Acne is caused when excess skin cells line the tube of a hair follicle blocking the excretion of sebum. This allows bacteria to grow, but in turn this prompts an immune response and inflammation. And this is the start of acne.
There is a very close link between the two largest organs in your body – the microbiome and your skin.
For example, an imbalance in the gut is called dysbiosis. It can lead to inflammation in the gut and around the body leading to the production of cytokines. Cytokines are known to be linked to acne.
For example, people with IBS or leaky gut often have skin problems. Pathogens in the gut produce toxins which then find their way into the bloodstream and from there to the skin. They affect the skin enabling acne-forming bacteria such as Cutibacterium acnes to grow.
A good diet with lots of probiotic foods boosts commensal bacteria, such as Lactic Acid Bacteria, which in turn are known to help heal the gut lining and keep pathogens down and toxic by-products within the gut.
Where young people have acne, the answer is to supplement with probiotics, eat more prebiotic foods, and prebiotic foods. It is not to take antibiotics which can make matters worse.
Chris Woollams former Oxford University biochemist and a founder of the holistic cancer charity said, ”I can’t count how many times I have had a breast cancer patient in her late 30s who had 18 months to two years on an antibiotic from her acne, between the ages of 16 and 21. The antibiotics may kill off a gram-negative bacterium that is causing harm but they destroy the gut microbiome for the long-term. Indeed, acne itself is often the result of antibiotics early in life; they are known to cause allergies and skin problems. Psoriasis is much the same.”
