I’m preparing for my talk at the upcoming Wise Traditions Conference in Santa Clara, CA on November 10th. I’ll speaking on the “gut-brain-skin axis”, a fascinating topic that I’ve been exploring for some time. I hope some of you will be able to come to the conference, but I thought I’d share a little slice of my research here for those of you who can’t. (If you don’t make the conference and want to watch my entire presentation, I believe the Weston A. Price Foundation sells DVDs of the talks after the fact.)
I’ve discussed the gut-brain axis several times on my radio show, and I’ve at least mentioned the triangular connection between the gut, brain and skin. In this post I’d like to go a little deeper on the gut-skin connection.
And as a clinician who works with people on these conditions, I’d go as far as to say this:
If you want to heal your skin, you have to heal your gut.
Associations between Gut Disorders and Skin Conditions
Epidemiological evidence shows a clear association between gut problems and skin disorders. A recent report indicated that small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), a condition involving inappropriate growth of bacteria in the small intestine, is 10 times more prevalent in people with acne rosacea than in healthy controls, and that correction of SIBO in these individuals led to marked clinical improvement. (1) 14% of patients with ulcerative colitis and 24% of patients with Crohn’s disease have skin manifestations. (Interestingly enough, a study just came out showing that a drug normally used to treat psoriasis is also effective for Crohn’s disease.) Celiac disease also has cutaneous manifestations, such as dermatitis herpetiformis, which occurs in 1/4 of celiac sufferers. Celiacs also have increased frequency of oral mucosal lesions, alopecia and vitiligo. (2)
How Altered Gut Function Impacts the Skin
In a study way back in 1916, acne patients were more likely to show enhanced reactivity to bacterial strains isolated from stool. 66 percent of the 57 patients with acne in the study showed positive reactivity to stool-isolated bacteria compared to none of the control patients without active skin disease. 1 In a more recent study involving 80 patients, those with acne had higher levels of and reactivity to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) endotoxins in the blood. None of the matched healthy controls reacted to the e. coli LPS, while 65% of the acne patients had a positive reaction. Both of these studies suggest that increased intestinal permeability is an issue for a significant number of acne patients. (4)
Speaking of permeable barriers: most of you have heard of leaky gut by now, but what about “leaky skin”? The main function of the skin is to act as a physical, chemical and antimicrobial defense system. Studies have shown that both stress and gut inflammation can impair the integrity and protective function of the epidermal barrier. This in turn leads to a decrease in antimicrobial peptides produced in the skin, and an increase in the severity of infection and inflammation in the skin. (5)
The gut flora also influences the skin. Substance P is a neuropeptide produced in the gut, brain and skin that plays a major role in skin conditions. An altered gut microbiome promotes the release of substance P in both the gut and the skin, and probiotics can attenuate this response. (6) The gut microbiota influences lipids and tissue fatty acid profiles, and may influence sebum production as well as the fatty acid composition of the sebum. (7) This may explain why a Russian study found that 54% of acne patients have significant alterations to the gut flora (8), and a Chinese study involving patients with seborrheic dermatitis also noted disruptions in the normal gut flora. 2
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Probiotics Improve Skin Conditions
The first formal case report series on the value of using lactobacilli to treat skin conditions was published in 1961 by a physician named Robert Siver. He followed 300 patients who were given a commercially available probiotic and found that 80 percent of those with acne had some clinical improvement. 3 In a more recent Italian study involving 40 patients, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum in addition to standard care led to better clinical outcomes than standard care alone. (9) And another recent study of 56 patients with acne showed that the consumption of a Lactobacillus fermented dairy beverage improved clinical aspects of acne over a 12-week period. (10)
The beneficial effect of probioitics on skin may explain why pasteurized, unfermented dairy is associated with acne, but fermented dairy is not. I haven’t seen any studies on raw dairy and skin conditions, but my guess is that it wouldn’t be associated either. Orally consumed probiotics reduce systemic markers of inflammation and oxidative stress, both of which are elevated locally in those with acne. (11) Oral probiotics can also regulate the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines within the skin. (12) The fermentation of dairy reduces levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) by more than four-fold. (13) This is significant because studies show that acne is driven by IGF-1, and IGF-1 can be absorbed across colonic tissue. (14) This would be particularly problematic when increased intestinal permeability is present, which as I mentioned above is often the case in people with acne.
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- Strickler A, Kolmer JA, Schamberg JF: Complement fixation in acne vulgaris. J Cutaneous Dis 1916, 34:166-78. ↩
- Zhang H, Yu L, Yi M, Li K: Quantitative studies on normal flora of seborrhoeic dermatitis. Chin J Dermatol 1999, 32:399-400. ↩
- Siver RH: Lactobacillus for the control of acne. J Med Soc New Jersey 1961, 59:52-53. ↩
I have for sure noticed this, and I have been diag’d with IBS, Systemic candida and PN from taking a too strong antibiotic with caused gene expression in mdna and the other matters. I started taking probiotics and monolaurin w olive leaf. They help. However, fermented food esp Sourdough Gluten free, causes tingling and stomach upset, foggy head etc. I think this is what they refer to as die off, and I then break out, goes away within 3 days. I eat NO processed foods, NO otc meds. Eat GF and organic very low carb starch sugar.
GO GLUTEN-FREE! Before I started listening to Chris I read Wheat Belly by Dr. Davis. I went gluten-free and about 90% Primal at age 54. My face and skin looked better in about 6 weeks and I had acne at some level most of my life. I told my 23 year old daughter who had struggled with acne for years to try it…again, gluten-free has worked wonders for her. Her acne cleared within 2 weeks! She still eats a lot of carbs but the gluten-free approach has changed her whole attitude!
Hi, I have a history of ulcerative colitis for the last 14 years at least. 6 years ago, I started to get eczema and initially it was all over my body, it then settled back to a mainly legs. In 2012, I ate a bowl of coconut cream yoghurt that I had cultured from water kefir. I made the mistake of eating the whole bowl, as did my partner. My partner had no issues, but I had severe vomiting for 6 hours the next morning, migraine for a week, and chronic fatigue and weight loss (13kgs). My eczema disappeared completely! I assume that the die off from the pathogenic bacteria in my gut produced a toxic substance that went through the lining of my intestine (leaky gut) and into the portal vein to the liver. My liver was overwhelmed. I had ascites and blown up ankles and feet. I have been gradually feeling better. A few months ago, the eczema returned. I would appreciate any information at all on this subject because the doctors and specialists I have seen know nothing of leaky gut and autoimmune issues. Thanks so much. Peter
Nobody can convince me there is no connection between gut & skin. I’ve seen it on myself. For years I suffered with acne – mostly in the chin area, no sooner would a zit go away that another would pop up. During the same time, a gastroenterologist ordered tests 7 ways from Sunday: endoscopy, colonoscopy, barium swallow, etc. Having ruled out stuff this way, dx’d me with IBS, and said diet would have ‘minimal impact in IBS’ – just avoid stress, eat more fiber – the usual. It wasn’t till months later that I ran across the FODMAP info for IBS… Months into it now, not only does my stomach feel largely better, but the acne has cleared. I’m sure some docs would say it’s simple coincidence- I don’t buy it. Kresser is a great source of info, and a refreshing, logical point of view.
Hi Helen.. You problem may be not too much bacteria but the wrong sort of bacteria. There are now topical probiotics that can be used for direct application on the skin. They usually use a robust external species like Bacilus Subtilus (also used to promote plant growth and prevent fungal infections and no refridgeratio required).
As with internal probiotics, the good bacteria stop the growth of pathogenic or problem causing bacteria. Used as a cleanser or cosmetic enhancement, the bacteria eat dead skin and sebum in a natural process that promotes cellular turnover. The lack of healthy bacteria on the skin is often a problem for people with skin issues these days as so many things are anti-bacterial. This creates a situation where any bad bacteria left or landing on the skin can, within hours, take over.
As I understand it, bacteria are the first layer of protection on the skin, next is the dead skins cells and sebum. Reguarly swamp the skin with good bacteria and slowly they will restore a healthy balance.
There are a number of products starting to appear. A quick web search popped this up..
https://www.chrisal.net/pipskincleanser/
These guys also have a spray for the bed that provides chemical free probiotic control of dustmites. The poop from those little buggers can also trigger all sorts of skin and allergy issues.
I was diagnosed with IBS in 1998, 2001 diary & wheat/gluten intolerance, as a celiac in 2010 and during that time I’ve always had bad skin, it’s always been very dry and flaky and very sensitive. I’ve been on herbs and high dose probiotics since 2011 and yes my skin is better in that it’s not so sensitive but it is still very dry but I still have gut problems. I believe it’s a bacterial over grow however early this year I had some test which came back with adrenal fatigue. I don’t know if the bacteria have drained the adrenals or if the adrenals were already poor functioning thus allow bacteria to over develop.
Is their a significant connection between low stomach acid, roscea type facial rash, food allergies and cognitve problems (foggy thinking).
Ever since i had a skin infection on my face since using a dirty razor, i get breakouts on the sides of my mouth only. I have tried to research this but i never got breakouts in this area before until i used antibiotics and i feel its more then my diet. its never more then 2 or 3 red ones and sometimes small skin colored pimples. only on the side of my mouth mostly on the ride side of my face. and im tired of this. was this because of the antibiotics?
Chris I recently was diagnosed with high cholesterol (which I refused the medication for as it is expected by eating with Gaps protocol). I did the GAPS intro diet for about 2 months to heal acid reflux. That worked fine and I also lost 15 lbs in the process! I started to incorporate regular food back into the diet while still continuing with raw milk cultured products like kefir, yogurt, sour cream, as well as coconut oil, ghee, and mostly organic fruits and veggies, quality beef, chicken and eggs. I developed a rash on my forehead which didn’t concern me too much as my bangs hid it. Then it started spreading down my nose onto my cheeks and I panicked. I used some antifungal cream without much success. I am still dealing with this rash. I am wondering if it’s the wheat causing my problems. A couple of days ago I decided to again eliminate the wheat from my diet. I read in earlier posts about fats not being absorbed by the body. Then this morning I had mucus in my stool. Do you think this is due to excessive fat in the diet, it not being properly digested, or the previously eaten wheat causing irritation?
In my case I had what was diagnosed as a sub type of Rosacea which I considered to mild to moderate.I had this condition for number of years and was then treated for a stomach ulcer which had a benificial impact on my over all digestive system. It also had a huge influence on my Rosacea to the point where it was non exsistent. After about 6 months I have started to have stomach issues again, although not to the same degree, and I also have some minor issues, at this stage, with my Rosacea. I certainly feel that the two are interconnected.
Thanks, Chris, for all of the informative articles. I have been working with a nutritionalist and she pointed me to your podcasts and website. It has been a nearly overwhelmingly rich source of information.
I have suffered from acne since puberty (I’m 28 now), and only birth control kept it at bay (but never completely eradicated it). I curse the modern medical world now, for I was on those poisonous pills for 8 years, doing god knows what to my gut. Not surprisingly, through my journey of health and getting back to natural basics, I abolished the pill and my acne flared up with a wicked vengeance.
I have now been dealing with the physical and emotional fallout for two years with extremely limited improvement. I have been through paleo, gluten-free, autoimmune paleo, low carb, raw, and even juice and anti-candida cleanses. I’ve been tested for food allergies, hormone levels, etc, and I have Hashimoto’s (thanks to your podcast – I never would have suspected my Armour of containing fillers with cornstarch and GLUTEN!!!). My standard diet is nearly impeccable (organics, grass-fed, lots of veggies, etc), though I do stray from time to time, and I’ve found sugar and alcohol result in the most flare-ups. I’ve tested negative for SIBO, though I strongly believe I have issues with candida, and my gut transition time is far less than optimal, so I know this is my ultimate issue. Taking apple cider vinegar/betaine before every meal has helped with digesting food, and my skin is REALLY soft and smooth.. but my acne stubbornly remains! I even do the castor/olive oil wash at night with the occasional honey/cinnamon mask.
I’ll keep experimenting, and I’ll try focusing on some of these recommended minerals and vitamins, but I must say, I’m close to giving it all up for hopeless. I’m sick of all the eliminations from my diet, and I feel simply miserable whenever I’m actually doing something that shows some minimal improvement for my skin (which is why I never stick with it for long…). So far, I’ve had no luck with two naturopaths (one specializing in gut health), three acupuncturists, a nutritionalist, and drowning in self-driven internet research :'( I’m new to your site, though, so perhaps there’s something here I have yet to try….
Armour Thyroid does not contain gluten.
The inactive ingredients of Armour:
calcium stearate – “carboxylate of calcium that is found in some lubricants and surfactants; also the main component of soap scum” (Wikipedia)
dextrose – “Referred to as high fructose corn syrup, invert sugar and corn syrup” (Livestrong)
microcrystalline cellulose – “a term for refined wood pulp and is used as a texturizer, an anti-caking agent, a fat substitute, an emulsifier, an extender, and a bulking agent” (Wikipedia)
sodium starch glycolate – “the sodium salt of carboxymethyl ether, of rice, potato, WHEAT, or corn origin” (Drugs.com)
opadry white (titanium dioxide) – food coloring (Wikipedia)
Lots of scary stuff.. which is why I’m working to get off it 🙂
Almost all sources referring to the Armour formulation say no gluten. I take the Canadian version of Armour called ERFA thyroid with far less ingredients anyway.
Based on my experience you are trying to get off the one thing that can reverse a lot of your problems once you reach the right dosage. Gut transit time, low stomach enzymes, candida and acne… classic under-treated hypothyroidism.
If your body temperature is chronically low then chances are you are still suffering hypo symptoms. Good luck!
By the way… I’m not seeing where Chris says that Armour has gluten in it.
https://chriskresser.com/3-steps-to-choosing-the-right-thyroid-hormone
He mentions it briefly during this podcast:
https://www.askthelowcarbexperts.com/2012/03/10-all-things-thyroid-thyroid-101-chris-kresser/
While talking about Armour changing their formula, about 55 minutes in.
I appreciate your feedback. I’ve been on Armour for years, and I’m convinced most of my symptoms are more derived from candida and poor gut health than thyroid, though I know they’re both extremely similar and very interwoven (chicken or egg?? :)). (I have always had low body temperature, too…) Other techniques haven’t worked well for me, so I’m trying to get my body back to absolute bare basics and work up from there. I was on a high dose (3 grains daily), and I have brought it down to half that (over the course of several months), without noticeable adverse effects (the acne has remained unchanged). This lends credence to my experiment, so I’ll keep going and hope for the best.
Also, per the aforementioned podcast, I am also working back in some moderate level of carbs. I feel better when I have some (versus none), so it’s a matter of eating the right ones and all in moderation. It’s a constant journey.
At least I’m oddly motivated by previous above posts by “Johnny” – hearing him so despondent only makes me more determined to actually beat this thing 🙂
My thyroid problems started about 12 years ago. After a year or more trying to reverse the Hashimoto’s with various doctors and various protocols…my food allergies that had arisen during all this body stress gave me full blown leak gut syndrome. I looked like I had cancer… dark rings, dehydration, incredible fatigue.
After frustrating and expensive fruitless visits to some of the best doctors around the country I had the same thought as you do; get back to basics. Quit listening to the alternative doctors that wanted only to aggressively treat the ‘symptoms’ of a body in distress (like candida) instead of focusing on finding the root of the problem.
To me Candida is a downstream problem. Candida for instance can be cleared up with an antibiotic in about 48 hours, but of course will come back if your immune system is impacted by under-functioning thyroid, vitamin/mineral imbalances it causes not to mention the gut bacteria disruption that comes with it.
Back to basics to me is to clear up nutritional deficiencies with organic food, supplements and IV’s, avoid foods you’re allergic too and balance your thyroid hormone until at least the most notorious of hypo symptom disappear… constipation, dry hair, low body temperature. When I did that the clouds parted after a decade of jumping from one thing to the next to ‘cure’ my ‘mysterious’ health issues. Everyone made their money off of me along the way.
If one more doctor with dollar signs in his eyes presented another mercury detox to me I was going to choke someone. With my body temperature being chronically low despite 3 grains of Armour it was obvious that I was still hypo… there is just no other explanation. The thyroid is controlling the body thermostat. If the furnace is out you suspect the thermostat first if you’re truly wanting to get down to basics.
I had a host of other hypo symptoms like you do. With doctor supervision I finally reached the dosage where my body found balance. The color came back to my face… I no longer had a yellow cast to my skin because the beta carotine was now converting to vit-A. My gut transit time corrected itself. I feel better now than I have in ten years. I no longer have adult acne or the sensitive skin that wouldn’t even let me use chapstick or hair products without breaking out.
The Gluten problem looks like its here to stay according to regular anti-body tests. Avoiding gluten had no impact on my thyroid and certainly hasn’t allowed me to lower hormone dosage. My TPO antibodies show my thyroid is no longer under the intense attack it once was… maybe due to gluten avoidance?? Could just as easily be the correcting of my B12/folate deficiency that I keep on top of that has quieted the gene that causes hashi’s in the first place. Thats a whole different discussion.
I agree candida is a downstream issue. However, I also believe hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s to also be downstream issues, which is why I’m trying to correct the underlying problem. All of my research and years of jumping from one ailment to the next has led me to overall gut health. However, as a disclaimer to any reading this, i certainly do not represent the entire populous, and the “root cause” will undoubtably be completely different for others. For me, I believe I am not absorbing the nutrients I need, leading to a whole host of other issues. I certainly know my diet is near-impeccable, and I should otherwise be the poster child of health.
Through years of antibiotics and the standard American diet, I have all but destroyed my gut to where it no longer serves me. I have made some progress starting at the beginning of the process, mentally preparing myself to rest and focus on my food, then by increasing my stomach acid with betaine and apple cider vinegar. I have seen slight improvements in my overall health through these measures. Now I’m down to the intestines, and that’s my next area of focus.
As others have mentioned, I’ve seen many doctors, both western and alternative, and like others, I generally take bits from each that speak to me and have worked for me. No one is like anyone else, and no doctor – no matter the experience – will EVER know your body better than YOU. Part of my process has been to really become in tune with what my body needs, and go from there.
I do think it’s also worth mentioning that right from the start, I have always tested within the “normal” range for TSH, T3, and T4. However, my first lab results showed off-the-charts antibodies (with a normal range being 20-40ish, I was in the 400s) – hello, Hashimoto’s! My most recent tests, after drastically changing my lifestyle and regular eating habits, are now down to about 62. I’ll be curious to test again now that I’ve decreased my dose of Armour.
I hear that quite often that people are going to change their thyroid hormone so drastically like they’re talking about cutting butter from their diets. If I cut a quarter to half a grain I would be laid up in a week.
My TSH has never been over six and most of the time during the worst of it was in the three range. I don’t look at TSH anymore I only watch free T3 and free T4. Both need to be in the high range of normal for me to function normally.
Hashimoto’s maybe downstream but if you have the gene variation that can cause it then you could question what caused the gene to express itself. With the faulty gene you were given a vase with a flaw in it and a stress has caused a crack in the vase and the water is flowing out. This is a different type of fix that’s needed. Research methylation of DNA to try to reverse this event. It’s already a herculean effort to try to accomplish this let alone making yourself even more hypo and then attempting it.
If you are really focused on Armour being a gluten source because an acupuncturist may have mentioned it online perhaps you need to switch to ERFA brand from Canada with far less ingredients.. I see no basis for the gluten claim.
Are you eating all your meat raw?
When you say in your article, that the role of the skin is to act as an “antimicrobial defense system”, you give the impression that the skin is antimicrobial rather than it requiring it’s own natural mico-biome to protect you.. I agree that research supports internal probiotics being effective for certain skin issues and overall skin health. But my understanding is that many problem skin conditions are caused by regular assaults on the skin using agents that are truly antimcirobial. Astringents, harsh cleansers, disinfectant wipes/sprays, UV rays, etc, are stripping off the essential layer of good bacteria that is part of our skin’s natural protective mechanism. These topical probiotic bacteria prevent the growth of pathogenic bacteria while consuming dead skin and sebum . AND they do all of this without stimulating the over-production of sebum typical of astrigents, etc which must also play some role in the occurance of acne for example. I think there has to be a balance in this where we mjst be more gentle on our skin and supportive of it’s needs.
Dear Natalie,
Here is Forever’s Canada site for Aloe Vera Gel (not juice which is what I mistakenly wrote above- this may explain why you couldn’t find it) and a local depot will post to you so postage costs will be minimal!
https://www.foreverliving.com/marketing/Product.do?code=015C
Here is Bio Kult on Amazon Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/F7054-B-Bio-Kult-Probiotic/dp/B004SH1PAU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373490010&sr=8-1&keywords=bio+kult
Interested to see how you get on.
Thanks very much, Kate!
Thank you for this very interesting article. Do you have any recommendations of what brands of probiotics are better?
I have heard the suggestions of probiotis helping with acne before but when I went to buy some, I was overwhelmed by the varieties and brands (and the cost). I bought the one that was from a brand I knew and was reasonably priced, the Advanced 4-Strain Probiotic by Jamieson Vitamins (https://jamiesonvitamins.com/2699). Unfortunately, it made no difference.
I feel like there is no hope for my acne… I have had it my entire life; I am 26 now. About 6 months ago, it was suggested to me to try a gluten-free diet to help alleviate stomach issues and low and behold, it worked for my stomach issues. I was hoping it would help with my acne as well, as it did help improve my excema on my hands, but my acne has persisted. I have tried everything available by prescription and was told by the dermatologist that my only option is Accutane. Because of other medications that I am on and various conditions that run in my family, I am not a good candidate for Accutane.
I often have random people stop me in public to try to give me their tips because my acne looks so bad… and I have gotten to the point of desparation where I will try just about anything.
I would like to give probiotics another try and would really appreciate some suggestions of what kinds are the best to get. I am from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada so if it can be something available in Canada, that would be ideal. Thank you in advance.
I have found that BIOCULT is the best. I have tried several and this is the one that gave me the strongest ‘die off’ symptoms to tell me that the toxic bad-bacteria were being killed and replaced by the good stuff. I also like the Forever Aloe Vera plain juice (cold-pressed), which works as a pre-biotic. It has been the best thing for my acne rosacea and I have heard good things for those using it for regular acne outbreaks.
Is the BIOCULT a liquid drink or in a pill form? also do you drink the aloe vera juice or apply to your skin?
Dear Dee.
The Biocult I use is in capsule powder form. If you want a liquid order some kefir grains online and add them to milk (look at youtube for a video)- use liquid the kefir produces as pro-biotic home made drink or smoothie (great with seasonal berries and ripe banana).
The aloe is best when you drink it. This morning I drank a lot and it also gave me a ‘die-off’ effect, since I had not taken it for 2 weeks! Forever also does great aloe gelly and aloe propolis (propolis is nature’s antiseptic, which bees line their hives with), and these are great to apply topically.
Let me know how you get on with any or all of these suggestions.
Kate
Biocult is what Jim Jones had them drink. You mean Biokult.
Cheers Finndian. You are absolutely correct. I have actually followed up several of your tips, including getting scales that measure my water levels. I have very low blood pressure and water levels as low as 40%. The booklet that came with the scales says this is still healthy, but I have been taking potassium and magnesium as you advised, and I have noted a 5% increase. Will keep you posted on further progress 🙂
how much potassium and magnesium are you taking? also does that come as one supplement or are you taking them separetely?
Kate, I love my body water scale; I’m glad its working for you too. Its just a really good way to monitor your body’s balance and to spot disruptions in minerals and electrolyte levels. 45% is still really low… stick with it!
My water levels stayed low until I dealt with my food allergies… the stomach inflammation is probably what caused the electrolyte and mineral deficiency that in turn brought on the dehydration.
Thank you very much for your suggestions. After a quick online search, I cannot find Canadian distributors for either product 🙁
Do you think another brand of aloe vera juice would work similarly?
Could you explain what you mean by “die off” symptoms? How long until you experienced them using either product?
I noticed my skin started degeneration when I started having tummy upsets, I have a lot of gas in my tummy, I’m always belching, its like my tummy is always churning, never settled and i think there’s a link between this and the open pores on my face. Is there anything I can do to allevaite this?
My open pores closed after I cleared my stomach issues. What was happening is the undiagnosed food allergies were causing B12, potassium and magnesium deficiency. You cannot keep your body water in and the cells hydrated without these electrolytes. I wondered why I craved salt all the time.
Salt causes the water to stay in the body around the cells to help with the dehydration. with the proper electrolytes all the water is allowed into the cells and that causes the cells to plump themselves. When the cells in the facial skin expand themselves with water the pores close.
There’s an easy way to check this theory. Buy yourself a body water sensing scale. You can get a good one from Costco. Anything below about 58% body water and you have a problem. Playing with magnesium and potassium and proper hydration will bring that up to a more normal 60%. I was 49% when I was at my worst! Treat the food allergies then hydrate yourself and the pores will close.
Hi Chris, paleo seems to be the only way to completely eliminate all inflamatory symptoms for me. Just eliminating gluten isn’t enough (I’m celiacs), I still get bad inflammatory symptoms from gluten free grains and cereals, dairy etc, despite not being diagnosed lactose intolerant or anything else. Probiotics seems to help sometimes, but not others. The one thing that keeps my skin free from bad acne (even when I do happen to eat dairy and gluten free cereals/grains) is one tablespoon of organic apple cider vinegar in a glass of warm water every day. It also seems to have stopped acid reflux as well. Still a learning process, but paleo has helped enormously.
Jen,
Have you looked into testing yourself for food allergies? I found an interesting technique from the 1950s that uses nothing more than your heart rate to detect a sensitivity. From what I understand, this technique is more sensitive than the standard allergy skin test.
Here’s how the technique works:
1) Over the course of a week, establish your minimum heart rate.
2) Then, 30 minutes before you eat a meal, you take your heart rate.
2) Five to ten minutes after you finish your meal, take your heart rate again.
3) If your heart rate goes up more than 12 beats per minute, then you may be sensitive to something in that meal (if not, then you aren’t likely sensitive).
4) You can then break out all the individual ingredients in that meal, eating them one by one every hour, re-checking your heart rate each time to see exactly what you are reacting to.
I did this with my wife and we found that she was sensitive to store-bought pasteurized milk (a.k.a., containment dairy), but not raw milk. Hope this helps!
Bryan
Thanks Bryan! Sounds interesting indeed. I don’t have a problem with Raw dairy at all, but it’s hard to source in New Zealand! I grew up on a farm so we had raw dairy growing up (and grass raised meat, plus veges and fruit from the garden), but ran into massive issues my first year away from home on hostel food. Thanks heaps for the tip – will give it a go!
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Hi Chris, really interesting paper you have done. I was diagnosed with crohn’s disease and underlying IBS about three years ago and I have had acne for 14 years. Could this be the link as I don’t think as a teenager I had any symptoms of chrohn’s. The acne is predominantly on my nose and I have found an improvement after having to avoid dairy and gluten due to the chrohn’s. Is there a particular reason it is on my nose? Also, I had hoped it would fully go after changing my diet but I still get breakouts even though I am on tetracycline.
Any information or insight into how an unnecessary overdosing of strong antibiotics, which destroyed my gut flora, can also cause my severe dry throat/throat irritation, even 6 months later?
The other interesting thing I read was when you wash yourself, you wash the Vit D off your skin, as its secreted on your skin surface, then reabsorbed, so if your washing yourself all the time, your losing the Vit D. Maybe that’s why the French are healthier, as they don’t wash as much 😛
I have rosacea “acne” (breakouts) as well “unspecified” autoimmune issues, so I do my best to keep inflammation down. One thing I do is take probiotics and drink water kefir, but they seem to have both good and bad results for me. I used to suffer from chronic sinus issues, and the probiotics seem to be very beneficial in this respect. However they do not help my skin issues at all– In fact I have to be careful to limit my probiotic intake, because any time I increase my skin breaks out terribly. Doctors don’t seem to believe this is possible, but I’ve repeated it multiple times, always with the same result. I have to wonder if the probiotics are increasing my body’s inflammation in general. I wish I had a doctor who could help me figure these things out, but noone seems to know.
It could be that the probiotics are detoxifying your body and that it gets worse before it gets better. Online I have read that the die off’ effect of probiotics includes fever, breakout of pimples, nausea etc… I get nausea when I increase dose and I have to sleep it off. I have acne rosacea and it gets really bad at times. It first appeared when I went on high probiotic and paleo style diet. However, I am still fans of both these things because they helped my body begin to detoxify. Now I am doing more sport, trying to de-stress (major cause of my health problems) and I still eat very low carb diet with kefir milk and Biocult probiotics. However, the one thing that works 100% to keep red flare-ups away from my cheeks (rosie is good but rosacea feels like cheese grater fought with cheeks) is drinking glass of cold-pressed aloe vera juice and the best one I have found is FOREVER aloe sold online or by independent retailers. It is really pure and they don’t destroy its goodness by heating it. It tasted a bit bitter at first, but my body has learnt to ask for it. When I am hard-up at the end of the month, I sometime don’t re-order my aloe juice and within 2 weeks I have dry cheeks that are getting itchy and I feel the rosacea coming back.