Gut health is a term many of you will have only heard of in the last few years. More and more studies are showing how important good gut health is and the impact it has on a plethora of things – including your skin!
Here at My Skin and Body Clinic, our team are aware that there’s a ton of information out there regarding this topic and don’t want it to be seen as a ‘trend’ – where people end up getting the wrong advice and wrong treatment plan.
So many of our clients tell us: “’I’m doing everything right, skincare, water, work out, take probiotics etc. I’m still breaking out or my skin is still sensitive.” The problem is gut issues and … parasites.
We incorporate gut health into each client’s individual skin journey so we can help you achieve the best possible results for your skin. With all of this at top of mind, we thought we’d put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard) and give you as much information as possible on gut health and parasites.
What is gut health and how do I know if it’s unhealthy?
“Gut health” describes the function and balance of bacteria of the many parts of our gastrointestinal tract. Ideally, organs such as the oesophagus, stomach and intestines all work together to allow us to eat and digest food without discomfort. Check out our Instagram post from last week where we discuss signs and symptoms of poor gut health.
About 100 trillion bacteria, both good & bad, live inside your digestive system – this is known as the microbiota or gut flora.
Let’s talk leaky gut:
‘Intestinal permeability’ AKA, ‘leaky gut’, is a condition in which the lining of the small intestine gets damaged, causing undigested food, toxic waste and bacteria to ‘leak’ through the intestines and into the blood stream. These foreign substances flooding the bloodstream can instigate an autoimmune response in the body including:
With leaky gut, damaged cells in your intestines don’t produce the enzymes needed for proper digestion. As a result, your body cannot absorb essential nutrients, which can lead to hormone imbalances and a weakened immune system. It’s no wonder that the gut is quickly been coined as the second brain of the body!
- Chronic digestion issues such as diarrhoea, constipation, gas or bloating.
- Nutritional deficiencies, lacking in a specific Vitamin etc.
- Poor immune system (you’re prone to getting sick).
- Headaches, brain fog, memory loss.
- Chronic fatigue.
- Skin rashes and problems such as acne, eczema or rosacea.
- Cravings for sugar or carbs. (We know we all get these, but we’re talking more than your average craving on a Friday night or a hungover Sunday!).
- Joint pain or Arthritis.
- ADD, ADHD or mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.
- Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, coeliac disease or Crohn’s Disease.
How parasites can affect gut health:
Parasites. Yep we squirm when we read it too but it’s really important that we cover the role they can play in your gut health. Often you hear of “someone’s friend’s aunty on holidays ingested a parasite” but the risk is closer to you than you may realise. Parasites like tape worm, hook worm, river blindness (to name but a few) can invade the blood, the digestive tract and even the bile duct. Inflammation caused by a parasitic infection can send the immune system into overdrive!
More than two-thirds of the human immune system is located in the wall of the small intestine! This inflammatory response is felt throughout the body, affecting the joints, eyes, lungs and paving the way to fatigue. The inflammation caused by an intestinal infection can create an increase in, you guessed it, gut health issues.
So, what’s the solution?
When our team underwent training about all things ‘gut health’, the main takeaway was that you can’t have a garden flourish without dealing with the weeds first. If you really think about it, it makes total sense.
Have you ever found that you’re taking all the right supplements but nothing changes? All of these goodies that you are putting in are getting caught ‘in the weeds’ and aren’t being absorbed in the body. As the metaphor suggests, you can’t grow beautiful flowers in a garden full of weeds.
The key to healing a leaky gut is changing your diet and eliminating the foods that your body treats as toxic. Our Regul8 digestive tune-up rids your body of all these weeds (toxins) giving you a perfect foundation to start your healthy eating and probiotic plan. We’ve encouraged all of our clients to take this and it’s only after they’re finished the course that they feel the true effects of all their supplements that “didn’t work” before.
Have more questions or concerns about your gut health? Get in touch with our team to discuss your options today.
