Healthy Skin Begins with a Healthy Body
The state of our skin may represent the state of our inner health. Skin is our LARGEST organ and when our digestion, hormones, blood sugar, immunity, and other body systems are imbalanced, this can manifest through the skin. We often treat the skin without considering the possible underlying issues. This week I discuss two possible causes behind symptomatic skin, adapted from the book Clean Skin From Within by Dr. Trevor Cates.
Two Possible Causes of Symptomatic Skin
Inflammation manifests in the skin with conditions such as eczema, acne, psoriasis, dermatitis, rosacea, and other skin disturbances. In some cases, inflammation occurs when the skin is exposed to triggers like UV radiation, allergens, or irritating soaps and cosmetics. Upon exposure, cells release inflammatory proteins and hormones that trigger more inflammation and attract immune cells to the area; further adding to the inflammatory response.
A similar response happens internally when our immune system’s are exposed to a potential threat. This ‘threat’ can be something like a virus or food allergen. When detected internally, our immune cells release histamine which acts as an inflammatory mediator. These internal inflammatory changes can manifest in the skin.
This inflammation can often stem from poor digestion. For example, a standard American diet high in processed foods and void of fiber, can alter the microflora and lead to leaky gut. When food slips through this leak, our immune system recognizes something foreign and an inflammatory process is triggered; this can manifest in the skin (1, 2).
Microbiome Disturbance of the gut or skin can contribute to unwanted skin issues. Our digestive tracts are made up of about 100 trillion microorganisms (3), collectively making up our gut microbiome. Good bacteria like lactobacillus (found in foods like yogurt and kombucha), crowd out unwanted microbes like candida (think yeast infection). Exposure to our mother’s microbiome during birth sets us up for a healthy gut microbiome (4) however things like stress, poor diet, infection, and alcohol use can negatively impact the microbiome (5, 6, 7).
A healthy gut microbiome sets our skin up for success. The gut-skin connection has been well established in the literature (8). When our gut microbiome is healthy, we are able to optimize nutrient absorption, digestion, and protection against harmful microorganisms; all setting our skin up for success!
The skin has its own microbiome as well (9) and a well-balanced skin ecology protects us from harmful pathogens and promotes a healthy barrier and immune response. For example, acne is believed to be triggered by a bacteria, therefore supporting the skin’s healthy microbial colonization may prevent harmful and acne causing bacterial overgrowth (10,11).
Supporting the microbiome, both topically and internally, is foundational for healthy skin.
Stay tuned over the next couple of weeks as I highlight other causes behind imperfect skin. As you can see, our skin’s health is dependent on the health of our body and it is my experience that the healthiest skin comes first from a healthy body. If you are suffering from unhealthy skin, I encourage you to try out Clean Skin From Within 2-Week Program by Dr. Trevor Cates, designed to lower inflammation and support a healthy microbiome (among other things).
Resources
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3745938/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6048199/
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/can-gut-bacteria-improve-your-health
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28825919/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29668903/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6048199/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3535073/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6678709/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6920876/