8 science-backed foods to feed your gut:skin axis

Have you ever noticed changes in your skin after one too many alcoholic drinks? Or perhaps after a week of neglecting your 30-plant point goals? Spots, rashes, fine lines, and many other skin concerns have all been linked to how we treat our gut microbiota (GM). This is thanks to the gut:skin axis.

You may already be familiar with the gut’s relationship with the brain, but there’s also a two-way conversation going on between your microbes and your skin. When you think about it, the gut and skin have a lot in common. They’re both key players in defending the rest of our body from pathogenic invaders; they house a community of diverse microbes; and they are also in a constant state of renewal, with parts of their linings shedding roughly every week and month, respectively. Doing all this work for you means that they are both very hungry for good nutrition!

Our skin is an organ that relies on what we feed it to stay alive. One of the earliest observations of this dependency was with scurvy. A doctor in the eighteenth century discovered that citrus fruit (rich in vitamin C) could cure sailors of this disease, one of the first signs of which was skin rashes and bruise-like spots. Since then, scientists have discovered a lot more about this fascinating connection between our gut health and our skin, and found that there are a lot of other skin conditions which can be helped by looking at your diet…

Skin ageing

Even if you don’t have any specific skin problems, it’s worth knowing that the gut:skin axis is involved in something many of us would rather slow down – skin ageing. Polyphenols – the beneficial plant chemicals that mostly rely on our gut microbiome for absorption in the body (and therefore into the skin) – have been shown to improve the appearance of ageing. One study found that using polyphenols from cocoa (yes, that’s the key ingredient in 70%+ dark chocolate) showed reduced facial wrinkles and improved elasticity after just twenty-four weeks, while another found that eating more plants was linked with improved telomere length, which is a marker of ageing.

Acne

For skin conditions like acne, there is evidence to suggest that inadequate intake of ‘healthy’ plant-based foods and excessive consumption of the ‘unhealthy’ types – including fruit juice, white bread, and large quantities of non-fermented dairy (particularly skimmed milk) – may worsen acne by affecting hormones and other pathways. But it is important to note there is no indication that diet alone is the cause of acne, nor that moderate amounts of these foods as part of a varied diet will exacerbate acne. In fact, the pressure to achieve dietary ‘perfection’ can itself lead to breakouts due to the pesky stress hormone, cortisol. There is fascinating research emerging on topical probiotics as a therapy for acne. Although it’s still in the clinical trial phase – I’ll keep you updated when/ if it’s ready for translation. For more on probiotics join our mailing list here.

Skin and inflammation

Most of the communication between your skin and gut occurs via the immune system. This means that an unbalanced gut microbiome (dysbiosis) could trigger a response from the immune system. This response often manifests as inflammation, which is a natural defence mechanism against injury or illness. However, similar to the stress response, inflammation becomes problematic when it occurs too frequently or remains at a low level for an extended period. Many skin conditions – such as eczema, rosacea, acne, psoriasis, dermatitis, and even premature ageing – have inflammatory origins. Therefore, it stands to reason that a limited gut microbiome, lacking in diversity, could play a role in triggering these conditions. That being said, the role of diet mustn’t be overstated as a treatment, given there is currently no clinical evidence to suggest diet can ‘cure’ any of these conditions (outside of food allergy-related eczema).