How to reduce skin inflammation by resolving gut health?
By our in-house experts
Everyone wants to have healthy, young, and vibrant skin. However, many people do not
recognise that the skin's health starts deeper within the body. The skin is a sensitive organ
that often produces symptoms on the outside. These symptoms, such as acne, psoriasis,
rosacea, and eczema should not be seen as isolated problems but are instead symptomatic
of inflammation within the gut.
There are many things we can do to improve the health of our gut. Here are just some of the
ways:
1. Get your skin condition identified by a professional
A good place to start is to get your skin condition identified - your GP can help here. If they
consider your skin condition to be severe or unresponsive to first line treatment, they can
refer you to a secondary service such as dermatology.
2. Make changes to your diet by:
-
Increasing the variety of foods you eat
to increase the variety of foods you eat and incorporate more natural fibre into your diet. It is
important that you eat foods from the five food groups and at least five portions of fruit and
vegetables a day. Known dietary causes of gut and or skin inflammation include regular
consumption of alcohol and foods with artificial colours, sulphites and nitrates (1).
-
Incorporating fermented foods
Sauerkraut, kombucha, and kefir are all packed with beneficial bacteria which are good for
the gut. Fermented dairy products may also be a better choice than pasteurised dairy
products for people with acne because fermentation significantly reduces blemish-causing
molecules (2). However, fermented foods contain more histamine, so if you have known
histamine intolerance, please avoid fermented foods. This is the same for mast cell activation
disorder (MCAD).
-
Increasing the amount of fibre you consume
leafy greens such as kale, Swiss chard and spinach are all great sources of fibre.
Don’t be put off if legumes cause a little gas and bloating when you introduce them to your
diet, and this means you don’t have the right type of bacteria to break these foods down.
After a week or two of incorporating them into your diet two or three times a week, you will
find these symptoms disappear. You will have effectively grown this very beneficial group of
bacteria in your gut.
-
Eating more mindfully
is important to do this as undigested foods often promote dysbiosis.
Try to reduce grazing between meals to allow for normal feelings of hunger to develop. This
feeling develops the production of strong digestive enzymes for food digestion.
-
Take a multi-strain probiotic
probiotics have been shown to be effective at reducing inflammatory skin conditions such as
eczema. Recent studies have also highlighted the strain Lactobacillus salivarius LS01 to be
supportive in moderate to severe atopic dermatitis – eczema cases (3).
-
Prioritise a healthy lifestyle
breathing exercises. These don’t need to take long, even putting aside one minute per day to
focus on your breathing and yourself can help you foster a more positive mindset.
Make sure to prioritise your sleep, and aim for at least 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep per
night. If this seems like it might be difficult, create a sleep plan and stick to it!
Looking for some gluten-free meal inspiration? Check out our new Meal Kits - starting from
just £2.99
The information contained in this article is for informational purposes and not intended as a
substitute for advice from your GP.
References:
(1) Garcia-Gavin, J et al. (2012) Allergic contact dermatitis caused by sodium metabisulfite:
a challenging allergen: a case series and literature review
(2) Kim, H. et al. (2017) Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 Increases the Expression of
Inflammatory Biomarkers and Sebum Production in Cultured Sebocytes
(3) Drago, L (2012) Changing of faecal flora and clinical effect of L. salivarius LS01 in adults
with atopic dermatitis
(4) Katzman M. (2007). Acne vulgaris: nutritional factors may be influencing psychological
sequelae
