Can These 3 Foods Help You Say Goodbye to Acne?
A large percentage of Americans—over 80%—struggle with acne on a daily basis.
Some cases are less severe than others.
Many dermatologists’ anti-acne protocols have remained the same for decades and offer short-term results.
Benzoyl peroxide, antibiotics, and Accutane can offer some relief, but often, acne returns. Sometimes, it seems like there is nothing you can do to stop the cycles of swollen, cystic, red skin.
Therapies that devastate the bacteria on the skin or leave behind a wounded digestive tract ultimately fail. And, finally, scientists are figuring out why.
Your Skin Reflects the Health of Your Inner Ecosystem
If you’re one of the 80% of Americans that struggle with chronic acne, there’s something you can do about it. Restoring your inner ecosystem can beautify your skin from the inside out and provide long-term acne relief.
A study published this past February in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology revealed that the skin houses both “bad” bacteria and “good” bacteria. The bad strains of bacteria cause mild to severe breakouts. The good strains of bacteria protect the skin. (1)
Huiying Li, leading the study, explains, “We learned that not all acne bacteria trigger pimples—one strain may help keep skin healthy.”
Just like the gut, the skin is its own ecosystem. The health of the skin then relies on a balanced ecosystem of bacteria and yeast.
Bacteria and yeast, on the skin or in the gut, communicate with our immune system. When the immune system is overwhelmed or triggered, it can cause redness, swelling, and pain. When healthy, it responds quickly and appropriately to stress.
The relationship between the immune system and bacteria is circular. The immune system can influence the bacteria on the skin and in the gut. The bacteria living on the skin and in the gut can influence the immune system.
And like the gut, certain bacteria benefit the tissue, while other bacteria can damage it. Also like the gut, an overgrowth of any bacteria—good or bad—can cause the skin to break out.
In spite of recent research, this information is not completely new. As far back as the 1930s, scientists have known that the gut and the skin share a unique relationship. In fact, studies from 1930 show that good gut bacteria can help heal inflamed skin. (2)
A more recent study from 2008 in the Journal of Dermatology confirms the special relationship that the skin and the gut share. (3)
In this study, researchers looked at a sample of 13,000 adolescents. Those with acne were more likely to complain of digestive troubles, like constipation and heartburn. Abdominal bloating and gas were 37% more likely to occur with acne.
3 Fermented Foods: The Answer for Beautiful Skin!
When you heal the lining of the gut and introduce good bacteria to it on a daily basis, you heal the skin.
Nothing could be more practical than a diet that looks after both your skin and your digestion.
Since Body Ecology focuses on healing the inner ecosystem, we offer many easy ways to correct digestion and incorporate beneficial bacteria and yeast into your daily routine:
1. Fermented Veggies
Eat a quarter cup with each meal. These are easy and fun to make with a Culture Starter.
2. Fermented Green Drinks
Vitality SuperGreen contains probiotics, prebiotics, and GlutImmune. GlutImmune is a super-potent form of glutamine—a must when healing the gut. Glutamine is a nutrient that specifically fuels the growth of damaged cells in the small intestine. Super Spirulina Plus is a great source of B vitamins and minerals that benefit the skin tone.
3. Fermented Liquids
Drink 4-6 ounces of coconut water kefir or InnergyBiotic per day. These bubbly, refreshing beverages inoculate the gut with good bacteria and beneficial yeast and curb sugar cravings.
What To Remember Most About This Article:
Sadly, more than 80% of Americans struggle with acne each and every day. Many products prescribed to treat the skin condition only offer temporary relief without a long-term solution.
Scientists have determined that the skin is its own ecosystem with both bad and good bacteria on the surface. Bad bacteria can cause acne breakouts, while good bacteria can help to protect the skin.
Bacteria and yeast on the skin and in the gut can communicate directly with your immune system, positively or negatively. It should come as no surprise that acne sufferers are more likely to have digestive issues; in one study, gas and abdominal bloating were 37% more likely to occur in cases of acne.
You can beautify your skin from the inside out as you heal your gut lining by enjoying:
- Fermented veggies that are easy to make at home with a Culture Starter.
- Fermented green drinks like Vitality SuperGreen and Super Spirulina Plus to heal the gut with probiotics, prebiotics, GlutImmune, B vitamins, and minerals.
- Fermented liquids like coconut water kefir and InnergyBiotic to restore gut health with good bacteria and beneficial yeast.
- [product id=”115″]
- [product id=”1″]
- [product id=”5″]
- [product id=”4″]
- [product id=”3″]
- [product id=”169″]
REFERENCES:
- Huiying Li, et al. Propionibacterium Acnes Strain Populations in the Human Skin Microbiome Associated with Acne. Journal of Investigative Dermatology aop, 2013. doi:10.1038/jid.2013.21.
- Stokes JH, Pillsbury DH. The effect on the skin of emotional and nervous states: theoretical and practical consideration of a gastrointestinal mechanism. Arch Dermatol Syphilol. 1930; 22: 962 – 993.
- H Zhang, et al. Risk factors for sebaceous gland diseases and their relationship to gastrointestinal dysfunction in Han adolescents. J Dermatol. 2008; 35: 555 – 561.
- EA Grice, et al. The skin microbiome. Nat Rev Microbiol. 2011 Apr;9(4):244-53.