Problem skin? It’s time to take a look at your gut health

Getting your gut health in check is not only important for reducing symptoms of stomach discomfort such as gas, bloating and poor digestion, but for the wellbeing of your entire body. Poor gut health can manifest in your skin causing conditions such as acne, atopic dermatitis and psoriasis, as well as low immunity, fluctuating moods and poor mental health.

When switching up your skincare does nothing more than hurt your wallet, it’s time to dig a bit deeper and approach problem skin from a holistic perspective. And no, that doesn’t mean you have to give up those beautiful lotions and potions – you still need the right skincare to treat your condition from the outside, too – but it may mean you need to take a look at your diet to really fix things from the inside out.

WHAT DOES GUT HEALTH HAVE TO DO WITH SKIN, ANYWAY?

When your digestive system isn’t functioning as it should, your body isn’t as capable of absorbing essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants from food. This can mean not only will you feel sluggish and lacking in energy, but your skin will be a dead giveaway too. On-going skin conditions are a clear sign that something’s up, and an imbalance in the good and bad bacteria (the microbiome) in the gut is often the culprit. When we don’t have enough good bacteria in the gut, the bad bacteria can begin to thrive, so we really want to focus on making sure we get plenty of probiotics (the good stuff!) into our diets in order to keep the bad guys at bay.

Inflammation in the gut is another key area to be mindful of when it comes to both skin and general health. Because the digestive tract provides a barrier of protection between the contents of the gut and the rest of the circulatory system, if the gut becomes inflamed, the nerves in the digestive tract send a message to the rest of the body that there’s a problem, causing the body’s stress response to kick into high gear. The body responds by focusing on trying to fight the problem in the gut, and in turn, the rest of the body – your immune system, skin and mental health – can suffer.

“On-going skin conditions are a clear sign that something’s up, and an imbalance in the good and bad bacteria (the microbiome) in the gut is often the culprit.”

HOW CAN YOU GET YOUR GUTS GOOD AGAIN?

Minimising the risk of inflammation and irritation, and creating a balance of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ bacteria, comes down in large part to diet. Start by taking a look at the food, drink, supplements and medications that you’re ingesting and noting anything you think could be causing issues. If you’re planning on seeing your GP at any stage, keep a food diary for a few weeks leading up to your visit, so you can flag anything you think might be contributing negatively to your gut health.

It may seem like a bit of a chicken and egg scenario, but what the body absorbs is even more important than how much good stuff you’re eating – but without eating the good stuff, your body won’t have the right nutrients to start repairing. So start by cutting out (or significantly decreasing) your intake of known inflammatory foods and beverages such as those containing sugar, caffeine and alcohol. To enable your good bacteria to flourish, eat plenty of prebiotic rich foods such as onions, leek, raw garlic, slightly unripe bananas, asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes and pectin-rich fruits such as apples, plums, pears and oranges. If you are allergic or intolerant to any of these foods however, leave them off the list!

Another tip when it comes to optimal absorptions is to chew, chew, chew! If your digestive system isn’t efficient, give it a helping hand by doing more of the work with your mouth first. It may seem like a lot, but chewing each mouthful 20-30 times before swallowing allows your stomach to break down the food more easily in preparation for absorption in the gut.

What’s the deal with supplements for supporting skin?

It’s no secret that the quality of our soil just isn’t what it used to be, which in turn means our fruit and vegetables don’t contain the same level of nutrients as they did in our grandparents’ day. So if you feel you’re not getting enough through your food, taking supplements to balance deficiencies is a great option. One of our favourite brands of supplements for helping a wide range of skin concerns is Advanced Nutrition Programme. This premium range of supplements supports healthy skin and overall wellbeing with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, omegas 3 and 6, CoQ10 and probiotics to help keep your gut bacteria in balance, too.

Lorraine Perretta, head of nutrition for Advanced Nutrition Programme, is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to supporting not only your skin, but entire wellbeing, through supplements. “In my view, skin vitamin supplements are the foundation to 21st century skin care,” she explains. “The purpose of taking skin supplements is to help the skin make healthy skin cells at the bottom of the epidermis. If your skin doesn’t get enough nutrients from a daily diet alone to make healthy skin, then when these cells move up through the epidermis, they can be flat, dry and lacking radiance. However, if cells are bathed in lots of nutrients and are ‘born’ healthy, then as they move up through the epidermis to the surface of the skin, they look healthier and more youthful. Using topical creams on healthy looking skin makes the skin look even better.”

Discover the Advanced Nutrition Programme and view the complete range of supplements.