Probiotics : Reasons You Should Start Putting Probiotics On Your Face

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Probiotics : Reasons You Should Start Putting Probiotics On Your Face

Probiotics

Putting Probiotics On Your Face

If you are consuming a healthy diet which contains a lot of fresh fruits and veggies,exercising regularly and cutting out processed junk are very key to maintaining good health and well-being, also there is another very important factor that most people miss, which is gut bacteria or probiotics.

The importance of probiotics is so great, as a result many experts feel that an important balance of this “good bacteria” may be the key to enjoying a longer healthy life. You know that what we put into our gut is important for wellness, and can even affect the chances for avoiding some types of cancer in the body.

We know that Probiotics have a number of key roles when it comes to health – and not just in the gut, but throughout the body such as:

  • Aiding in the regulation of appetite and weight management
  • Help with the digestion of food
  • Fighting off viruses and colds
  • Playing a part in the production of the feel-good hormone serotonin
  • Supporting bone health
  • Helping to manage one’s mood
  • Helping to repair tissue damage and injuries

Recent studies have discover that they may even influence the food we eat. Though it may sounds a bit like science fiction, according to researchers from the Arizona State University, the University of New Mexico and UC San Francisco, “bad” or unhealthy gut bacteria can be affecting our cravings as well as our moods to help ensure that we eat what they want –actually, this type of bacteria may be what’s fueling the skyrocketing obesity problem we are having. Some of these bacteria prefer fat, while others like sugar – and sometimes the bacteria are aligned with its host’s dietary goals, and others not, the experts conclude.

Apex-NutraPal-Probiotics

These bad bacteria can wreak various types of havoc in our body. Also, if there are more bad bacteria in your gut than good, it can also lead to digestive issues like constipation and diarrhea, as well as many other issues. There are a number of things that can cause the balance of bacteria to get out of whack, such as medications, diet, illness and environmental factors. Probiotics can help get things back in balance so that everything functions optimally.

Having an imbalance of gut bacteria often results from eating too many “junk” or processed foods, particularly sugar, as it disrupts the gut’s normally healthy composition. That good bacteria is pasteurized, irradiated, and often processed beyond recognition, which means many of the modern foods we eat lead to an abundance of unhealthy bacteria. The “good” bacteria starts to become depleted, which can cause “bad” bacteria to take over, resulting in all sorts of health problems – and, it can impact your looks too. When your gut bacteria is out of whack, you might get sick more frequently, your skin may look sallow and/or breakout, you may feel depressed, gain weight, suffer from digestive problems, experience a lack of energy, endure aching joints and sore muscles, develop acne or start to have breathing difficulties or respiratory problems. It can even lead to serious issues like heart disease, type 1 diabetes and autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.

How To Get More Probiotics

The good news is that you can get your gut bacteria back in balance again by consuming foods with probiotics such as kefir, kombucha and Greek-style yogurt, as well as following healthy lifestyle practices such as avoiding that junk food, limiting your intake of alcohol, reducing exposure to toxins, exercising regularly and only taking antibiotics when you absolutely have to. Food has an almost immediate effect on the intestinal environment. Gina Sam, MD, MPH, Director of the Mount Sinai Gastrointestinal Motility Center at The Mount Sinai Hospital, says that your good bacteria flora can be replenished within just three to four days.

“You can replenish your bacteria flora within three to four days,” says Gina Sam, MD, MPH, Director of the Mount Sinai Gastrointestinal Motility Center at The Mount Sinai Hospital. Depending on your particular situation, a probiotic supplement might be something you want to consider. Look for something that combines a number of different strains for the greatest effectiveness, such as B. animalis, L. rhamnosus and B. heveticus.

Research conducted out of New Zealand’s University of Otago in 2014, published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, showed that athletes suffered from about 40% fewer colds and gastrointestinal infections when they took a probiotic as compared to when they took a placebo.

Consumers have a wide variety of capsules, liquids, and foods to choose from, when it comes to adding probiotics to their diet, and there’s another form that’s a bit lesser known to, although it’s become increasingly popular as of late: topical probiotics.

Let’s take a look at those more in-depth, as they offer a number of unique benefits for the skin.

Topical Probiotics For Skin

Putting Probiotics On Your Face

As probiotics introduce healthy bacteria to the gut and create a barrier to reduce inflammation, which is known to trigger certain types of skin conditions, researchers found that there is compelling evidence that they can treat problems like rosacea and acne. Dr. Whitney Bowe, a clinical assistant professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, who has researched the effect of probiotics on acne, told LiveScience.com that probiotics, whether eaten as foods, taken as a supplement or used topically, could be used by patients in combination with their current treatment. She noted that she typically recommends them to her patients struggling with rosacea or acne who are taking antibiotics, as antibiotics are known to wipe out “both good and bad gut bacteria.” There are, of course, many other reasons to avoid antibiotics and only take them when absolutely necessary.

Bowe called the development of topical probiotics another “exciting area of research.” Several manufacturers are in the process of experimenting with adding strains or extracts of probiotics to their skincare products, and a number have already done so and they’re on the market, including cleansers, moisturizers, peels and lotions.

Bowe said that as more research emerges, there are four types of skin problems that appear to be the most promising for probiotics to address. 

1. Acne

When certain types of probiotics come in contact with skin cells, they have the ability to calm parts of the cells that may want to react to the presence of bad or unhealthy bacteria that they see as a threat. The signals produced by the probiotics stop the skin cells from sending “attack messages” to the immune system that result in flares of acne. The shield provided by topical probiotics helps to protect the skin while interfering with the bacteria and microorganisms’ ability to trigger an immune reaction.

Several small studies have shown that probiotics from food or supplements, when used in conjunction with traditional acne treatments may increase the rate of acne clearance, and also helps patients better tolerate acne treatment with antibiotics, Bowe further explained. The most effective strains for acne, according to their research, include Lactobacillus, L. acidophilus, and B. bifudum. Bowe also added that preliminary studies of topical probiotics for acne have shown they may help lessen active skin lesions. When applied to the skin, the protective shield that’s formed prevents harmful pimple-causing bacteria from reaching the skin, aggravating the immune system and triggering inflammation, she said.

2. Rosacea

This inflammatory skin disorder that causes facial redness on the chin, nose, cheeks or forehead, along with small red bumps or pimples, may also be controlled with probiotics. Like acne, in those who have rosacea, living microorganisms on the skin are recognized as foreign by the body’s immune system. The immune system springs into action to counter this potential threat resulting in the inflammation, redness, or bumps common in these skin conditions. When applied topically, the same shield that helps prevent acne, can help battle the symptoms of rosacea. Bowe says that probiotics, when used in conjunction with medication, can reduce the redness, as well as help improve and strengthen the skin barrier to reduce burning, stinging and dryness.

3. Eczema

Eczema is also an inflammatory skin condition, and it tends to respond well to probiotics. Finnish researchers focused on pregnant women who took probiotic supplements that contained the strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG for two to four weeks before giving birth, and also after delivery if they were breastfeeding, or added the bacteria to infant formula for at least six months. The researchers noted that the probiotics managed to decrease the odds of eczema in babies who had strong family histories of the itchy skin condition until at least age 2, and possibly longer. Other research found that infants who developed eczema before the age of one had a less diverse collection of gut bacteria when they were 7 days old, as compared to infants without eczema, which Bowe says suggests a link between gut bacteria early in life and the development of the skin condition.

4. Anti-Aging Affects

Topical probiotics may also help battle the effects of aging like those fine lines and wrinkles, as well as being hydrating and reducing damage from the sun. There has been some evidence, according to Bowe that the reason behind this is that they may help build collagen. That’s the primary protein in the skin that affects its tone and texture.

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