Your body is all tied together in lots of different ways, and while it almost doesn’t make sense to list out every iteration, some of the big ones are worth talking about: the mind-body connection, and the gut-skin connection.
Sort it all out, and humans are actually made up more of bacteria than they are of human DNA. Your skin, stomach, and women’s reproductive organs have large important colonies. Not only are they an important part of the immune system, crowding out and fighting off invading pathogens, but they define many aspects of our health, including mood, heart health, and even skin health and beauty.
When the good bacteria get out of balance (which can be caused by antibiotics, poor diet (you feed the bacteria, too!), ill health and more) it influences other regions. One study looked at rosacea sufferers, and found most had some sort of inflammatory gut disorder. Another study looked at gut disorders (like IBD) and find many also had rosacea. Even simple skin problems like acne can be tied to bacterial imbalances.
It seems like a chicken and the egg problem, but it’s more of a simultaneous sort of thing. Taking care of your health leads to a healthier probiotic colony, and better health support from those good bacteria down the road. Nourish those colonies, and nourish yourself.
Studies have found that replacing and replenishing your colonies with probiotic supplements (Flora MGR is a good one) can help. But lifestyle habits are important, too. Ever wonder why it can be so hard to keep weight off? It’s your gut. It can take a year or more to make a permanent change just from lifestyle habits, so it’s worth making sure your gut is supported so it can maintain a healthy colony, which in turn helps support a healthy skin colony, less inflammation, and helps skin look radiant and healthy.
Share your experiences with gut, food, and skin in the comments:
