Skin, Fibre & SCFAs.
What is fibre and how does it affect skin health?
Broadly speaking, fibre comes in two forms; insoluble and soluble. Insoluble fibre supports the body in excreting toxins and excess less beneficial (LDL) cholesterol, whereas soluble fibre can be digested and, upon degrading and fermentation, can be broken down into short chain fatty acids such as acetate, butyrate, and propionate.
Whilst fibre is most commonly associated with gut health and cholesterol management, it can also impact the health of our skin; partly in connection with the gut-skin axis (see blog post), but also independently. This is achieved through the by-products of soluble fibre digestion; the short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). These are highly anti-inflammatory, (if there is inflammation in the gut it is highly likely there will be systemic inflammation), and as the body’s largest organ the skin is no exception to being vulnerable to inflammation.
So, the benefits of SCFAs are that they are able to exert an inhibitory effect on certain microbes (prominent examples being Staphylococcus Aureus and P. Acnes) which, if allowed to over-colonise on the skin microbiome, may trigger inflammation and itching symptoms associated with surface-level skin conditions such as Acne, Atopic Dermatitis and Eczema. Furthermore, the short chain fatty acid butyrate may be a useful cofactor for reducing the symptoms associated with autoimmune skin conditions such as Psoriasis, since the genes which support the generation of SCFAs tend to be down-regulated (not work as well as they should) in people with Psoriasis. Research has suggested that butyrate supports the generation of the beneficial fatty acids made within keratinocyte skin cells (those which too-quickly multiply and migrate up to the skin’s surface), which in turn support the health of ceramides which are integral to the structure of the skin’s surface barrier.
Therefore, ensuring you get enough soluble fibre and SCFAs in your diet may help improve the diversity and balance of the skin’s microbiome, may help restrain the migration of the body’s immune cells to the itch-site, and may help subdue inflammation within the skin barrier (possibly the biggest and most stubborn mediating factor in skin conditions), which in turn may support repair and recovery in inflammatory skin conditions such as Acne, Atopic Dermatitis, Eczema and Rosacea, and autoimmune skin conditions such as Psoriasis.
REFERENCE: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9932284/
Lastly, as anyone who suffers from a skin condition will know, the associated itching can be frenetic and infuriating. Itching can, in part, be associated with an immune cell called a Mast Cell, (this cell is responsible for squirting out histamine when it is aggravated, which triggers coughing, sneezing, watery-eyes and, yep, itching), and there is research suggesting that SCFAs may be able to calm Mast Cell activation thereby lessening the itch symptom and reducing inflammation.
So, how can we get fibre and SCFAs into our diet? Firstly, it is imperative to ensure you have robust gut health, (consult a Registered Nutritionist if you have any concerns on this matter). As a Registered Nutritionist myself, for gut and skin healing I recommend ‘food first’ strategies because with food sources of SCFAs you can be sure they have reached the gut through the digestive tract thus ensuring the nourishment of the gut microbiome; the benefits of which then transpose onto the skin through the gut-skin axis. Some of the richest sources of soluble fibre foods (which synthesise SCFAs upon fermentation in the gut) which you could try to introduce into your daily diet to support your skin and gut health are;
Beans & Legumes - black beans, chickpeas, peas and lentils, (soak and cook the lentils well beforehand, and steam cook the peas to retain the B-Complex Vitamins);
Fruits and Vegetables - namely apples, avocadoes, bananas, blueberries, Brussels sprouts, carrots, kiwi, oranges, sweet potatoes;
Wholegrain carbohydrates - barley, breads/tortillas, oats, noodles/pasta, quinoa, rice, sunflower seeds;
Seeds - chia seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, (a teaspoon a day will deliver a useful amount).
NOTE: FOR PEOPLE WITH DIGESTIVE CONDITIONS WHICH MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR YOU TO DIGEST & TOLERATE FIBRE, PLEASE CONSULT A REGISTERED NUTRITIONAL THERAPIST FOR A HIGHLY PERSONALISED DIET PLAN AS THE FOODS MENTIONED ABOVE MAY NOT SUIT YOUR HEALTH CONDITION.
REMEMBER: if you are taking any medications always consult a Registered Nutritional Therapist as well as your Doctor before making significant dietary or lifestyle changes. This blog post is written for educational purposes only and in reference to ‘food’. It is NOT advocating taking dietary supplements. It is very important to please always consult a Registered Nutritional Therapist or your Doctor before introducing any dietary supplements into your health regime as these qualified professionals will be able to offer personalised recommendations.
If you are struggling with skin and/or nutrient (im)balance issues and you want to discover the inspiring & sustainable diet & lifestyle programmes offered by Nutritional Therapy, get in touch via the Contact Me page on this website, or directly on info@eatdrinkthinknutrition.co.uk for more information about 1:2:1 Consultations with Eat Drink Think Nutrition®.
