“You are what you eat.” We’ve all heard this saying at some point, and it couldn’t be more true. Your gut health is so important for your overall health, including your skin! What you eat affects your skin. In fact, your diet is even more important than your skincare routine.
How Does Gut Health Affect the Skin?
When gut health is compromised, this can cause skin inflammation. When the gut becomes inflamed due to food allergies or bacteria overgrowth, this causes inflammatory skin diseases. There are different types of bacteria found in the gut, we have beneficial gut bacteria and bad bacteria. The bad bacteria can actually cause acne, for example. It’s important to have a balance of bacteria in the gut, and healthy bacteria, to have radiant skin. That’s why gut health is essential for healthy skin.
What Skin Conditions are Caused by Bad Gut Health?
Bad gut health can cause a wide range of skin conditions. Inflammatory Skin Diseases such as rosacea, eczema, psoriasis, acne, and dermatitis can be traced back to poor gut health. In fact, having a bad diet can cause you to age prematurely, and cause excess wrinkles, or even dry skin.
What Types of Foods Help Improve Gut Health?
It’s important to consult with a doctor prior to changing your diet. For example, food allergies or food intolerances can be affecting your gut health. Processed sugars and unhealthy fats can also be affecting your skin and gut. Caffeine, alcohol, and fried foods can also be the culprit of poor gut health. Leafy greens, berries such as blueberries, for example, are great for the skin. They are full of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that are great for the skin. Prebiotic foods such as bananas, oats, and apples can also help improve gut health and heal common skin disorders. Because every person is different, it’s important to have a tailored approach and get to the source of their digestive issues, or the root cause of the inflammatory skin diseases. That’s why talking to a specialist is very important, as well as drinking enough water and having a balance of bacteria in the gut.
Do Probiotics Help with Gut Health?
Probiotics have been shown to help balance bacteria in the gut, and improve digestive health. This can help heal the gut, and reduce systemic inflammation. However, it’s important to consult a doctor prior to taking probiotic supplements. Some Lacto-fermented foods such as Kefir, Yogurt, and other fermented foods such as kimchi and sauerkraut naturally contain good bacteria or probiotics to heal your gut.
How can I improve my gut health?
There’s is not a single approach to gut health. It really depends on each individual. Some people might tolerate dairy and gluten, for example, while others have a hard time digesting them. But one thing is for certain, there is a gut-skin connection. What you eat will impact your skin. Having a healthy microbiome in your gut is the best way to care for your skin, and avoid common skin conditions like eczema, acne, psoriasis, or rosacea. Beauty always starts from the inside out!
