NUTRITION AUTHOR
Shannon Dolan, FNTP
DEW YOU: NUTRITION FOR OPTIMAL SKIN HEALTH n Get glowing this summer with these skincare tips.
M
any often forget that the skin is the body’s largest organ, with the average person having roughly 300 million skin cells. Just like the gut, the skin has a microbiome that hosts five trillion bacteria. To put this into perspective, a galaxy contains about 100 million stars. Unlike other organs, because the skin is easily seen, it is obvious
MAY 2021
when dysfunction occurs and abnormalities form. Wait! Before you run to purchase hundreds of dollars of skincare products, try digging deeper to discover any possible root causes. The two most common root causes include poor gut health and blood sugar imbalance. Conditions such as eczema, acne and rosacea can all be linked to poor gut health. The gut’s microbiome works in synergy with
12
the skin’s. According to a study done by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), this connection is “likely due to a combination of both neurologic and immunologic responses to environmental shifts, resulting in chronic systemic inflammation that can ultimately affect the skin.” Along with poor gut health, imbalance in blood sugar can also lead to inflammatory issues in the skin. When blood sugar is
