You are what you absorb

Gut-skin axis is the relationship between intestinal bacteria and skin health. Simply put, your gut microbiome determines the health of your skin. It shapes an individual’s tendency to dermatisis, acne, psoriasis, complexion, eczema etc. Skin-shield, night treatment, heavy duty moisturisers, there are enough products in the market but none addresses the root cause. Beauty lies within, most people have heard this saying but it just got a whole new meaning. It is easy to understand that if the gut is feeling irritated, inflamed or out of balance, it manifests first on your skin. Good skin is vital for a person’s feel good factor and interestingly serotonin the happy hormone is also produced in the gut. So clean up your internal health for radiant skin we say.

“Skin is the first line of defence and if something is wrong on the skin, there’s something else going on in your body,” says functional nutritionist Simran Gosain. That there is a connection between food and skin is an age-old knowledge.

But the fact that many skin conditions are inflammatory disorders of the auto-immune spectrum is a relatively newer research. Proper gut for proper skin, suggests Simran stressing a lot on regular pooping. “First clear the muddy waters and then replace with good food. Fermented food and fibre rich food are good for the gut-skin axis. Remove foods that cause inflammation like sugar. Bio-individuality plays an important role and one must observe and check for food sensitivities and symptom triggers.”

Dr Ruby Sachedev, aesthetic dermatologist also stresses on the gut-skin corelation, “Where do you think papaya facial, chocolate wax and Lactic acid peel exfoliation come from? For anti-ageing we ask our patients to have more anti-oxidant rich foods, for hair loss we recommend high protein diet. Keeping your gut healthy is the key to flawless, radiant skin,” she says. Pro and pre-biotics are effectively used for acne and even sun induced damage. So next time, instead of driving to the drug store, dial in on subtle signs that your body is giving you. Think about these 5 R’s: Remove, replace, re-inoculate, repair and rebalance.

Let’s give the gut the TLC it deserves with some Kombucha and Kimchi.