Gut-Skin Connection

Have you suffered from skin issues such as acne or psoriasis in the past!.Do you have more bad skin days than good ones? As a healthcare entrepreneur whenever I tell folks that gut health is the primary reason for skin issues, I get to see looks of disbelief. Today, I am going to throw light on the inter-relationship between these two aspects- how our gut communicates with your skin & how various skin issues are related to the health of our gut.

Our gut &  skin have a lot of commonalities! Both get rich blood supplies, have a lot of bacteria & protect your organs from the environment. They also communicate with your immune, nervous & hormonal systems. As such your gut & skin are connected through the gut-skin axis.

Detailed scientific research indicates that if you have gut problems, you are more likely to have gut issues. For instance, 25% of people suffering Crohn disease have skin related issues. Obviously, there is a gut-skin connection. For instance, people who suffer from acne experience severe acne issues when they are under stress or anxiety. When we are in stress, our digestive system shuts down &/or our stomach does not release a lot of hormones which directly changes our gut bacteria composition & can lead to gut dysbiosis . Ultimately, we get into the trap of inflammation & hence we get acne. Lot of studies conducted points out to fact that guy dysbiosis or imbalance in gut bacteria results in skin disorders

But the question arises how does these skin disorders arise? 

When you are in a state of gut bacteria imbalance or gut dysbiosis, the bad bacteria in your gut takes over & produces bad toxins-Lipopolysaccharides(LPS). Your blood then carries these endoxin to your skin where they create inflammation. Some examples of inflammation could be- these endotoxins prevent your skin cells from developing & maturing. They also disrupt the barrier between your skin & external environment, thereby letting in bacteria & other organisms. This gut bacteria imbalance can also lead to dry & inflamed skin.

Besides Dysbiosis, gut communicates with our Skin in the following ways:

1. Our Gut absorbs nutrients that directly impacts our skin: For instance, when we consume Beta- Carotene, it protects our skin against sunburn. When we consume Vitamin E, it rejuvenates our skin.
2. Our Gut absorbs nutrients that can bring changes in our hormone production: For instance when we consume too much of high glycemic processed carbs, more of hormone-IGF-1 ( insulin growth factor) is produced. These hormones force your sweat glands to produce more inflammatory substances which can increase our risk of attracting acne.
3. Bacteria in our gut often communicate with inflammation causing T-cells. These cells increases risk of attracting inflammatory skin disorders
4. Feeding our bacteria with fibre & beneficial prebiotic & probiotics help them release short chain fatty acids such as Butyrate which have a beneficial impact on our health. If we do not have enough short chain fatty acids, we are more likely to develop acne. Similarly bad bacteria in our body releases compounds such as lipopolysaccharides(LPS). If we have a lot of LPS, you are more likely to develop Acne.

Let us talk about Eczema! 

Eczema is a common inflammatory condition of skin that impacts around 30% kids & 10 % adults. Eczema happens when our immune system is too active. Good bacteria in our gut keeps our immune system in balance. However when bad bacteria overtake good bacteria, it leads to gut dysbiosis resulting in, making your immune system hyperactive. This causes Eczema. The diversity of bacteria in our gut also plays a role in causing Eczema. Children who are not exposed to a variety of bacterias- both good & small one can develop overactive immune systems. This can result in development of autoimmune diseases. Therefore, infants who have diverse bacteria from their childhood days are less likely to develop Eczema during childhood.

Gut bacteria tends to be diverse in infants who are :

1. Delivered vaginally: Those born through C-section have comparatively less numbers of E. Coli, bifidobacteria, and Bacteroides that infants born vaginally. This occurs because they do not come in contact with their mother’s vaginal and faecal bacteria.
2. Breastfed: Breastfed infants are exposed to different types of bacterias at different  ages. Infants that are breastfed for 6 months or more have more of Lactobacilli and bifidobacteria.
3. Not given antibiotics: Antibiotics can wipe off both good & bad bacteria & can lead to months &/or years of Gut Dysbiosis.
4. Consume a traditional diet: Children who consume non-western diets are less likely to develop Eczema.
5. Have more siblings: Infants having less siblings are likely to have similar bacteria as those born through C-section.

What causes Acne?

Acne is a skin disorder in which your hair follicles & its sweat gland becomes blocked & inflamed. As discussed in an earlier paragraph, Gut Dysbiosis plays a major role in causing Acne. Folks who do not produce enough stomach acid are more susceptible to have Acne. When you do not produce enough stomach acid, bacteria moves from large intestine to small intestine, causing small intestine bacterial overgrowth. This gut bacteria imbalance leads to inflammation & hence acne. Besides, more bacteria in the small intestine means more competition & less absorption of nutrients such as Zinc, Folic Acid, Chromium & Omega-3 fatty acids. When these nutrients are not absorbed properly, it can cause Acne. Besides, having more bad bacteria & consumption of refined carbs & western foods can release more of LPS which can cause Acne.

Given that gut bacteria imbalance(gut dysbiosis) is the epicenter of all major skin issues, it is important to deep dive into causes of Dysbiosis:

1. Using Antibiotics & antibacterial medication
2. Consuming too much sugar, refined & starch foods
3. Consuming harmful chemicals & toxins from foods such as unwashed fruits & vegetables.
4. Excess consumption of alcohol
5. High level of stress, depression or anxiety

How can you get rid of this imbalance

1. Having lot of resistant starch & fibre
2. Consuming Probiotics
3. Reducing consumption of antibiotics & processed foods
4. Improving stomach acid production
5. Reducing consumption of a high fat diet.

Are you experiencing skin issues or having Acne? Probably your gut bacteria is the culprit! Learn about your gut bacteria diversity to overcome your skin disorders. Sign up for our gut intelligence solution here.