Gut Feeling: Repairing Your Gut Microbiome for Skin Health
You've continuously added new products to your skincare routine—but nothing seems to clear up your stubborn acne. Gut health is at the forefront of many bodily occurrences. But did you know it has a direct effect on your skin?
Take care of the outside by looking inward. From fermented foods to supplements and sleep, we are here to unveil accredited research and recommendations to get your gut journey started!
The gut-skin axis quite literally is the communication between the gut microbiota and the skin. This communication directly impacts immune health and skin health. The University of Florida Health studied the correlation between gut health and inflammatory bowel syndrome. “An imbalance of bacteria in the gut can cause inflammation,” they suggest. As many know, inflammation will cause existing acne to flare up and new acne to arise.
The health of communication between the gut and skin has an ingrained effect on “the degree of acne by a systemic effect on inflammation, oxidative stress, glycemic control, tissue lipid levels, pathogenic bacteria, as well as levels of neuropeptides and mood-regulating neurotransmitters,” as stated in Gut Pathog research.
By implementing recommendations from medical and nutritional professionals, you can promote a healthier gut—ultimately, reducing the occurrence and severity of skin issues, including acne.
Here are four accredited recommendations for the journey to repairing your gut health!
1. fermented foods
Across numerous suggestions, a multitude of professionals have stressed the importance of consuming vitamins naturally. Obtaining needed vitamins from foods will always outperform the alternative of supplements. “Vitamins and minerals are most potent when they come from food,” Harvard Health Publishing states. “In food, they are accompanied by many other beneficial nutrients, including hundreds of carotenoids, flavonoids, minerals, and antioxidants that aren't in most supplements.”
Commonly seen in probiotic-rich foods, are two genera of probiotics. These include the strains Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. You may be absorbing these probiotics without realizing it in commonly-eaten foods.
Yogurt is among the foods containing live active cultures that will encourage a healthy gut. You'll want to check the ingredients in the yogurt you purchase since some do not contain the healthy bacteria essential to probiotic intake. Dr. Brian Horvath, with Horvath Dermatology tells CBS News, "At least 75 percent of the people in the studies were responding with fewer acne lesions after a six-to-eight-week course."
Other fermented foods include kombucha, miso, tempeh, sauerkraut, and kimchi. Incorporating fermented foods into your diet will help support a healthy gut, in turn supporting overall skin health. It is important to note that fermented foods should be eaten in moderation. As with any typical vitamin, too much of one is never a good idea.
2. exercise
“Collectively, the available data strongly support that, in addition to other well-known internal and external factors, exercise appears to be an environmental factor that can determine changes in the qualitative and quantitative gut microbial composition with possible benefits for the host,” an Oxid Med Cell Longev study concludes.
Exercising promotes a healthy gut microbiome which regulates inflammation in the body. Exercising also reduces stress, which many know can cause acne flare ups.
Yoga is a great place to start on the journey of gut-positive exercise. The commonly suggested yogic poses include peacock pose, seated twist, and sun salutations. Shavansana is always recommended at the end of any practice to destress.
3. Sleep
PLOS studied sleep over an extended period and “found that microbiome diversity was positively correlated with sleep efficiency, and total sleep time, and was negatively correlated with the sleep fragmentation.”
Source: Unsplash
4. supplements
As mentioned before, doctors will always recommend acquired vitamins to be absorbed through food, rather than over the counter supplements. However, supplements are better than nothing if you find yourself lacking in gut health and struggling to receive healthy bacteria from food.
More recently, greens powders have risen in popularity. Among these powders is Athletic Greens, a green powder including billions of live bacteria. AG requires refrigeration, which is a sure sign of live cultures. Finding what works for you and consulting a professional will be your best bet in getting a healthy, not excessive amount of probiotics from supplements.
All in all, gut health encompasses many positive benefits in our bodies. Putting in time to research the healthiest ways to go about your journey to a healthy gut is essential.
If you are struggling with skin health, you know the struggle to perfect a routine is intense. If you consider looking inward at the health of your body, you may find the missing piece to clear skin.
Will you be trying any of the recommendations for better gut health? Leave a comment down below!