Gut health is all the rage these days, from gut healing diets to the supplement that does it all, but is gut health all it's talked up to be? Let’s find out as we dive deep into the human gut, its connection to the skin and how to cultivate a healthy, diverse microbiome!
What is the Microbiome and Where is it?
The gut microbiome is a collection of 100-400 trillion microbes, including bacteria, fungi, yeasts and viruses, residing in the digestive tract, primarily in the large intestine, but also in the small intestine, stomach and mouth.
Within these trillions of microbes, we have beneficial ones, like L. acidophilus, we have neutral ones, and we have harmful strains like H. Pylori. These microbes are responsible for a multitude of functions within the body from inflammatory responses to nutrient absorption to gene expression. So, safe to say our gut, and the microbes residing within, have a massive influence on our health AND disease.
The GUT-SKIN Connection
So, how does the gut directly impact the skin, and why do I always focus on gut health when working with acne clients? Remember this: if something goes wrong in the gut, it will show up on the skin. Our gut is crucial for overall health, hormonal balance, and nutrient absorption. So, it’s no surprise that when symptoms like acne (which acne is a symptom) appear, the gut is often the culprit.
When there are imbalances, infections, or gaps in the gut lining, we experience inflammation, immune responses, and hormone disruptions, leading to acne. Acne is an inflammatory skin condition; breakouts occur because of skin congestion. An unhealthy gut leads to higher androgen and cortisol levels, which means more sebum (oil) production in the skin. This excess sebum clogs pores, causing acne breakouts.
Additionally, poor gut health usually signifies a struggling liver. An unhealthy liver results in poor detoxification of hormones and toxins. Increased body toxicity leads to more breakouts, as the skin, our largest detoxification organ, steps in when other detox systems are underperforming.
Finally, poor gut health often results in irregular bowel habits. Having less than one solid bowel movement a day increases toxicity because stagnant stool allows toxins to re-enter the bloodstream. This recirculation of toxins forces the body to expel them through the skin, leading to more acne
Gut imbalances/ infections that contribute to breakouts
Candida is a yeast we naturally have in our intestines. A small amount of candida is healthy, but when we experience overgrowths due to a poor diet, antibiotic use or birth control use is when we start to run into digestive and skin problems. The yeast overgrowth causes GI issues, bowel irregularities (poor detoxification), liver stagnation, inflammation and poor nutrient absorption.
How to support a candida infection: When supporting a candida infection you need to first assess the detox pathway function- as when we remove harmful microbes from the gut we can experience a ‘die-off’ effect, and without proper functioning of the detox system, we’ll experience uncomfortable symptoms (bloating, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, acne breakouts and more). Once the detox pathways have been opened you can start with an anti-candida diet, which works to stave the candida, and use therapeutic supplementation as advised by your practitioner.
H. Pylori is a gram-negative bacteria that drills a hole into the stomach's mucosal lining, resulting in lowered pH, stomach acid, and nutrient assimilation. This bacteria dramatically increases internal inflammation, and inflammation of the skin (and we know acne is by definition an inflammatory condition of the skin)
How to support an H. Pylori infection: First, you must be sure you have an H. Pylori infection via functional testing (like the GI Map). Depending on the severity of your H, Pylori infection you may need to do 4-course antibiotics as prescribed by a doctor or may be able to treat using antibacterial herbs (like oregano oil) and antioxidants- your nutritionist will be able to advise you based on test results.
Dysbiosis is an imbalance of good to bad bacteria in the gut. Dysbiosis in the gut can contribute to hormonal imbalance, SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), and increased risk of H. Pylori and Candida. These all increase inflammation in the body- a causative factor for acne.
How to support a dysbiotic gut: The four R’s of gut health are remove, replace, reinoculate and repair. Remove the irritants (gluten, dairy, food sensitivities, and harmful bacteria), replace the harmful foods and bacteria with gut-supportive alternatives like prebiotics, reinoculate the microbiome using probiotic supplements and foods and lastly, repair the gut lining through targeted supplementation.
Hypochlorhydria is low stomach acid- caused by an H. Pylori infection, poor food combination, stress, birth control use and stomach lining inflammation. Low stomach acid contributes to nutrient deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, immune responses and inflammation. Along with that, low stomach acid makes us more susceptible to Candida and H. Pylori infections, because the stomach acid works to neutralize pathogens entering the GI tract.
How to support hypochlorhydria: If you suspect you have low stomach acid levels there are a few things you can do, the first one I always recommend is dealing with your stress!! When we are chronically stressed out we actually shut down digestion, and subsequently lower stomach acid levels. Once you’ve got your stress in check you can use apple cider vinegar in a little water before large meals or in the mornings!
Is your acne ONLY caused by a gut issue?
Yes, no, maybe? If we’re talking about the gut in relation to acne it’s only fitting we discuss hormones, and hormonal acne, as well. A lot of the time we think our acne is solely hormone-based, but we need to look deeper. Yes, your acne may be caused by a hormonal imbalance BUT what is causing that hormonal imbalance? Is it a sluggish liver, leaky gut, or maybe low stomach acid levels causing malnutrition? While your acne can absolutely be only hormonal or only gut-health based it’s typically a combination of both as our endocrine and nervous systems are so closely connected to our gut health.