In recent years, the importance of gut health has gained significant attention, not only for its role in digestion but also for its far-reaching effects on other aspects of our health, including our skin and mental well-being.

Many of my clients who suffer from ongoing skin conditions also frequently suffer from neurological disorders, so I want to discuss how the gut-skin-anxiety connection works and what you can do to support your gut for better skin and a calmer mind.

Understanding the Gut Microbiome

The gut microbiome is a complex community of trillions of microorganisms living in our intestines. These microbes play crucial roles in digestion, immune function, and the production of essential nutrients. The balance of these microorganisms can significantly impact various aspects of our health, including skin conditions and mental health. There are actually more micro flora in our gut than cells in our whole body!

The Gut-Brain Axis

The gut-brain axis is a bidirectional communication system between the gut and the brain. It involves multiple pathways such as the nervous system, immune system, and hormonal signalling. This connection is why gut health affects mental well-being and why stress and anxiety can impact digestive health.

The Gut-Skin Axis

The gut-skin axis is the relationship between gut health and the health of our skin. An imbalance in the gut microbiome, known as dysbiosis, can lead to skin issues like acne, eczema, and psoriasis. This connection is mediated through the immune system, as inflammation in the gut can trigger inflammatory responses in the skin.

How Gut Health Affects Skin and Anxiety

Inflammation

Chronic inflammation is a common thread linking gut health, skin conditions, and anxiety. Dysbiosis can lead to increased intestinal permeability (thinning of the intestinal walls), often referred to as “leaky gut.” This condition allows harmful substances (basically allowing our poop) to enter the bloodstream, triggering systemic inflammation that affects the skin and brain.

Immune System

A significant portion of our immune system resides in the gut. An imbalanced gut microbiome can compromise immune function, leading to an increased susceptibility to skin infections and inflammatory skin conditions. Add to that, an overactive immune response can contribute to anxiety and mood disorders.

Neurotransmitter Production

The gut microbiome plays a role in the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which are crucial for regulating our mood.

Serotonin, often called the “feel-good” neurotransmitter, is predominantly produced in the gut. An unhealthy gut can disrupt the production of these neurotransmitters, contributing to anxiety and other mental health issues.

Strategies to Support Gut Health for Better Skin and Reduced Anxiety

Probiotics and Prebiotics

• Probiotics: Are beneficial bacteria found in fermented foods like pot set yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi. Although these are good sources of good bacteria -to actively heal and fix the gut – you must first take high dose probiotic supplements to help restore balance to the gut microbiome.
• Prebiotics: Are non-digestible fibres found in foods like garlic, onions, bananas, and asparagus. They feed beneficial gut bacteria, helping to promote their growth and activity. Ideally, when starting off your gut healing process you should take a prebiotic powder.

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

• An anti-inflammatory diet rich in whole foods will reduce systemic inflammation and support gut health.

 Focus mainly on adding to your diet

• Fruits and Vegetables: Focus mainly on increasing your vegetable intake over your fruit intake – increase vegetables in your diet so that you consume 70 % of your overall daily intake of food as vegetables with a small amount of fruit in there. Vegetables are needed for a healthy gut because they are high in antioxidants, sulforaphanes and fibre.
• Whole Grains: This doesn’t mean eat glyphosate sprayed wheat (which is all non-organic wheat). Eat whole grains such as gluten free oats, quinoa, brown rice and seeded gluten free bread (eat the bread in moderation). These provide essential nutrients and fibre.
• Healthy Fats: Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, flaxseeds, chia seeds and walnuts reduce inflammation. Also, add an avocado to your daily diet or add a tablespoon full of avocado oil to your salad dressing or morning smoothie.
• Lean Proteins: Eat fresh non farmed fish – the way they are farmed is unhealthy for them and unhealthy for you. Grass fed beef, lamb and free-range chicken – if the animal leads a terrible and unhealthy life – it will lack nutrients and are often full of poisonous chemicals which you in turn will consume. Free range eggs – are loaded with vitamin D – but the chickens must be free range – not free range in a barn. Protein is important for tissue repair and immune function.
• Add superfoods to your diet for full body healing and the most amazing skin!

Remove from your diet

• Processed foods – tomato sauces, chips, crackers, biscuits, health food bars, premade sauces – they are all loaded with sugar, corn syrup, starches, emulsifiers, gluten and dairy.
• Sugar – it is as addictive as cocaine and is poison to our bodies
• Dairy – is highly inflammatory – sorry – yes – so is yoghurt.
• Gluten – because we do not eat the same wheat our ancestors did – this wheat is hard to digest and most of the time sprayed with toxic Glyphosate.
• Chemical based skincare and chemical based haircare and chemical based house cleaners and washing detergents – 90% of what we apply to our skin enters our body and effects all of our organs.

Hydration

Adequate hydration is crucial for maintaining gut health and supporting skin hydration. Drinking enough filtered water helps keep the digestive system functioning smoothly and flushes out toxins. Start every day off with a drink of warm filtered lemon water – easy enough to do – fill a glass with warm water and add slices or chunks of lemon to the water – or squeeze ½ lemon into the water – this is not only detoxifying – it also increases the bodies’ hydration levels. Chlorophyll is also incredibly important for detoxification of the body and increasing the body’s hydration levels.

Stress Management

Chronic stress can negatively impact gut health and exacerbate both skin conditions and anxiety. And although managing stress is often easier said than done – at least start off by incorporating stress-reducing practices such as:

• Regular Exercise: Boosts endorphins and reduces stress levels by also lowering cortisol levels.
• Mindfulness and Meditation: Helps calm the mind and reduce anxiety – it brings you into the now and gets you away from your phone and computer screen- both which are linked to increased cortisol levels.
• Adequate Sleep: Sleep is more important than we think it is – it allows our nervous system to heal, regenerates all the cells in our body, lowers cortisol levels, improves our happiness levels and boosts our immune system.
• Reduce alcohol and caffeine: No one wants to hear this – but caffeine is one of the worst offenders when it comes to setting off anxiety – NEVER drink coffee on an empty stomach in the morning – it will set you up for a day riddled with anxiety, dehydrates your skin and causes the skin to look flat and lifeless.

Nutrients for anxiety and skin health

• Magnesium: is one of the most essential minerals for our health, it is extremely deficient in our foods today due to our over farmed soil being deficient. It is important for relaxation and stress management; it regenerates cells so is important for the skin’s cellular renewal. Sources include organic leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. I recommend you take it as a powder daily – it is too hard to eat enough organic foods to access enough magnesium as we ideally need.
• B Vitamins: particularly B6 and B12, are vital for brain health. Foods rich in these vitamins include free range eggs and free-range red meat. If you are a vegetarian or vegan – even if you are not – I recommend you take Spirulina tablets to naturally increase your B12 levels as well as your iron levels.
• Vitamin D: Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to mood disorders. Sun exposure is the best way to get a good dose of vitamin D and foods like fatty fish, and eggs can help boost vitamin D levels. If you don’t get at least 20 minutes of sunshine on your skin (without sunscreen) daily I highly recommend you take a supplement.
• Zinc: This mineral plays a role in brain function and skin repair and can be found in foods like oysters, organic beef, organic pumpkin seeds, and organic lentils. If you are not sure if you need zinc – go to the health food store or a good holistic pharmacy and get a zinc test.

If you need more help choosing the correct steps to help you achieve glowing skin, a healthy gut and calm mental health – book a glowing skin and wellness consultation via zoom with me!

Yvette xx

Thank you for reading my blog!

Hi! 

I am Yvette van Schie, I am a holistic beauty therapist, skin nutritionist, skincare developer and makeup artist. I am passionate about sharing real beauty advice with a whack of reality.

For over 30 years I have worked with the best in the beauty and health industry as a trainer, educator  and product formulator and I still do – so my knowledge is diverse – I am not blinkered when sharing my information with you because everyone I speak to shares what they know, and I turn it into easy to digest information because I want my readers to feel empowered to make their own decisions and to feel that they are fully in control of their beauty and well being.