When I write or talk to people about their skin, the subject of gut health always comes up. That’s because there is an increasing number of scientific studies linking our skin’s health to the health of our gut.
If you suffer from acne, eczema or psoriasis, it would be good for you to learn a little more about how your gut works because a healthy gut is an integral part of healing the skin.
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The gut-skin connection
Two conditions of the gut, in particular, have been linked to skin conditions.
Gut dysbiosis is when there’s an imbalance between the friendly and unfriendly microbes in the gut; and leaky gut, which is where your gut lining is compromised, allowing undigested particles of food to leak through to your bloodstream.
Both gut conditions are thought to have the potential to affect skin function and trigger a reaction from your immune system contributing to several health conditions, including acne, eczema, and psoriasis.
Research into gut health is still new, but the scientific studies combined with the results people see when they take action to improve their gut health are promising.
Does leaky gut exist?
The very existence of leaky gut has been subject to much debate in the medical and scientific communities. If you’re a gut health sceptic, I encourage you to read the book The Clever Guts Diet. The author, Dr Michael Mosley, is open about his scepticism in the past but writes that there is now clear evidence that leaky gut is a real condition, occurring for many reasons including a gut infection, poor diet, or the use of antibiotics.
These debates show just part of the issue with our gut health. It’s difficult to confirm something as fact. Our gut has been neglected for many years, perhaps understandably given it’s not the sexiest part of the body to study. The good news is we’re beginning to recognise there’s another world that we know little about living right inside each of us. The more research that’s carried out into this world, the greater the chance we can positively affect many health conditions, including acne, eczema, and psoriasis.
My skin and gut health experience
If you’ve read any of my previous writing, you’ll know that I suffered from acne, eczema and psoriasis. These skin issues appeared while I was dealing with recurring tonsillitis and taking antibiotics every month for a year and a half. I also developed irritable bowel syndrome.
With the benefit of hindsight, I can see that my gut was not in a good state, and this was reflected on my skin.
Around 70% of our immune system is in our gut. Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease. This means the immune system is overactive or triggered by something. I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to suggest that an unhappy and perhaps leaky gut could well have triggered my psoriasis.
When I started eating in a way that supported a healthy gut, I gave the friendly bacteria that make up my microbiome what they need to multiply and thrive. My gut issues eased, and I also gave my body what it needed to heal my skin.
Additional gut health resources
This article is adapted from my book Eating Habits for Healthy Skin. My book outlines the changes I made to my eating habits and why these healed my skin. It also provides a habit change framework to help you make the changes too.
I don’t go into further details on gut health for two reasons:
- My expertise is in people development and my work focuses on practical steps that lead to behavioural change.
- There are other people far more qualified than me to talk in-depth about gut health.
My aim when writing the book was to provide just enough detail for you to understand why gut health is linked to the health of your skin, then look at how to make it easy to support our gut with a few simple changes to how we eat.
But, if like me, you like to dig deeper into scientific research, I recommend the following books to learn more about your gut, how it works and why it might contribute to your skin issues.
1. Gut Reactions by Justin and Erica Sonnenburg
Justin and Erica are scientists leading the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Stanford University School of Medicine. They write they hope to convey the essential information non-scientists need to understand the new research and findings on the gut microbiome.
I think they’ve achieved this. The book is written in a very user-friendly way and includes practical suggestions for diet and lifestyle choices that support a healthy gut. The suggestions are based on research and the changes they’ve made in their own family. Learn more about Gut Reactions here.
2. Gut by Giulia Enders
While studying medicine, Giulia Enders’ flatmate asked her a question that she says literally changed her life – “so how does pooing work?”.
Giulia’s subsequent studies and research led to her writing Gut, a book that will take you on a tour of your insides in a very entertaining and accessible way.
The charming illustrations by the author’s sister, Jill, will help you understand and connect with the living ecosystem inside your body and make it easier for you to make the choices that best support that ecosystem. Learn more about Gut here.
3. The Clever Guts Diet by Dr Michael Mosley
Dr Michael Mosley is a medical journalist and TV presenter.
The Clever Guts Diet takes you through what’s going on in your gut and a specific diet designed to reboot your gut health to heal your body from the inside out.
The diet section of the book is presented in two phases: a remove and repair phase of at least two to four weeks and a reintroduction phase. Recipes and meal plans for you to follow are included.
If you want to do an elimination diet to check for food intolerances, following The Clever Guts Diet will guide you through eliminating then reintroducing foods that commonly cause gut issues, including dairy and gluten. Learn more about The Clever Guts Diet here.
