SKIN HEALTH STARTS IN THE GUT

Modern research has clearly confirmed the connection between having a
healthy gut and skin. As I tell my clients who suffer from any inflammatory
skin-condition, whether it be psoriasixs, eczema, rosacea, hypersensitivity,
acne… “it always goes deeper than the surface”.

Skin disorders are essentially rooted in the gut. And even though what we
put on our skin does matter - a lot – and it can have serious harmful health
effects on various areas in the body, you cannot moisturize your way out of
an unhealthy gut!

Gut inflammation has the power to change the structure of microbial
(bacteria) populations that normally colonize the skin and protect it from
damage, redness and rashes. Studies show a high correlation between
people with acne and a compromised gut barrier. This also applies for
people with autoimmune conditions (Celiac, Crohn’s…), leaky gut, gut
infections (whether parasites, bacteria virus or yeast), food sensitivities,
SIBO (a condition involving inappropriate growth of bacteria in the small
intestine), which can also manifest on the skin. Therefore, healing the gut
and rebuilding the immune system can help provide long-term relief from
skin irritations.

There has been more and more research showing that our gut microbiome
(bacteria/flora) plays a crucial role in maintaining proper gut function.
You can get probiotics naturally from food sources like yogurt, kefir,
sauerkraut and kimchi. Since inflammation that shows up on your skin can
be a clue that you’re experiencing inflammation within your gut, identifying
food triggers is an important first step. The best way to tackle a skin
disorder at its root is likely to approach your diet differently; focusing on
anti-inflammatory foods and removing common allergens while working on
healing the body, can make a huge impact on skin disorders by positively
affecting gut health and getting rid of yeast and bad bacteria.

Supplementation may also be beneficial, but I would recommend working
with a functional health expert, like myself, on finding the one that works for
you and on guiding you through supporting your body to heal your gut –
people with SIBO for example cannot tolerate most probiotics on the
market. Also, even though the above-mentioned probiotic-rich fermented
foods are essential for a healthy gut, they can cause reactions in people
with digestive issues and they may not be able to tolerate them at first.
Some people manifest with obvious gastrointestinal symptoms such as IBSD,
SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), diverticulitis, constipation,
diarrhea, gas, bloating, Gerd (acid reflux) that clearly point to gut issues.
However, others may have symptoms that don’t seem related to the gut at
all, such as blood sugar dysregulation, sleep problems, inflammatory skin
conditions (as previously mentioned) or mental health issues, all of which are
rooted in the gut. That is why I always say “everything starts with the gut
and you’re really only as healthy as your gut”. I usually have my clients
perform a specialized stool test that looks at the good versus bad bacteria in the gut and screens for any possible infections (bacteria parasites, yeast
etc.).

I hope that this article has given you the evidence you need to make the
switch to a skin-supporting lifestyle that will heal your issues as the roots
and not just mask its symptoms temporarily.