The Connection Between Gut Health and Glowing Skin

Why is gut health important when it comes to your skin?

You’ve probably heard the saying, “beauty is only skin deep.” But, in actuality, nothing could be further from the truth. When it comes to the health of your skin, beauty actually goes much deeper, including what you eat. More and more research shows that there is a connection between glowing skin and gut health. More specifically, the way your gut reacts to your diet can affect your body’s inflammatory response, which could trigger skin conditions like acne, psoriasis, and eczema. Simply put, maintaining a healthy gut might be a golden ticket to achieving great skin.

What does having a healthy gut mean?

Your gut contains tons of different bacteria that help your body digest food and help your immune system function. Your gut microbiome is an entire system that’s made up of a collection of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and single-celled organisms that colonize your gastrointestinal system. This system plays a vital role in your body and impacts your digestive, metabolic, and cardiovascular health, including the health of your skin.

How does your gut affect skin health?

Do you ever notice how your skin doesn’t look its best when you have the flu or haven’t been eating right? When you’re sick or unhealthy, every part of your body can feel the effects. Nervous, immune, and endocrine systems all communicate with the skin. That’s why many medical experts say that a balanced diet can help your body heal when you aren’t feeling well. If your dermatologist brings up your diet in relation to any skin conditions you are experiencing, they can give you a detailed explanation of why certain foods cause flareups and how to avoid inflammation. This is because research has demonstrated changes in the gut microbiome can impact people with certain dermatological diseases. For example, increasing your gut health can reduce the occurrence of rosacea, psoriasis, eczema, and acne.

How can you improve your gut’s health?

There are many ways you can improve your gut health. One of the easiest is to eat a diverse range of foods, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, and beans, to promote a more diverse microbiome. Not only do whole foods prevent the growth of some disease-causing bacteria in the gut, but they also allow good bacteria to thrive. You should avoid processed foods high in sugar and fat, which can kill off good bacteria in your gut.

Another easy way to boost your gut health is to eat prebiotics and probiotics. Prebiotics are specialized plant fibers that act as fertilizers, stimulating the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut. They are found in many fruits and vegetables, especially those containing complex carbohydrates. There are also several prebiotic supplements available to ensure you’re getting enough prebiotics regularly. On the other hand, probiotics are living strains of bacteria that add to the population of good bacteria in your gut. Like prebiotics, you can take probiotics through both supplements and food. The most common probiotic food is yogurt, but other excellent sources include kombucha, kimchi, kefir, and sauerkraut. Prebiotics and probiotics work together to help maintain gut health — prebiotics act as food for probiotics to flourish. By improving your gut health through diet, you’ll notice your skin become more radiant and clear over time.