When it comes to the health and vitality of our skin, we tend to think about skincare products, moisturizers, and other topical applications that can control the development of acne, fine lines, and wrinkles. However, have you ever taken a moment to ponder that the health of your skin could be related to something more intimate within your body?
Your gut is actually directly responsible for the clearness and hydration of your skin. How?
Your Lower Gut
Your body’s intestines are home to a variety of diverse bacterial species that actually communicate with the skin as one of the main regulators in the “gut-skin axis.”In one particular study, it was proven that the intentional modulation of these bacteria through probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics created positive results in the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases, like acne, AD, and psoriasis.
What does this mean essentially? It means a healthy, happy lower gut will improve your skin and decrease inflammatory skin irritations and diseases that can cause redness, itchiness, dryness, and breakouts.
There’s More to Your Gut
It hasn’t been until recently that researchers are realizing one’s “gut” has a mind of its own. It’s even being called a “second brain” thanks to its intimate interaction with the brain in this brain-gut axis. Well, as they look deeply at the gut-brain-skin axis, they are even finding a link between anxiety, plus acne, and the vitality of your gut. Since your gut is home to trillions of bacteria that outnumber the total concentration of eukaryotic cells that make up your body, over time, these bacteria have developed a direct dialogue through your body via the brain. Bacteria have learned the language of the human body and can intervene in biological conversations – wow.
These bacteria are responsible for the adhesion of pathogens to the intestinal surface, break down of food into micronutrients, maintenance of the intestinal walls, metabolic breakdown process, elimination toxin and antibody build-up, regulation of anti-inflammatory functions, and prevention of allergic diseases, like food allergies. Therefore, when an unhealthy gut develops, it’s no wonder this source of your body is responsible for a lot of irregularities.
So what should this mean to you? If you are someone living with acne or psoriasis, and you want to do something about it, the answer is actually inside your gut!
Creating a Healthy Gut
If you want to improve the health and vitality of your gut, try: adding more fiber to your diet, limiting foods that are high in fat, choosing lean meats, eating according to a schedule, staying persistently hydrated, exercising regularly, and managing your stress to the best of your ability. Our bodies are comprised of closely related systems that all work together to provide you with your health. Wellness starts at the fundamental level. If you’re looking to make a change, let’s get in touch.