Are you tired of using steroid creams and moisturizers only for your dry patches to return and even worsen? This endless cycle can be very frustrating. Your topical medications may be effective in providing temporary relief, but these only target your symptoms and may be inefficient in the long run. This is precisely why addressing the root cause of skin inflammation is very important in achieving long-term relief and confidence. In this blog post, we look into the wonders of our digestive system and explore why imbalances in your gut health, as well as gut inflammation, can trigger the development of inflammatory skin conditions, such as eczema. We will uncover the gut-skin connection and help you finally optimize your skin health from the inside out.
The Gut-Skin Axis
Your gut and skin are made up of strong foundations that protect the rest of your body from environmental toxins and pathogens. These are both inhabited by innate microorganisms that help regulate and nurture processes within. Through the work of these microorganisms, the gut-skin axis is formed and regulated. Your gut microbiota is primarily responsible for metabolizing essential nutrients, such as vitamin K and B vitamins, which are vital in promoting wound healing and repair.1 Likewise, your gut microbiota can produce signaling factors that alleviate skin inflammation or trigger it when imbalances in its population occur.1
How Your Diet Affects Your Skin
The composition and function of your gut microbiota is heavily influenced by your diet, which highlights how vital the food you consume every day is to your gut-skin axis. Eating foods rich in saturated fats can affect the diversity of your gut microbiota and cause imbalances that weaken your gut barrier and trigger inflammation, eventually affecting your skin.1 On the other hand, eating food rich in collagen, which is a structural protein of the skin, can help nurture your skin’s integrity, promote wound healing, and prevent premature signs of aging. Additionally, eating food rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as cold-water fish, can help reduce skin flares due to the nutrient’s anti-inflammatory effects!1 High-fiber meals, which are indigestible by us but act as prebiotics and are processed in the body through fermentation, can help nurture the population of healthy gut microbiota, thereby optimizing skin health.1
The 4-Step Action Plan
Remove Inflammatory Triggers Gut inflammation begins with dysbiosis, which is an imbalance in the population of microorganisms inhabiting your gut. Once a specific type of bacteria that releases pro-inflammatory enzymes predominate within the gut, the inflammatory response can cause reactions that eventually show up through the skin.2 Therefore, addressing factors that affect the composition of the gut microbiota, such as long-term medications, infections, and allergens, as well as choosing gluten-free food options that help prevent inflammation (if you are gluten-sensitive), are important in nurturing your skin from within! Replace with Healing Nutrients Your food choices should be tailored to options that nurture your skin. Incorporating fruits, vegetables, and nuts into your meals helps maintain healthy skin because of their high vitamin and mineral content. Tomatoes, which contain carotenoids, can help protect your skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays due to their strong antioxidant properties, while kale boosts collagen and elastin, thereby improving skin health. Additionally, taking vitamin C and vitamin E supplements, can help nurture your skin’s integrity and elasticity by promoting collagen synthesis and exerting antioxidative effects.1 All these ingredients are proof of nature’s abundant resources to help nurture the body’s innate abilities to achieve, regain, and maintain balance! Reinoculate with Beneficial Bacteria This third step is vital in maintaining the balance of the microbial population within the gut. Reinoculation can be achieved by taking probiotics and prebiotics. Probiotics are good bacteria that help produce antioxidative properties to prevent the growth of bad bacteria in the gut. Aside from improving diarrheal symptoms through nurturing microbial balance, probiotics also help strengthen the integrity of your intestinal lining! You can get probiotics through quality supplements or through fermented foods, especially lacto-fermented vegetables! Prebiotics, on the other hand, act as synergistic factors that nurture the growth of good gut bacteria. Prebiotics can be easily sourced from your kitchen, such as onions, garlic, and bananas! Aside from optimizing gut health, probiotics can actually do wonders for your immune system! To learn more about the benefits of probiotics for your health, we have the perfect blog post for you! Repair the Gut Lining Herbal remedies such as marshmallow root (Althaea officinalis L.) and slippery elm (Ulmus rubra) are effective natural options in repairing the gut lining. Marshmallow root creates a protective soothing film that covers the damaged lining, thereby promoting faster recovery and acting as an added shield against harmful substances in the environment.3 Slippery elm, also known as red elm, is often used to soothe and protect the gut.4 Similar to licorice, it can help address like ulcers, excess stomach acid, and damaged mucous membranes.4 The Naturopathic Approach
Naturopathic care offers holistic integrated solutions that address the root cause of your health problems and maintain the intricate connections within that affect your overall health. Your naturopathic medicine advisors at Natural Path to Wellness will help you discover the wonders of nature for your unique body and special case. Talk to us today!
This article is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult your licensed naturopathic physician or other licensed healthcare provider before making changes to your medications or supplements. Disclosures & Policies: This and other blog posts may contain affiliate links. Please view our disclosures page for more information. REFERENCES:
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THE BLOG AT NATURAL PATH TO WELLNESSAuthorSNatural Path to Wellness values community education and welcomes contributions from writers with a background in Naturopathic Medicine, natural health and wellness, herbalism, homeopathy, Nature Cure, and more. Disclosures & Policies: This and other blog posts may contain affiliate links. Please view our disclosures page for more information.
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