Our Gut is the body's command center; it is where our immune system, digestive enzymes, and metabolic rate all begin. When inflamed, stressed, or overwhelmed, it will communicate through the skin that there is a problem, resulting in flare-ups, skin rashes, dry skin, brain fog, swelling, and much more. Over 84 million people across the nation deal with some skin condition, but society doesn't know the connection between gut health and our skin. In this article, I am going to share with you the science-backed guide to healthy skin and what are some probable causes of autoimmune conditions like psoriasis and eczema.
What is Psoriasis & Eczema?
Psoriasis is a disease that affects more than 3% of the population. It is a skin condition that causes patches of itchy, dry skin. There is no known root cause, but it is an autoimmune condition believed to be caused by a compromised microbiome. With Psoriasis, you can have flare-ups where your immune system causes advanced skin cell growth, which speeds up the skin's cycle, causing the skin to become itchy and dry. This is mainly connected to a condition called leaky gut.
A leaky gut is when your gut permeability is compromised, causing toxins from your diet and digestive tract to leak into your body. Your body recognizes these toxins as foreign objects, which causes an inflammatory response. Your immune system then attacks the object, leading to Psoriasis.
Eczema is connected to a dysfunctional microbiome. This means you don't have the diverse bacteria you need to break down and absorb nutrients properly. Eczema has been linked to high stress and a highly refined, sugary diet. When these two are in combination, the risk of eczema is worse. Also, ingredients like guar gum, carrageenan, MSG, sugar, and others have all been associated with leaky gut, which is a contributor to Psoriasis.
How Do Autoimmune Conditions Develop in Our Gut?
The Research states that when our immune system detects an attack, it stimulates our immune system to try to protect us. However, if there is enough damage present within our immune system, it can cause the body to attack healthy and unhealthy cells simultaneously, resulting in an autoimmune response.
Theoretically, this is connected to how our microbiome functions; the better your microbiome can function, the better your immune system can detect which cells are foreign versus unhealthy; now genetics and environmental stressors also apply. It has been stated that when an individual is under high amounts of external stress (Trauma, emotional stress, anxiety, depression), it can increase stress on our microbiome, increasing the risk of autoimmune responses.
When this type of stress is combined with a highly processed food diet and a sedentary lifestyle, it could result in a nutrient-deficient microbiome, compromising your immune system. If you are struggling with skin conditions, joint pain, fatigue, or weight management issues, please seek medical attention to receive the correct diagnosis.
How to Improve Your Gut Health Naturally
Our gut is the beginning of every metabolic function in our body. Taking the proper steps to care for our microbiome will ensure that we are protected from autoimmune conditions, metabolic dysfunction, and more. Improving our microbiome starts with what we choose to feed our gut health.
Probiotics: There are many types of probiotics, but they are bacterial strains that help to feed your microbiome the nutrients that help to keep your immune system balanced and break down certain foods like lactose, fiber, grains, and much more. You can find probiotics in fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, tempeh, etc. By incorporating 1-2 servings of these foods a day in your diet the better your microbiome can stay balanced.
Prebiotics: Prebiotics are fiber found in fruits and vegetables that contain antioxidants, polyphenols, digestive enzymes, and more that help the probiotics do their job. The more nutrient diversity your microbiome has, the better it can break down food and absorb the nutrients necessary for you to remain balanced.
Microbiome test: Getting your gut health tested is a great way to see where you are and what is happening within your microbiome. You can ask your doctor for a microbiome test, or you can look at sites like Everlywell and Function Health, where they have some at-home tests that you can do and then take your results to your doctor for a proper assessment.
Minerals: Minerals like sodium, potassium, zinc, chromium, selenium, and copper all help with gut permeability, digestive motility, and proper hydration. The more your gut is hydrated, the better it can recognize nutrients, digest food, and absorb nutrients. I recommend taking electrolytes daily for proper hydration of your microbiome, just because the ingredients make for a great and tasty product.
Magnesium: Magnesium is one of the most essential minerals for our gut health; this is also responsible for digestive motility and the proper balance of hormones that help regulate our mood and cravings. A way to see if you are deficient in magnesium is to see if you crave chocolate before bed. If so, try taking some magnesium. It could help alleviate those cravings because the main nutrient in dark chocolate is magnesium. (Magnesium product)
Sleep: Sleep is when your gut health is restored, your immune system builds antibodies, breaks down food, restores your neurotransmitters, and recovers your muscles, tissues, and much more. Ensuring you get enough sleep each night is crucial for your microbiome. It is recommended to get 6-8 hours a night. Falling asleep at 9:00 p.m. will allow you enough time to get into REM sleep, which is crucial for your microbiome. So try to get to sleep at the same time each night.
Take Away
Your microbiome is one of the most essential parts of your physiology. The better you can grow to understand how it works and what will help to keep it balanced, the better you can improve your physical and mental well-being. Start small by incorporating the probiotics and prebiotics, getting enough sleep, and then grow from there.
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