While it isn’t always true that eating chocolate or even greasy foods perpetuates acne, eating healthy foods is still a good idea to support the health and beauty of the skin because healthy skin begins on the inside.
No matter what type of creams or facial routines you exercise, unless you start taking care of what’s under your skin, you won’t truly maximize your skin’s potential.
What is the Gut Biome?
Nowadays lots of people are talking about the gut biome, but what is it exactly? The gut biome is the bacteria and other microorganisms that live in the human gut. According to scientists, there are more of these microorganisms than there are cells in the human body. Altogether, they weigh about the same as the human brain and may even be considered another organ.
There are as many as 1000 kinds of bacteria in the gut, and though some of them can cause disease if they get out of hand, many of them help digest food and play an integral part in the immune and central nervous systems.
The gut biome and the skin also interact, and if there’s an imbalance in the gut, it very often shows up in the skin. Indeed, the gut, skin and brain seem to act together. It has been long observed that people who are prone to depression and anxiety are more prone to gut issues such as irritable bowel syndrome, which makes them more prone to acne.
Studies have also shown that taking probiotics such as the Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria found in yoghurt has a remedial effect on inflammation in the body, stress, the control of fats and blood sugars and outbreaks of acne. Besides this, a plant-based diet is good for the gut, which in turn is good for the skin.
Eat Plant Based Foods
Besides the emphasis on plant foods, a diet that’s healthy for the gut and the skin should be low in processed foods, which often have too much fat (saturated), sodium, sugar and useless calories. Too much sugar and refined carbs can make the blood glucose levels spike, which forces the body to start secreting insulin to deal with it. Insulin itself plays a role in acne, so eating foods with low glycemic indices is a good practice for fighting acne. The glycemic index simply measures how certain food can influence the level of blood sugar. Food that’s low on this scale can help clear up the skin and re-balance the gut.
No Smoking
Smokers are notorious for having skin that is prematurely aged and dull. It wreaks havoc on the body by restricting blood flow to the skin and introducing an unusually high number of free radicals into your body which not only increases your chances of diseases such as cancer but robs your skin of its electrons, thereby speeding up ageing. Free radicals also damage collagen and jumpstart hyper-pigmentation.
Cut Back on Dairy
Though in a vacuum dairy isn’t bad, people who are prone to acne should cut back on the dairy in their diet. A large number of people (over 65%) are lactose intolerant, which means they no longer have the enzyme that helps them digest it. This can lead to stomach cramps, diarrhoea, bloating and nausea.
Furthermore, in some people, dairy causes inflammation that can lead to an eruption of acne. If you have a diet that is high in dairy, you should go dairy free for a while and watch how your skin responds.
Miscellaneous
Apart from these main interventions, you should also ensure that you’re properly hydrated at all times. Drinking water often helps your body to continuously and efficiently flush out toxins which contribute to bad skin.
You should also up your omega-3 intake. Omega 3’s helps to reduce inflammation which can be a root cause of acne for some individuals. They also reduce stress and improve your ability to manage it which will also help with the condition of your skin.
Speaking of stress, exercise is another great stress reliever that also helps to increase and improve blood circulation, sending more oxygen to skin cells and ushering out toxins. But you must ensure that you shower and thoroughly wash your face after each session, otherwise, your hard work will just be going to waste. If going to the gym isn’t something that you’re particularly interested in, yoga is an excellent option – just get moving!
What’s Next?
Individually, these have incremental benefits, but if you want to truly move the needle with your acne, you must make LIFESTYLE changes incorporating a few (or all) of these suggestions.