Eczema and Gut Health: What Does the Research Say?
Dry skin is pretty common, especially as the weather starts to cool down and the air becomes more dry. However, eczema isn’t the same as normal dry skin, and it can show up no matter what season we’re in.
As we learn more about gut health, scientists have found that our gut is related to all kinds of health concerns, including depression, anxiety, and cognitive decline. Could our gut also play a part in skin conditions like eczema? Read on to find out.
What Is Eczema?
First, let’s define what eczema is. This skin condition may look similar to dry skin, but it’s generally much more severe.
Eczema is known for causing rough, scaly patches of skin, as well as redness, itchiness, and general irritation. In some cases, it may even cause clear fluid to weep from the affected patches of skin.
This skin condition isn’t contagious, but it can be very uncomfortable. It can often point to a problem with the skin microbiome since it can be caused by an overgrowth of bad bacteria on the skin.
Yes, you heard us right — there is a skin microbiome! Normally, all of the bacteria on our skin exist within a delicate balance. However, when that balance gets upset, things like eczema can start to show up.
How Can Gut Health Affect the Skin?
It can be strange to think about bacteria living on your skin, but it’s really quite normal. In fact, we have bacteria pretty much everywhere in our bodies, including in our intestines.
The gut microbiome is one of the largest and most important microbiomes in the body. This collection of bacteria is often called the “second brain” because of how much it can affect everything else in the body. One of the ways the gut can affect the body is by influencing the skin microbiome, opens in a new tab.
This relationship is called the gut-skin axis, and it goes both ways. The skin microbiome communicates with the gut microbiome and vice versa. Additionally, if the intestinal walls are too permeable, opens in a new tab, the body may absorb toxins from food, which can contribute to eczema and other skin disorders.
Can Poor Gut Health Cause Eczema?
Dermatologists agree that eczema is caused by an overgrowth of bad bacteria on the skin. It is often linked to a poorly functioning immune system and it can be a warning sign of more serious allergies and autoimmune conditions to come.
Gut health plays a key role in the immune system, so it’s no wonder that poor gut health is connected with skin issues like eczema. Having an overgrowth of bad bacteria in the gut can cause widespread inflammation and imbalances in the skin microbiome, which can ultimately cause eczema.
It doesn’t stop there, though. Poor gut health can also be the culprit behind many other skin conditions, opens in a new tab, such as psoriasis, rosacea, acne, and even alopecia.
How Can You Support Your Gut?
So, we’ve seen how gut health can influence skin health and contribute to eczema. But what can you do about it? Of course, it’s best to work with a doctor and a dermatologist to develop a treatment plan for your condition. However, you can also take some time to support your gut microbiome to form a multi-pronged approach.
Eat Fermented Foods
If your gut microbiome has more bad bacteria than good bacteria, you can easily support a healthy balance between the two by eating probiotic-rich foods. Probiotics are good gut bacteria that can colonize your small and large intestines to support good digestion, skin health, and mental health.
You can always take a probiotic supplement to control exactly how much of each bacteria you’re getting. Alternatively, there are plenty of foods out there that are fermented to contain exactly the types of bacteria we need.
These include the following:
- Sauerkraut
- Kimchi
- Kombucha
- Yogurt
- Miso
- Kefir
- Tempeh
- Apple cider vinegar
Eat Plenty of Fiber
Even gut bacteria need to eat! However, our gut microbes have a very specific diet made up of prebiotic fiber. This fiber forms a gel-like consistency that helps probiotics multiply, which can increase the levels of good gut bacteria in your microbiome.
Sources of prebiotic fiber include the following:
- Artichokes
- Bananas
- Garlic
- Onions
- Asparagus
- Leeks
- Dandelion greens
- Beans
- Berries
There are also some mushrooms that contain prebiotic fiber, such as lion’s mane mushroom. This mushroom is one of the key ingredients in our Mushroom Coffee+, which is specifically formulated to support gut and brain health. Our blend also features collagen protein, which can support our intestinal walls and encourage healthy nutrient absorption.
Manage Stress
Stress is unhealthy for so many reasons, but one of these reasons is that it can destroy the good bacteria, opens in a new tab in your gut. This may be one reason we tend to develop breakouts of pimples when we’re stressed or anxious.
Stress can also cause many people to turn to comfort food, which is often highly processed and harmful to the gut microbiome. Foods that contain alcohol, sugar, sugar substitutes, additives, preservatives, and other highly processed ingredients can cause even more issues with the gut.
We know that managing stress is easier said than done. However, even going on one 10-minute walk a day, practicing 10 minutes of meditation, or simply doing 10 minutes of yoga before bed can have a profound effect on your stress levels.
How Else Can You Support Your Skin?
Eczema can be extremely uncomfortable, and you may be tempted to buy new moisturizers and skincare products to address it. It’s very important to run each new skincare product by your dermatologist before you incorporate it into your routine because even “gentle” products can be irritating for skin that has been compromised.
In general, make sure you keep your skin hydrated, avoid harsh exfoliants and drying cleansers, and avoid picking at your eczema. If you follow your doctor’s treatment plan and support your overall gut health, you may experience some relief from the feelings of itchiness and irritation.
The Bottom Line
Eczema is no joke. This skin condition is known for causing red, dry, and irritated patches of skin — think of it like severe dry skin that doesn’t go away as easily. Eczema can be a mystery for some, but researchers have discovered one possible cause: gut dysregulation.
The gut and skin microbiomes communicate through the gut-skin axis, and it’s become an accepted fact in the dermatological community that the root cause of eczema can lie in the gut. To learn more about gut health and how you can support a healthy gut, visit the Everyday Dose blog, opens in a new tab today.
Sources:
Exploring the Gut-Skin Connection, opens in a new tab
Leaky gut: What is it, and what does it mean for you? | Harvard Health, opens in a new tab
Start your day The Right Way
