids in the gut. That points to a cellular resource problem as much as a microbiome problem.

When the cells lining the colon are undersupported, the entire digestive environment becomes less stable. Gut barrier function, motility, immune signaling, and communication along the gut-brain axis all depend on colonocytes having what they need to function.

Supporting the gut at the cellular level is not a replacement for other gut health practices (whole food probiotics, exercise, etc.). It’s the foundation that makes those practices more effective. When your cells are supported, the body functions more efficiently as a whole.

How Butyrate Supports IBS Comfort Long-Term

IBS can feel like a moving target, and the path toward better digestive comfort is rarely a straight line or a quick fix. Supporting your gut at the cellular level creates a more stable foundation, and that starts with making sure colonocytes have the fuel they need.*

Butyrate works best as part of a consistent approach that includes diet, lifestyle, and targeted support where needed. Progress tends to be gradual, and that's expected. It reflects the time it takes for the gut lining to strengthen and the microbiome to rebalance.

IBS makes a lot more sense when you know what the gut's cells actually need. And that clarity is often where real progress begins.

Support your gut at the cellular level with BodyBio Butyrate.*

How Sugar and Stress Impact Gut Health (and How to Support It During the Holidays)
Ashley Palmer | 11.25.2025

How Sugar and Stress Impact Gut Health (and How to Support It During the Holidays)

Between the office party appetizers, your aunt's famous cookies, and that second or third glass of wine at dinner, your gut is working overtime this holiday season. Add in travel stress, family dynamics, and back-to-back celebrations, and you've got the perfect storm for digestive chaos. Your microbiome gets thrown off balance, bloating kicks in, and suddenly, you're fighting to recover while the next event looms ahead on the calendar.

But you don't have to choose between enjoying the holidays and feeling good. A few simple habits and smart supplement support like butyrate can keep your gut balanced and your energy steady, even when you're indulging more than usual.*

Table of Contents:

  • How Sugar Disrupts Gut Health

  • The Stress-Gut Connection

  • Alcohol's Role in Gut Imbalance

  • Supporting Your Gut During the Holidays

  • Butyrate Q&A: Your Holiday Gut Support Ally

  • Keep Your Gut (and Holidays) Happy

How Sugar Disrupts Gut Health

Sugar is everywhere during the holidays, from dessert spreads to seasonal lattes. And while your taste buds are celebrating, your gut (and metabolism) is dealing with the consequences.

Refined Sugar and the Microbiome

When you're eating more holiday cookies and desserts than usual, certain bacteria in your gut that love simple carbohydrates start to flourish. This temporary shift can show up as stronger cravings, more bloating, or mood changes, which may help explain why you keep going back to the cookie tray.

When this imbalance sticks around, it can affect your gut barrier (the protective lining that keeps your gut contents where they belong). When that barrier gets compromised, bacterial byproducts (waste and toxins produced by bacteria) slip into your bloodstream and trigger inflammation throughout your body. Since at least 70-80% of your immune system lives in your gut, keeping this barrier strong is especially important during the holidays when you're more susceptible to seasonal bugs. 

This systemic inflammation can even show up as breakouts or dull skin, another reminder of how deeply your gut health affects your whole body.

Sugar Spikes and Cellular-Level Stress

Those cookie-fueled blood sugar rollercoasters don't just zap your energy. They create stress at the cellular level. Your mitochondria have to work overtime to manage these ups and downs. The oxidative stress that results from these swings doesn't stay in your gut. It affects your whole body, compounding the stress you're already feeling and making recovery that much harder.

The Stress-Gut Connection

Between travel logistics, family gatherings, and year-end deadlines, the holidays can send your cortisol levels soaring. That stress response directly impacts how your gut functions.

The Gut-Brain Axis in Action

Your gut and brain are in constant conversation through the gut-brain axis. When stress rises (from travel chaos, family dynamics, or that never-ending to-do list), your body pumps out cortisol to help your body handle it. Cortisol slows digestion and weakens your gut barrier, exactly when you need them working their best.

Holiday Stress + Sugar = A Rough Combination

When emotional stress meets dietary stress, the side effects can multiply quickly. This is why bloating, constipation, and relentless sugar cravings often show up together during the busiest weeks of the year. Your gut is working overtime to keep up.

Alcohol's Role in Gut Imbalance

Holiday cocktails and wine (or your beverage of choice) add another layer of stress to an already taxed digestive system, particularly when it comes to gut barrier integrity.

How Alcohol Affects the Gut Barrier

Alcohol increases gut permeability, making that protective barrier more porous, and feeds inflammation in your digestive tract. It also depletes beneficial compounds like butyrate that your gut needs to stay strong.

The Next-Day Domino Effect

Ever notice how after a night with just one or two cocktails, you sleep poorly, crave sugar like crazy, and feel more stressed the next day? Each of these factors puts more strain on your microbiome, creating a cycle that's tough to break when holiday parties stack up week after week.

But that doesn’t mean you have to abstain from the fun altogether to shield your gut from harm. You just need a plan to minimize the side effects. 

Supporting Your Gut During the Holidays

You can protect your gut without skipping the celebrations with just a few, simple, strategic habits that make all the difference.

Lifestyle Swaps

You don't need to overhaul your entire holiday routine. A few small shifts make a real difference:

Hydrate between drinks. No seriously, alternate a tall glass of water after each drink, preferably with added electrolytes. Water + key minerals help your body process both sugar and alcohol more efficiently.

Pair sweets with protein or healthy fats. A handful of nuts with that cookie, or hard cheese with your dessert, slows glucose absorption and prevents wild blood sugar spikes.

Move daily. Even a 15-minute walk after meals helps regulate stress hormones and gets your digestion moving. Get the whole family involved for more quality time together!

Eat butyrate-rich foods. Foods like butter, ghee, and aged cheeses naturally contain some butyrate, while fiber-rich foods like cooked and cooled oats, slightly underripe bananas, and legumes help your gut bacteria produce more of it.

Smart Supplement Support: Butyrate

Butyrate is a postbiotic (a beneficial compound that your good gut bacteria naturally produce) that supports your gut lining, reduces inflammation, and helps keep your microbiome balanced. It's the perfect holiday event partner for your gut.*

During the holidays, butyrate helps you:

  • Skip the bloat with no more uncomfortable gas after meals*

  • Digest rich foods without the heavy, sluggish feeling*

  • Balance blood sugar after dessert (high spikes → gentle hills)*

  • Recover faster between celebrations by strengthening your gut barrier*

Butyrate is flexible. You can take it with or without food, and dose up or down based on your needs (up to six capsules per day). Already taking a probiotic that works for you? Butyrate works alongside it (more on that below).

Butyrate Q&A: Your Holiday Gut Support Ally

Q: Can I take butyrate with or without food?
A: Either way works. Take it however feels best for you. Some people prefer it with meals, others between. The most important thing is to stay consistent for gut protection.

Q: Is butyrate the same as a probiotic?
A: No, it's a postbiotic! Probiotics add beneficial bacteria to your gut. Butyrate is what healthy bacteria produce to keep your gut lining healthy and reduce inflammation.*

Q: Can I take butyrate with probiotics?
A: Absolutely. Probiotics repopulate the good bacteria, while butyrate strengthens the environment they need to thrive. They work well together. If probiotics are giving you some beneficial results but not all, butyrate can help bridge the gap.* 

Keep Your Gut (and Holidays) Happy

Sugar, stress, and alcohol are part of the holiday package, and that's okay (in moderation of course). They don't have to derail how you feel or leave you fighting to bounce back.

Your gut doesn't need perfection; it simply needs nutrition, hydration, movement, and smart support when things get hectic. Butyrate is the perfect holiday event partner to support your gut microbiome and gut lining through every celebration, so you can enjoy the season without total gut and metabolic disruption.

When sugar, stress, and alcohol impact your gut this season, support your microbiome with BodyBio Butyrate.*