If This Happens To Your Skin, It Could Be A Sign Of An Unhealthy Gut
Your body is constantly communicating with you, whether you're listening or not. Maybe you get sweaty palms when you're feeling nervous or a headache if you aren't drinking enough water. Your body is incredibly intelligent and constantly sending signals to let you know what imbalances may be happening within.
Because your skin is your largest organ, it can act as a canvas for your body to send messages and let you know whether your system is working at an optimal level, according to WebMD. This is especially true when talking about gut health.
Your gut plays an essential role in almost every aspect of your well-being, including your skin (via Healthline). Chris Kresser, co-director of the California Center for Functional Medicine, said via the Revolution Health Radio Show, "Regardless of the skin condition, it could be acne vulgaris or acne rosacea or dermatitis or psoriasis or eczema — any number of different skin conditions — they're often connected to a gut problem."
What you can do about gut-related skin problems
When lifestyle, diet, or disease affect the balance of bacteria in your gut, there's a good chance it could show up on your face. There is even something called the "gut-skin axis," which describes how our gut and skin communicate. According to a 2021 study published in the journal Microorganisms, many common skin problems like acne, psoriasis, dandruff, eczema, rosacea, and even alopecia can be attributed to poor gut health.
If you suffer from any of these skin issues, you may want to take a look at your current diet and lifestyle. Are you eating a lot of processed foods or drinking a lot of alcohol? Have you been under a lot of stress, procrastinating on exercise, or not getting enough sleep? All of these things are associated with an unhealthy gut (per Healthline).
To improve your gut health and, therefore, your skin, try upping your physical activity, start prioritizing sleep, and think about incorporating some stress management techniques like meditation into your routine. You can also tweak your eating habits to ensure you're ingesting plenty of gut-friendly foods like bananas, raspberries, beans, asparagus, and yogurt (via Eating Well).