How the Gut Affects Immune Health, Hormones, and Your Skin!

If you've stumbled across this page, chances are you already know that gut health is quite important... but do you know how important?

The gut is intricately connected to every organ and system in our body, including our immune health, hormones and skin. So much so, that there are now countless scientific studies that show how our gut microbiome is capable of influencing our central nervous system, immune system, musculoskeletal system, hormonal systems and our cardiovascular system.[1] That's just to name a few!

This article is going to focus on only 3 to not overwhelm you.

The Gut-Skin Axis

With all the beauty and hygiene products out there, it's easy to think we can fix our skin imbalances with a plethora of products. Just wash your face, tonify and moisturize it, EVERY DAY, twice a day and all your problems will be solved, right? Nah. Our skin is a reflection of our gut mucosa and microbiome. Think of your gut as your inner skin.

Issues like acne, rosacea, atopic dermatitis, and psoriasis have been linked to gut health, specifically our microbiome. Inside of our gut we are home to 2 major families of bacteria: Firmicutes and Bacteroides. These families are major phylum species that contain multiple other strains of bacteria that help us stay balanced and healthy. When these phyla start to become imbalanced, we can develop dysbiosis. Studies have shown that one of the major culprits behind skin imbalances is inflammation caused by gut dysbiosis.[2] Certain species of bacteria such as H.pylori, Clostridium, staphylococcus, streptococcus and others have been highly associated with acne and skin imbalances.

The Gut-Immune System Axis

This is a huge topic, something that we are just going to briefly skim in the following one-two paragraphs. I'm sure you've heard that 70-80% of our immune system resides in our gut, and yes this is true. Something called the Gut-Associated Lymphoid Tissue (GALT) is one of the key influencers of our immune health. The GALT is comprised of mucosa and gut bacteria that can help produce antimicrobial substances to help fend off pathogens AND influence how immune cells react. [3]

According to the scientific literature, bacteria is vital to the health of the human body. Bacteria and humans live in a mutualistic harmony when things are in balance. However, the breakdown of this balance, known as dysbiosis, contributes to the development of disease. [4] Something really fascinating is that our adaptive immune system can be influenced by bacteria! They can either help regulate our immune system and protect us from pathogens and reduce inflammation, or cause dysregulated cell expressions, leading to autoimmune conditions, allergies and other major health disorders. [5]

The Gut-Neuroendocrine Axis

Sounds like a complicated word, and it is. Neuroendocrine axis is the junction between our nervous system and our hormonal system. Our nervous system and hormones are intimately connected, and essentially non-existent without the other. What's interesting is that our gut has it's "own" nervous system, called the enteric nervous system (ENS). The ENS governs the intestinal tract and is responsible for releasing neurotransmitters, secreting enzymes and other biochemicals.[6] Our ENS is essential to our ability to absorb nutrients and sense our internal environment. The ENS innervates our entire digestive tract, facilitating communication between our nervous system, our emotions and cognitive centers of the brain! [7]

So, that was a lot of science jargon, what the heck does it mean? It means that our microbiota influences our reactions to stress. That certain key bacteria can either contribute to anxiety, ADD, ADHD and depression, or help regulate and balance those experiences by promoting regulated neurotransmission. Our gut is known as our "second" brain because it communicates through the ENS to the rest of our body and brain about what's going on inside of our gut! So, when dysbiosis occurs and we have inflammatory or opportunistic bacteria running the show, chaos in the body can start to develop. We call this disease, chronic health conditions, etc.

Conclusions?

Our gut health is so much more important than you think! This is truly just the tip of a very large iceberg when it comes to gut health. If you're keen to learn more about gut health and holistic ways to keep it balanced, click on the subscribe button below to be notified when new posts are posted!