Gut health is a hot topic right now in natural health circles, and for good reason…it affects just about every other system of our bodies! But particularly with regards to skin health, our gastrointestinal system (i.e. “gut”) is of crucial importance. There are three main mechanisms for this, which include inflammation, immunoreactivity and toxins, and we’ll be discussing all of them in this post. We’ll also be diving into the details of how your microbiome—the balance of good and bad bacteria that live in, on, and around our bodies—affect all of those parameters. Let’s dig in!
The Gut Microbiome
The word “microbiome” refers to the microbial colonies that live in, on and around the human body. [Microbes = bacteria and yeast] Modern researchers estimate that as few as 30% of our cells are actually human, which means the remaining 70% are actually bacteria. This is an incredible number, but when we factor in all the functions of these bacteria, it’s not that surprising. See, the vast majority of the cells in our digestive tracts—an estimated 39 trillion—are bacterial cells responsible for clearing up waste products. Not only do these bacteria clear up our own waste after we’re finished with the food we eat, but they also get rid of all the contaminating chemicals we come into contact with throughout our lives…things like pollution, plastics and more. Our bacteria help break these chemicals down so that they don’t wreak havoc on our health. They also break down our own bodily chemicals, like old, broken-down hormones that are past their prime, and red blood cells that are no longer functional. Our liver filters our blood of these toxins and deposits them into our intestines where it then becomes the job of our bacteria to take care of the rest.
Unfortunately, we don’t always have enough of the right kind of good bacteria; and sometimes those good bacteria are crowded out by bad bacteria. This isn’t necessarily pathogenic bacteria, like E. coli or Salmonella, though those too can be problematic. Dysbiotic and inflammatory bacteria like Group B beta-hemolytic streptococcus are also of concern. These dysbiotic bacteria take advantage of us if we consume something contaminated, if we take antibiotics, if we don’t have a diet that is adequate in diverse types of fiber, and more. Even stress can shift our microbiome and make us worse for the wear.
Our gut microbiome is also closely connected to our skin microbiome. That’s because, in all actuality, the human body is rather hollow. We are an open tube from the points of input (eyes/ears/nose/mouth) to the point of output (rectum) and those openings seamlessly blend into the exterior epidermis—that is, our skin. In this way, the microbial populations of our gut hold a profound influence over the microbial populations of our skin. Yes, our skin has a microbiome too, and it plays a big role in preventing and mitigating disease.
Inflammation
When we have an imbalance in good and bad bacteria, our good bacteria is no longer sufficient to do the job of “cleaning” up inflammation in our bodies. Our good bacteria produce anti-inflammatory chemicals like butyrate which help protect our bodies from inflammation. Likewise, overgrowth of inflammatory bacteria produce additional inflammation. Inflammation in the gut becomes inflammation in the blood and on the skin and feeds forward into flare ups of chronic skin conditions. These can include psoriasis, eczema, acne and rashes like those seen in autoimmune diseases. From hives and itching to flaking and dryness, the microbioe plays a role. If you have any of these chronic skin conditions and notice flare ups in periods of stress it’s because inflammation increases in response to chemical stressors in the body, and stress likewise affects the function of our microbiome!
Immunoreactivity
Another way that the microbiome affects skin is because of how those bacteria control inflammation: through the immune system. The good bacteria in our skin and our gut stimulate anti-inflammatory divisions of our immune system such as interleukins (i.e. IL-10, IL-17 and IL-22) which protect us from infection. Our microbiome also helps teach our immune system to distinguish between self and non-self as in the case of autoimmunity, and to develop tolerance to benficial exposures like food and food allergens. Breakdown of the microbiome, or a microbiome that doesn’t have the chance to develop properly early in life can all lead to immune system problems that may manifest as skin reactions. These can include the rashes seen in autoimmune diseases (malar rash) or skin-related allergic and intolerance reactions (hives, itching, swelling, redness.)
Toxins
A third way that the microbiome affects skin is through toxins. Here’s a somewhat unrelated example to illustrate the point: sometimes newborn babies develop jaundice which involves a yellowing of the skin. This is because at birth, new babies are filled with extra red blood cells from their mothers. These red blood cells die off rather quickly and if they aren’t broken down and cleared away through the (you guessed it) GI system, chemicals from the old cells such as bilirubin will build up in the blood stream and cause damage to other organs in the system. This bilirubin chemical is yellow which is why the skin begins to look yellow when it isn’t cleared away properly. Otherwise healthy babies who drink lots of milk and have frequent bowel movements in the early days are typically able to clear away this waste product in their stools no problem. But if they aren’t digesting and metabolizing properly, and if their gut microbiome is malfunctioning, the bilirubin and toxin buildup could become fatal.
Adults process bilirubin too, as we all make new red blood cells every 3 months. However bilirubin is far from the only toxin we need to clear out of our bodies. We make new hormones every day, and consume food that needs to be broken down every couple hours. All of these processes involve waste products that need to be cleared away from the gut. Breakdown in that clearance system due to imbalances in bacteria easily leads to problems like hormonal imbalances, which can manifest on the skin as redness, acne, and other blemishes.
Let’s take a closer look at eczema, for example. Eczema is very similar to an autoimmune disease, in that the immune system creates localized inflammation on the skin which worsens in response to different immunological triggers. Exposure to irritants and toxins, such as fragrance or detergents, may flare up the skin, inflammation tumbles out of control, and the immune system reacts all the more aggressively to the now broken-out skin. It tends to create a snowball effect once bad bacteria start colonizing the breakouts—namely Staphylococcus species which are responsible for the angry, rashy redness we so often associate with eczema. Treating a condition like eczema necessitates a combination strategy that is anti-inflammatory and immune modulating, but also requires a deeper look at toxic exposures and immune triggers which are all mediated by the GI tract.
In the early stages of a flare-up, however, sometimes a topical solution is necessary to calm things down enough to get to the root cause. We love ozonated olive oil in our home, and have created a product formulated with families (and children) in mind. Ozonated oils kill inflammatory bacteria like Staphylococcus and also directly stimulate immunological healing of damaged skin. This buys the time to figure out the root cause trigger and treat it holistically.
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I’m Dr. Alexandra MacKillop, a functional medicine physician, food scientist and nutrition expert.
I specialize in women’s health & hormones, addressing concerns like fertility, PCOS, endometriosis, dysmenorrhea (painful periods), PMS symptoms like bloating and mood changes and more.
If you’re looking for a new way to approach your health, I’m here to help you through it. Click to learn more.
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