A combination of a number of different things can affect the health of your skin and manifest themselves in a number of different ways. Your skin can be affected by hormones, diet, nutrition and genetics and can very often reflect this. In the same way, an unhealthy gut can also show itself through various conditions on your skin.
A healthy gut with thriving good bacteria helps to provide the basis for a strong immune system, help improve the quality of your sleep and assist with your skin health. By maintaining a well-balanced gut microbiome, you can help your skin and stop potential problems with your complexion.
Our modern lifestyles often come with detrimental effects on your gut bacteria and microbiome. Everyday exposure to things like alcohol, stress, and exposure to toxins and medication, particularly antibiotics, can lead to immune, mood and skin issues.
A Gut overview
Microorganisms in the gut microbiome exist to aid digestion, stimulate the immune system, break down potentially toxic food compounds, and synthesize certain vitamins and amino acids critical to human living. Maintaining optimal health means having enough good bacteria to counteract the bad bacteria. While each person has a unique microbiome that is initially determined by genetics, it can ultimately be impacted by environmental factors like diet, medical history, stress and more.
In the gut, bacterial imbalances are linked to inflammatory conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), leaky gut, diarrhea, and constipation. Overgrowth of bacteria in the gut, also known as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), has been linked to both acne and rosacea in several research studies.
Common signs of an unhealthy gut include:
- Upset stomach
- Sugar cravings
- Fatigue
- Skin problems
- Food intolerances
- Autoimmune conditions
The Relationship Between the Gut and the Skin
The Gut-Skin Axis is essentially linking the relationship between gut health and skin health. It has been clinically proven that when digestive balance is off the gut becomes overrun with bad bacteria, which can lead to skin-aggravating inflammation. This inflammation can cause acne, redness, sensitivity, and even the breakdown of collagen.
A recent study from Frontiers in Microbiology concluded that — through complex immune mechanisms — the gut microbiome influences distant organ systems, including the skin. Through modulations of ‘good’ bacteria (think: probiotics and prebiotics), they have found proven benefits in the prevention and/or treatment of inflammatory skin disorders, like acne vulgaris, atopic eczema, and rosacea.
Why are Prebiotics and Probiotics Important?
Prebiotics
Prebiotic foods are non-digestible food ingredients that contain live strains of bacteria that cannot be digested or absorbed into the human body. Instead, they act as a catalyst that stimulates and promotes the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut. In other words, these foods fuel the good bacteria in your gut which then provides beneficial nutrients for your body. Prebiotics are found in many fruits such as apples, bananas and berries and in many vegetables such as asparagus, onions and peas. They are also extremely high in fibre in specific complex carbohydrates such as oatmeal, sweet potato or legumes.
Benefits of prebiotics include reduced cholesterol, stronger gut wall health and immune system, promoting regular bowel function and regular blood sugar levels, and most importantly fuelling the brain and the body.
Probiotics
Probiotic foods on the other hand already contain living bacteria and microorganisms and are consumed to directly add to the population of healthy good bacteria in your body. Probiotics are usually found in many fermented foods as they can produce their own bacteria. These include fermented vegetables such as sauerkraut, pickles, and kimchi. They are also found in fermented dairy goods such as yoghurt and some types of cheese.
Benefits of probiotics include lower risk of allergies, lower stress levels and improvements in sleep, improvements in skin and mood and prevention of many diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and preventions of cancers such as prostate.
3 ways to Improve Your Gut Health for Glowing Skin
High-Fiber Diet
High-fiber foods are beneficial to the quality of bacteria in the way the body digests dietary fiber in the large intestine. This lowers the pH of the colon and limits the growth of harmful microbes. High-fiber, prebiotic-rich foods can be found in the raw form of the allium family (i.e. garlic, onions, and leeks), in addition to bananas, nuts and whole grains to name a few.
Lifestyle Changes
In addition to a well-balanced diet, a regular fitness routine and good sleep schedule will help keep the entire body operate optimally.
A diet that avoids/limits dairy, sugar, gluten, and alcohol while increasing the intake of healthy proteins, leafy greens, and cruciferous vegetables, will help improve the appearance and health of your skin.
Another thing to consider is your antibiotic intake. Antibiotics are designed to kill bad bacteria, but they also damage the microbiome by wiping out a significant number of ‘good’ bacteria. After a course of antibiotics, it can take months and even years to restore the beneficial gut bacteria that is lost. Consulting with a board-certified provider will ensure you receive the best course of treatment.
Ingestible and Topical Probiotics
Consuming and applying probiotics is another avenue to take to improve both gut and skin health. While there are countless probiotic supplements on the market, there is no shortage of foods with naturally occurring probiotic properties. Fermented foods and drinks like kefir, kimchi, kombucha, sauerkraut, tempeh, and miso are just a few of nature’s probiotic sources.
Probiotics are natural, good-for-you bacteria that work to improve your health, both inside and out. While ingestible probiotics balance the gut microbiome, topical probiotics in skincare have been shown to soothe and calm skin inflammation for virtually every skin type (i.e, sensitive, dry, oily, acne prone).
Topical probiotics are clinically proven to reduce the appearance of inflammation and can also help to reduce the appearance of redness and irritation. Topical probiotics help defend the skin against age-accelerating environmental stressors and free radicals, which can help the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Research has shown that certain skin conditions can be effectively treated with good bacteria. It has been found that using oral and topical probiotics to restore the normal gut and skin flora is helpful in treating acne and rosacea.
AMPERNA® Skincare Range
AMPERNA® is in fact the first Australian brand to bring you a full range of probiotic skincare products, and the first to use this probiotic strain in any Australian skincare product.
Using a combination of natural active ingredients, along with tried and tested ingredients of modern science, the hero ingredient in the AMPERNA® range is the active probiotic complex, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate. This probiotic complex helps support the skin barrier; helping to protect you from aggressors such as environmental pollutants, helps keep your immune system in check and helps reduce inflammation. In short, it acts as a protective layer on the skin, helps boost healthy looking skin and helps calm and soothe skin.
When it comes to skin health, Kiri, founder of AMPERNA®, helps many people suffering from a variety of skin and health conditions. You can book a Holistic Skin Coaching Service to discuss your skin concerns and develop a tailored plan to work towards healthy skin.
Also be sure to check out a great blog post written by Naturopath and Clinical Nutritionist Pernille Jensen (The Gut Co) on how your gut health and skin are connected.
References:
How Gut Health Affects Your Skin
Does Gut Health Really Affect Skin Health? | The AEDITION
