Skin is one the largest organs of the human body however we seldom evaluate how it impacts our overall health. Skin, on the outside, the first line of defense that protects our body from inside against the external environment. It helps in retaining water, minimization penetration of chemicals & even protect us against free radicals. `
Like gut, our skin performs all these spectacular functions with the health of an army of microbes that work in tandem with each other to support & protect us against harmful forces. Our skin has trillion of microbes consisting of bacteria & fungi that thrive in our skin microbiome.
Inside our sweat glands or under our nails, our skin microbes can be found everywhere. Depending upon pH level & temperature, these microbes find their own place to settle comfortably on our skin & their presence benefits our health. As these microbes colonize our skin, they have a permanent & safe place to live & feed (obviously on the byproducts released by our gut microbiome as a result of metabolising the food we humans eat). To return favor, they reduce/kill pathogen bacteria/microbes that invade our skin & start a war against our cells. Let me decode this. One of the most important microbes on skin, Staphylococcus epidermidis, produce antibacterial protein that prevents growth of pathogen-Staphylococcus aureus.
This pathogen when allowed to grow can cause atopic dermatitis- eczema & lead to inflammation on skin such as itchy patches. Maintaining skin microbiome homeostasis can be a strong wall for protection against external pathogens. However when this balance is disrupted, it may, through symptoms, give the message that something is happening inside our body & your skin reflects changes in your health internally (think of skin redness, dry skin, spots on skin etc).
Human microbiome is an entire ecosystem of microbes spreading its wings from skin, oral, nasal, mouth & right to the digestive system. These perform various essential function in our body to promote various biological functions. All these microbes whether on skin, oral, nasal or gut are connected & interact with each other. Specifically, on gut & skin- microbes interact with each other through gut skin-axis & work in close coordination with each other.
Eczema is a chronic condition which is developed when Staphylococcus aureus occupies space on the skin. However it is important to note – scientists have discovered that the situation of Eczema is formed when gut microbiome is imbalanced. 70% of the immune system is housed in our gut & an imbalance in gut microbiome can trigger chronic inflammation. This disruption can permeate through gut lining to our skin & can change the communication & interaction of our skin with commensal & pathogenic bacteria.
This chronic inflammation is associated with a number of chronic skin conditions such as eczema, rosacea & seborrheic dermatitis. Changing what we eat & aligning our dietary choices with our unique biology plays super important role in overcoming these symptoms.
Learning about products you use at home can help you navigate through the core reason for imbalance in skin microbiome. Products which can impact your skin may include your family detergent for washing clothes, soap, lotions & shampoos. The ingredients in soap are alkaline in pH which is opposite of what your skin favors. Removing dirt or harmful bacteria from your utensils, clothes or body may work against making beneficial bacteria stable, contained & happy. Investigate before you grab your favorite cleansing agent.
Given the fact that your skin microbiome is deeply connected with your gut microbiome, there are chances that issues in your skin care give you signals about disruption in your gut microbiome. Through our UP THE GUT solution, you can learn what is actually happening inside your body & what is causing inflammation which is making these toxins permeate through skin & causing skin issues such as eczema. Our nutrition recommendations specifically carved for you based on the digital footprint of your body arrived at through sequencing your microbiome can help you overcome food intolerances, onslaught of chronic inflammation, fill in nutrition gaps & bring back your gut in a state of balance.
Sources: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24229634/
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