Hippocrates said “All disease begins in the gut”. So many years and thousands of medical advancements later, his words still ring true. Well maybe not all disease, but when it comes to your skin issues, it’s a pretty good bet that either your hormones or your gut is causing the trouble.
How does my gut health affect my skin?
Well, on the surface of it, it’s pretty simple. “The food you eat, determines the kind of nutrition your body receives. This in turn determines the quality of your skin.” I suffer from occasional acne and by occasional, I mean acne that invariably pops up before any important occasion. So after reading this, I got curious. I know at least 70% of you can identify with me, so I decided to do some research and here’s what I found.
First let’s understand the gut - skin relation
Your gut is home to over 100 trillion microorganisms! Mind bending, sure, but how does it affect your skin? Well turns out, these microorganisms are the direct line of communication between your gut, your immune system and your skin.
More specifically, an imbalance in the gut bacteria, aka. Gut microbiota dysbiosis causes your immune system to work overtime. An overactive immune system is the main cause of eczema. Any of you out there with a pesky case of rosacea? Turns out the main cause of it also lies in your gut. More specifically a condition discovered in 2004 called ‘small intestinal bacterial overgrowth’(SIBO).
There’s more…
If you suffer from Celiac disease AND have skin issues, oh boy, do I have news for you! Turns out studies have found a high co-relation between celiac disease and skin conditions like Dermatitis herpetiformis, Alopecia, Eczema etc.
Now here’s the kicker, the cause of your garden variety acne also lies in your gut. An excess of a gram-negative bacteria called Lipopolysaccharide endotoxin or LPS and E-coli in the gut causes you to break out and to make matters worse, they also interfere with wound healing, increasing your likelihood of scarring.
If having your tummy go even a little topsy-turvy can wreak such havoc on the skin, you can bet I’ve been on the straight and narrow since I came across all of this. How? Well, for starters, I’ve cut down on oily/fried foods, I eat my dinner before 8pm every day, I have not enjoyed upping my bitters and fiber intake, but I have enjoyed my daily dose of Cosmix ‘My Happy Gut’. It’s been a slow journey, but one with a marked improvement.
If you’re interested in learning more about your gut, go check out the blogs below.
How Are Your Gut and Immunity Connected?
PCOS Stress and Gut Health - What is The Connect?
