Guest Blog from Cindy Kennedy, MS, FNP-BC

Owner Pursue Wellness LLC 

Everyone wants a healthy, clear complexion. For many, acne can be a common barrier. Aside from physical appearance, acne can take a toll on one’s emotional health, leading to embarrassment, anxiety, and reduced self-esteem. Oftentimes, some detective work is needed to find the root cause. Did you know there is a strong relationship between the gut microbiome and acne? Yes, it's true! It was not until more recently that there was research to validate the relationship of intestinal bacteria on the skin. 

In the past, acne was thought to be caused by a combination of genetic predisposition, hygiene, hormones, and certain dietary aggravators. However, in addition to this, we now know that gut health and the skin’s role in detoxification are very important contributing factors as well. Through active sweating, the body will release toxic compounds such as mold toxins, environmental toxins and heavy metals. Toxins that are unable to be released can lead to breakouts if not addressed.

"Balancing the gut’s microbiome has many facets, including healthy food choices, adequate hydration, stress reduction, beneficial sleep, daily bowel movements, and possibly a role for probiotics."

In fact, recent research suggests that these dietary and lifestyle changes can help clear up your skin.  Diets that are high in sugar, wheat, alcohol, dairy, processed foods, and artificial sweeteners can impact the microbiome negatively. When there is a disruption of the beneficial bacteria, there can be overgrowths of certain microbes. When the balance is lost, there can be overgrowth of yeast, opportunistic bacteria, and loss of the healthy intestinal barrier leading to “leaky gut”. Leaky gut has been associated with an increase in inflammation and autoimmune illnesses such as psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s, Graves’, Crohn’s, as well as others in this category. By reestablishing a healthy gut barrier, the impact on the skin’s role in detoxification can be reduced, leading to lowered inflammation and less acne.

Diet

A diet consisting of an array of colorful vegetables and fruits should be the focus when changing dietary habits. Healthy fats such as salmon, olive oil and avocados will provide further benefits. Additionally, whole grains such as quinoa, brown rice, and millet are perfect examples of gluten-free side dishes. Fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, or other fermented vegetables offer the important bacteria to feed the gut and improve the amount of beneficial bacteria. 

Hydration

Hydration is key for cellular health throughout the body, as well as for the skin. Your skin directly reflects the level of hydration. It is suggested that you consume clean, filtered water equal to half your weight in ounces. For example, a 100 pound person would require 50 ounces of water daily to be well hydrated.

Stress

If you are wondering what stress has to do with acne, it happens to start in the stomach. High levels of consistent stress will lower the amount of acid and enzymes needed for digestion and absorption of the nutrients in food. Poor nutrition and poor absorption of vitamins and minerals will cause a systemic depletion needed for cellular repair. The practice of deep cleansing breaths, meditation and yoga will reduce stress levels.

Sleep

During sleep is when there is a high level of detoxification and cellular repair. It is strongly encouraged to get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep each night. Having good sleep hygiene means eliminating blue light from computer, cellular and kindle screens at least 1 hour before bedtime. Lowering lights and reading from a paper book can help the body produce more melatonin and prepare for sleep.

Bowel Movements

Believe it or not, it is important to have daily bowel movements to be successful in detoxifying. Those who are constipated will reabsorb toxins into the body that can lead to acne outbreaks. The benefits of 1-2 bowel movements per day will help regulate that all-important microbiome and eliminate toxins.

Adding A Probiotic

When deciding on a probiotic, it is important to know some important facts. First, who the company is, are they independently tested for quality, and what are the probiotic strains in the supplement? As a rule, when reestablishing the microbiome, a multi-strain probiotic should be used. Lactobacillus and Bifidobacter strains have shown favorable outcomes in the treatment of acne. 

Pursue Wellness offers discounted, high quality supplements through their account with Fullscript. You can set up your account here.  If you are interested in getting your gut back in balance with a combination of nutrition and a root cause evaluation, we encourage you to book a free discovery call with Kerah or Cindy here.

Pursue Wellness Integrative Health Center and Spa is located in East Longmeadow, MA. Using both functional medicine and nutritional approaches for staying healthy as well as finding optimal wellness, the mother-daughter team provides personalized care for families. Functional and integrative medicine uses a root cause analysis of symptoms versus a diagnosis and prescription plan. Utilizing a different approach than conventional medicine, many learn why they are having symptoms. The team emphasizes nutrition, vitamin/mineral and herbal supplementation as needed, along with lifestyle strategies that focus on improved sleep, stress reduction, and detoxification. 

The Spa offers adjunct treatments to benefit circulation, reduce pain, enhance weight loss, detoxify, and lower stress. Book your treatments here. See packages for reduced cost treatments. Results are cumulative.

References:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31284694/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22537765/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21248165/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29676446/