IS YOUR GUT HEALTH AFFECTING YOUR SKIN HEALTH?
YOUR NUTRITION MATTERS.

Many skin diseases can be caused by the direct result of poor nutritional choices and inflammatory foods. A holistic approach is often needed to address and combat the underlying cause of poor skin health, rather than treating the superficial symptoms alone.

There are many millions of bacteria in your gut (both good and bad). Inflammation in your gut can lead to inflammation elsewhere in your body, including your skin. Specific immune cells that help initiate an inflammatory response (T helper cells, 17), are found in large quantities in both the lining of your gut and skin.  These cells are important in a mounting a normal immune response to pathogens including bacteria.

Stress, lack of sleep and poor diet can cause over stimulation of these cells resulting in an imbalance of gut bacteria. Stress causes the release of a stress hormone called cortisol, which has been strongly linked with causing inflammation, an increase in bad gut bacteria and leaky gut. The subsequent inflammation can spread to your skin causing acne breakouts, dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis and wrinkle formation through excess collagen breakdown.

This will help lower the PH of your large intestines and limit the growth of harmful bacteria. A high fibre diet will reduce the transit time of bowel contents and expedite the removal of the bad bacteria in your gut, thus reducing the chances of your body mounting a pro-inflammatory response to harmful microbes.

The evidence suggests that consuming too much added sugar and refined carbohydrates causes chronic inflammation in your body. Overtime this inflammation can adversely affect the function of vital organs including the kidney and liver which have a crucial role in metabolising and removing waste products. If this process is allowed to continue, the chronic inflammation can also spread to your skin. Hence the condition of our skin reflects what we eat and highlights the importance of looking after ourselves from the inside out.

Probiotics are good bacteria which help maintain a balanced ecosystem in our skin and help promote a strong immune system. Probiotics have been shown to reduce the pro-inflammatory response in our gut by promoting and strengthening our existing skin microbiome. This process helps the good bacteria to multiply and thrive, thus helping to maintain a healthy skin barrier. By increasing the good bacteria in your gut, probiotics help reduce the chances of bad bacteria setting in your gut and causing irritation and infection. By helping keep the skins barrier function intact, probiotics are known to be effective for various skin concerns such as dry skin, acne, psoriasis and eczema.

What we perceive in our minds has a direct effect on our enteric nervous system which links the emotional and cognitive centres of our brain with the peripheral intestinal functions. Stress is known to release a hormone called cortisol which disrupts the gut flora by promoting the bad bacteria. This will in turn result in a inflammatory response causing the barrier function of the skin to be disrupted. Stress is a well-documented cause of acne, eczema, psoriasis and dry skin flare-ups. It is important to learn to manage your stress. EXERCISE, MINDFULNESS and MEDITATION are great in helping to better regulate your body’s cortisol levels and stress response.