Show Love to Your Skin From Within

Aren't you tired of breaking out day after day? It never fails; every morning you get up, you have a new friend that's developed smack dab in the middle of your chin. It's annoying, but don't ignore it because the body has many ways of telling us something is out of whack, and frequent breakouts signify something is off.

What is acne? Acne is common and is an inflammatory disorder of the skin caused by multiple factors. One of those contributing factors is your gut. Over the years, significant research has emphasized a connection between the gut, brain, and skin. This connects gut microbes( good bacteria), oral probiotics, and eating style, which is currently an area of concern, to acne severity. (1) Stress, anxiety, and depression have also been questioned to aggravate acne by altering the gut microbiota, potentially contributing to skin inflammation; called the brain-gut theory (1)

Your gut is responsible for digestion (breaking down food), synthesizing essential vitamins, and absorbing nutrients, so consuming specific foods can affect your skin. Data shows this to be a factor in your frequent breakouts. Foods high in a complex mixture of fat, sugar, and dairy and low in fiber have been shown to raise levels of inflammation, changing the gut's environment and causing metabolic and inflammatory skin diseases.

Your skin is the body's largest organ and protects your body from outside toxins and supports immunity. Your skin is an essential part of human health and will physically change when a part of your health needs attention. So take some time to look at your skin; notice any changes in color, breakouts, dryness, and itchiness, and if they hang around for 1 week or more. Inspecting the skin is part of a dietitian's physical assessment, which can help with a health diagnosis.

The Western eating style is full of dairy products, refined carbohydrates, chocolate, and saturated fats, contributing to inflammatory disease. Inflammation causes an imbalance of bacteria in the gut, which causes an increase of toxins (overflow of bad bacteria), interrupting the intestinal barrier and intestinal flora (the gut bacteria environment), and leading to skin inflammation (1).

Now that you know more about the gut and skin connection, here are some tips on foods to be aware of and determine what works for you. Don’t forget to do your best.

Tips to support you, your gut, and your skin:

1. Reduce refined carbohydrate added sugar foods. 43 men with acne found that over 12 weeks, following a low GI diet reduced their acne more than a high carbohydrate diet (2).

2. Reduce your consumption of dairy foods. There may also be a link between dairy consumption and acne due to the hormones still present in the milk or the glycemic load. This tends to occur with skim milk, in particular (3).

3. Determine ways to support you during stressful times. Reducing stress and taking time for regular relaxation may help reduce or prevent acne breakouts. Another study of 22 people found that acne severity increases during stressful events such as exams (4). Found that relaxation and stress reduction

improved acne, which returned when participants stopped using the techniques (5).

* My Ultimate Wellness Program contains a section on methods for reducing stress

Looking for a full guide on how to support your skin overall? Skin Cleanse is a great resource. I have his book, and this book is an easy read and provides you with skills to support your skin to be happy.

Disclaimer: This book contains the opinions and ideas of its authors and is a guide to supporting your health. It is intended to provide helpful general information on the subjects it addresses. It is not a substitute for the advice of the reader's physician (s) or other medical professionals based on the reader's own individual conditions, symptoms, or concerns. Readers should consult the appropriate health professional on any health matter. The author specifically disclaims all responsibility for injury, damage, or loss that the reader may incur as a direct or indirect consequence of following any directions or suggestions. Information in this book will provide different results and experiences for each individual.

Resources

1. Lee, Y. B., Byun, E. J., & Kim, H. S. (2019). Potential Role of the Microbiome in Acne: A Comprehensive Review. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 8(7). https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm8070987

2. Smith RN, Mann NJ, Braue A, Mäkeläinen H, Varigos GA. A low-glycemic-load diet improves symptoms in acne vulgaris patients: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jul;86(1):107-15. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/86.1.107. PMID: 17616769.

3. Adebamowo CA, Spiegelman D, Berkey CS, Danby FW, Rockett HH, Colditz GA, Willett WC, Holmes MD. Milk consumption and acne in adolescent girls. Dermatol Online J. 2006 May 30;12(4):1. PMID: 17083856.

4. Chiu A, Chon SY, Kimball AB. The response of skin disease to stress: changes in the severity of acne vulgaris as affected by examination stress. Arch Dermatol. 2003 Jul;139(7):897-900. doi: 10.1001/archderm.139.7.897. PMID: 12873885.

5. Hughes H, Brown BW, Lawlis GF, Fulton JE Jr. Treatment of acne vulgaris by biofeedback relaxation and cognitive imagery. J Psychosom Res. 1983;27(3):185-91. doi: 10.1016/0022-3999(83)90021-1. PMID: 6224928.