How to improve your gut health to achieve clear skin
Acne affects the vast majority of Australian teenagers, with research reporting that more than 90% of Australian 16–18 year olds experience acne.¹ And acne doesn’t necessarily end with adolescence. Adult acne is increasingly recognised as a common concern, particularly among women, with research showing that acne can persist well into adulthood.²
Acne has been shown to negatively affect self esteem and quality of life, and people with acne may also have an increased risk of anxiety and depression.³ ⁴ Often the prescriptions of antibiotics, the birth control pill, spironolactone and isotretinoin (roaccutane) are the only options for people looking to clear their skin. Unfortunately, these medications are generally quick fixes, and the acne returns once the medication has stopped. It's a vicious cycle that I have experienced myself and see with many of my clients.
The rise of gut microbiome testing
The gut microbiome is an exciting and evolving space. Gut health is an important piece of the puzzle in healing acne and plays a large role in hormone and toxin detoxification. When this is functionally sub-optimally and sluggish, a cascade of events can happen, eventually driving inflammation in the skin, resulting in acne. Gut microbiome testing is an integral part of treatment, to uncover the root-cause factors contributing to a person’s acne.
Simple steps you can begin today:
Deep belly breaths before eating
Take a few deep belly breaths before you eat. Your nervous system plays a big role in digestion, and when we’re stressed, rushed or distracted, our body shifts into “fight or flight” mode, making digestion less of a priority. Taking a few slow breaths before a meal can help activate the parasympathetic “rest and digest” state, and stimulate digestive acids, allowing your body to more efficiently break down and absorb the nutrients your skin needs to thrive.
Eat more fibre
Most Australians aren’t getting enough fibre in their diet, which is likely in part due to the high intake of processed and refined foods that are common in Western diets. When we compare modern diets with those of hunter-gatherer communities, the difference is striking. The Hadza people of northern Tanzania, for example, consume an estimated 80–150 g of fibre per day, while the average Australian gets only around 20 g per day, if that! This is well below the recommended intake of 30 g per day for adults.⁵ ⁶
Diversity is key - to increase polyphenols!
When it comes to supporting your gut, diversity is key. A great goal is to aim for around 30 different plant foods each week, and this doesn’t just mean fruits and vegetables.⁷ Herbs, spices, nuts, seeds, legumes and even herbal teas all count. One of the reasons this variety is so beneficial is because plants contain polyphenols, natural compounds that help protect plants from environmental stressors and can offer protective and antioxidant benefits when we consume them. Polyphenols are found in foods such as berries, cacao, green tea, coffee, extra virgin olive oil, herbs, spices, grapes, cherries and red onions. They can also help support a healthy and diverse gut microbiome.⁸ By increasing the variety of plant foods in your diet, you’re not only nourishing yourself, you’re improving the terrain of your gut microbiome which will result in less inflammation and therefore less breakouts!
Avoid snacking
Give your gut some time between meals. Your digestive system has a natural cleansing mechanism called the migrating motor complex (MMC), which acts like a gentle sweeping motion through the stomach and small intestine, helping to move along leftover food particles and bacteria. This process is most active between meals, so constantly grazing or snacking can interrupt it. Try leaving around 3 to 5 hours between meals where possible, rather than eating every couple of hours. If you want to give your MMC a little extra support, ginger is a good place to start, as it can help stimulate digestive motility. Supporting this natural digestive rhythm can help create a healthier gut environment, which is particularly relevant when we look at the connection between gut health, inflammation and acne.⁹ ¹⁰
A final note
Prioritising your gut health is an important place to start on your acne healing journey. Integrate the above one at a time, until it feels like second nature. If you are still struggling with your acne after a few months of incorporating more fibre and diversity, you’ve eliminated snacking and eat in a calm and regulated state, I would suggest going deeper with gut microbiome testing. This is a great tool to see if there are any parasites, bacterial overgrowths, damaged gut lining or active inflammation impacting your gut health.
*Any significant changes to diet or lifestyle are best made with guidance from a qualified health professional, particularly for anyone who is pregnant, breastfeeding or managing a chronic health condition.
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REFERENCES
Gebauer K. (2017). Acne in adolescents. Australian Family Physician, 46(12), 892–895.
Perkins AC, Cheng CE, Hillebrand GG, Miyamoto K, Kimball AB. (2012). Acne vulgaris in women: prevalence across the life span. Journal of Women's Health, 21(2), 223–230.
Tan JKL, Bhate K. (2015). A global perspective on the epidemiology of acne. British Journal of Dermatology, 172(Suppl 1), 3–12.
Yazici K, Baz K, Yazici AE, Köktürk A, Tot S, Demirseren D, Buturak V. (2004). Disease-specific quality of life is associated with anxiety and depression in patients with acne. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 18(4), 435–439.
Pontzer H, Wood BM. (2021). Effects of Evolution, Ecology, and Economy on Human Diet: Insights from Hunter-Gatherers and Other Small-Scale Societies. Annual Review of Nutrition, 41, 363–385.
McGill CR, Fulgoni VL 3rd, DiRienzo MA, Agarwal S. (2018). Healthcare Expenditure and Productivity Cost Savings from Reductions in Cardiovascular Disease and Type 2 Diabetes Associated with Increased Intake of Cereal Fibre among Australian Adults: A Cost of Illness Analysis. Nutrients, 10(3), 310.
McDonald D, Hyde E, Debelius JW, et al. (2018). American Gut: An Open Platform for Citizen Science Microbiome Research. mSystems, 3(3), e00031–18.
Osakabe N, Shimizu T, Fujii Y, Fushimi T, Calabrese V. (2024). Sensory Nutrition and Bitterness and Astringency of Polyphenols. Biomolecules, 14(2), 234.
Rees WD, Malagelada JR, Miller LJ, Go VL. (1982). Human interdigestive and postprandial gastrointestinal motor and gastrointestinal hormone patterns. Digestive Diseases and Sciences, 27(4), 321–329.
Wu KL, Rayner CK, Chuah SK, Changchien CS, Lu SN, Chiu YC, et al. (2008). Effects of ginger on gastric emptying and motility in healthy humans. European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 20(5), 436–440
