The Gut-Skin Connection

Having an imbalance in your gut affects more than just your digestive and immune health. You know that a majority of the foods that we eat and consume have an effect on the overall health of our skin. What if I tell you that the health of the gut also plays a role in skin health. Today, I am going to discuss rosacea and acne and how these conditions correlate with gut health and how to address these underlying issues.

Two Skin Conditions Triggered By Gut Imbalance

What exactly is rosacea? Rosacea is a condition that most commonly affects fair-skinned, middle-aged women in their 30’s to 40’s. Common signs and symptoms associated with rosacea are facial redness, swollen red bumps, and enlarged nose. While there is no known cause as to how or why rosacea develops it is thought to be caused by hereditary or environmental factors.

In 2008 a study was conducted by Italian researches in Genoa, Italy that found a correlation between the presence of bacterial overgrowth in the gut with rosacea patients. When patients participating in the study were treated with antibiotics researches found that they experienced improvement in their skin and with rosacea symptoms.

If you are a person that finds you are suffering from rosacea-like symptoms and also experiencing issues with gut health such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), bloating, indigestion, and/or abdominal pain. Making tweaks to your diet and adding in supplements and gut healing foods may help to promote healing of the gut and a decrease in symptoms that you experience.

Making adjustments and changes to your skin care regimen and working with a skin professional to utilize treatments that can help to decrease the outward signs and symptoms of rosacea and promote healing on an external level is helpful. Especially when done on a consistent basis.

#1. Increase Anti-Inflammatory Foods

Some changes that you can begin making to your diet could be to increase the number of anti-inflammatory foods and spices that you consume. This will help to decrease the inflammation in the body and reduce symptoms.

#2. Consume Probiotics & Prebiotics

Include prebiotic and probiotic foods into your diet to aid in decreasing the overgrowth of bad bacteria in the gut and increasing the number of good bacteria.

#3. Consume Gut Healing Foods

Consume gut healing foods that promote repair and rebuilding of the gut lining while also infusing gut-friendly bacteria into the gut to replace the not so friendly gut bacteria.

#4. Supplementation

Consuming supplements to ensure that you are getting all the essential nutrients that you need and to ensure that you are also working to heal the gut by including probiotics, digestive enzymes, and gut healing supplements.

#5. Cut Out Trigger Foods

Avoid consuming trigger foods that cause flare-ups or aggravate rosacea symptoms.

Understanding that when you implement these changes it may take a period of time before you completely notice the benefits so staying consistent over a period of time and making sure that you pay attention to how the foods that you eat affect your gut health and your rosacea symptoms will be most beneficial so you will know what’s working and what’s now working.

While acne is most common in teenagers it is also becoming increasingly common in adults as well especially women that are experiencing hormonal changes and imbalances. While there are different grades and levels of acne when experiencing inflammatory acne you will notice that you will have a combination of whiteheads, small tender red bumps, pimples, large painful bumps beneath the surface, and large pus-filled lumps underneath the surface of the skin.

Similar to rosacea acne is suspected to be linked to having imbalances in the gut that lead to an overgrowth of bacteria that decreases healthy bacteria, contributes to leaky gut, and low stomach acid issues. In trial studies when participants were made to consume a Lactobacillus-fermented dairy beverage and received some marked improvements in acne lesions while in other studies when oral probiotics were combined with antibiotics there was a significant improvement.

Do you find yourself suffering from inflammatory acne and suffering from digestive issues? It is common for those with inflammatory acne to experience functional constipation, have low stomach acid that leads to indigestion, or a leaky gut which means the lining of the gut has become permeable and various foods and pathogens are entering into the bloodstream causing an inflammatory response to occur. Working with a skin specialist to treat not only the symptoms of acne through advanced skin treatments and skin care but combining medical treatment such as antibiotic use and probiotics could help you find relief from your symptoms.

Finding and sticking to a solid skin care regimen with high-performance skin care products is key. Practicing good skin health and hygiene is also helpful in preventing future outbreaks. Using gentle makeup that doesn’t clog the pores or even taking a break from makeup if possible  This will help to heal your skin from the outside in.

#1. Antioxidants, Anti-Inflammatory’s, Probiotics, Prebiotics & Healthy Fat

Making small tweaks and changes to your diet can also help improve the appearance of your skin.  Consuming more anti-inflammatory foods and spices, consuming antioxidant-rich foods that decrease oxidative stress, eating healthy fats and probiotic and prebiotic rich foods.

#2. Consume Gut Healing Foods

Including gut healing foods into your diet will help to repair and rebuild the lining of the gut and decrease its permeability. Finding supplements that also help to promote gut rebuilding and that put gut healthy and beneficial bacteria into the gut will also help to decrease symptoms.

#3. Get Help from Your Doctor

Working with your doctor and taking antibiotics if it’s indicated can also help you in finding relief with your acne symptoms. Visiting with your doctor and exploring options could be beneficial in achieving results.

The Main Idea

Whether you find yourself struggling with managing your rosacea or you have reached your wits end with your inflammatory acne becoming more observant of your gut health and how it could be playing a role in your skin health condition. Focusing on implementing a diet that is focused on whole, minimally processed foods that promote gut health, and decrease inflammation while decreasing the amount of refined, sugary processed foods you consume can help in decreasing your overall symptoms and healthy, beautiful clear skin.

Struggling with Nutrition & Skin Health? I Can Help!

Are you overwhelmed and struggling when it comes to maintaining the health of your skin?

Have you tried every home remedy and every skin care product but have yet to find success?

Perhaps it’s time to get help. As a Holistic Wellness Coach and Anti-Aging Specialist, I assess your nutrition, skin health, lifestyle, and wellness as a whole so that I can help you get the results you are looking to achieve with your skin and your health. I work on introducing high-performance skin care products and recommending skin treatments and advanced procedures that will help you get RESULTS. Want to learn more about how I can help you achieve clear, healthy skin? Click HERE to arrange a FREE Discovery Session and let’s get started on improving your skin health.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References:

1.Weiss, Emma; Kattal, Rajani: October 7, 2017, 31-37; Diet and Rosacea: The Role of Dietary Change in the Management of Rosacea; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5718124/

2. Bowe, P Whitney; Logan C Alan: Jan 31, 2011; Acne Vulgaris, Probiotics, and the Gut-Brain Axis–Back to the future?; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3038963/

3. D.C. Cole, William: January 1, 2015; Why You Should Heal Your Gut if You Want Clear Skin., https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3038963/

4. MD Iftikhar, Noreen: April 9, 2018; How Your Diet May Help Reduce Rosacea Flare-Ups., https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3038963/