Key TakeawaysExtreme elimination diets and relying only on supplements may not address the root cause of skin problems.Eating foods rich in probiotics, prebiotics, and fiber may be helpful in managing some skin conditions, such as psoriasis and eczema.While research is still limited, some evidence suggests that probiotics and prebiotics can feed the gut microbes to reduce skin dryness.

Key Takeaways

Extreme elimination diets and relying only on supplements may not address the root cause of skin problems.Eating foods rich in probiotics, prebiotics, and fiber may be helpful in managing some skin conditions, such as psoriasis and eczema.While research is still limited, some evidence suggests that probiotics and prebiotics can feed the gut microbes to reduce skin dryness.

TikTok’s “glow drink” recipe is the latest juice trend that promises to reduce bloating and promote clear skin. Some influencers said the drink—usually made with high-fiber foods like apples, celery, and leafy greens—helped clear cystic acne and made their skin glow.

While the research is still emerging, there is some science to support the connection between gut health and skin health, according to evidence presented this week at the annual Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo (FNCE).

Johnson used diet and lifestyle interventions to manage her ownpsoriasis, an autoimmune skin disease that causes flaky, irritated patches on the skin. She explained that people sometimes try extreme elimination diets to manage psoriasis oreczema, but these types of diets are not always effective at addressing root causes and can lead to reduced diet variety or undereating.

“The misconception is that a food is the ultimate root cause, but there’s a difference between root cause and triggers,” Johnson told Verywell in an email. “Foods may be a trigger if the gut environment and immune system are overreacting and creating an immune response. Instead of blaming the food, a better solution is to address the environment the food is landing in—the gut.”

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Studies on the relationship between gut health and skin health are limited, and many have been conducted in mice. One 2019 study showed that feeding mice a “Western-style diet” contributed to skin inflammation.

Another study published in 2015 found that people with skin psoriasis had an “altered gut microbiota,”which led many nutrition and skin experts to recommend a dietary pattern that supports a diverse gut microbiome as a way to promote skin health.

“The role of the gut microbiome in the skin is still evolving although we are light years ahead of where we were just a decade ago,” Patricia K. Farris, MD, a clinical assistant professor of dermatology at Tulane University School of Medicine, told Verywell in an email.

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Can Probiotics Improve Your Skin?

Some studies have suggested that psoriasisor eczema symptomscould improve with the use of probiotics, live bacteria that are said to support a healthy gut microbiome.

A small 2016 study found that fermented milk drinks rich in probiotics and prebiotics, the nutrients that feed the microbesin the gut,may reduce skin dryness.

“Food is the best place to start with nourishing good gut bacteria,” Johnson said. Yogurt and sauerkraut are rich in probiotics, while fruits and vegetables like “garlic, onions, berries, beans, and bananas” are good sources of prebiotics, she added.

While probiotic and prebiotic supplements are readily available on the market, Johnson said that a “silver bullet supplement” approach is unlikely to help if diet and lifestyle factors are not also considered.

Katta recommends eating foods that are rich in fiber because the gut microbes can turn fiber into short-chain fatty acids that help strengthen both the lining of the gut as well as the skin barrier.

“There’s a lot of variation from person to person, but as a general rule of thumb, if you’re getting treated for a skin condition, you can start to think about boosting the impact of that treatment with a healthy diet,” Katta said.

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What This Means For YouMore research is needed to understand how gut health directly impacts skin health. Experts say a diet rich in probiotics, prebiotics, and fibers might be best for maintaining your skin.

What This Means For You

More research is needed to understand how gut health directly impacts skin health. Experts say a diet rich in probiotics, prebiotics, and fibers might be best for maintaining your skin.

8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Jena PK, Sheng L, Mcneil K, et al.Long-term Western diet intake leads to dysregulated bile acid signaling and dermatitis with Th2 and Th17 pathway features in mice.J Dermatol Sci. 2019;95(1):13-20. doi:10.1016/j.jdermsci.2019.05.007Scher JU, Ubeda C, Artacho A, et al.Decreased bacterial diversity characterizes the altered gut microbiota in patients with psoriatic arthritis, resembling dysbiosis in inflammatory bowel disease.Arthritis Rheumatol. 2015;67(1):128-139. doi:10.1002/art.38892Zeng L, Yu G, Wu Y, Hao W, Chen H.The effectiveness and safety of probiotic supplements for psoriasis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and preclinical trials.J Immunol Res. 2021;2021:7552546. doi:10.1155/2021/7552546Umborowati MA, Damayanti D, Anggraeni S, et al.The role of probiotics in the treatment of adult atopic dermatitis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.J Health Popul Nutr. 2022;41(1):37. doi:10.1186/s41043-022-00318-6Davani-Davari D, Negahdaripour M, Karimzadeh I, et al.Prebiotics: definition, types, sources, mechanisms, and clinical applications.Foods. 2019;8(3):92. doi:10.3390/foods8030092Mori N, Kano M, Masuoka N, et al.Effect of probiotic and prebiotic fermented milk on skin and intestinal conditions in healthy young female students.Biosci Microbiota Food Health. 2016;35(3):105-112. doi:10.12938/bmfh.2015-022National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Probiotics: what you need to know.Portincasa P, Bonfrate L, Vacca M, et al.Gut microbiota and short chain fatty acids: implications in glucose homeostasis.Int J Mol Sci. 2022;23(3):1105. doi:10.3390/ijms23031105

8 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Jena PK, Sheng L, Mcneil K, et al.Long-term Western diet intake leads to dysregulated bile acid signaling and dermatitis with Th2 and Th17 pathway features in mice.J Dermatol Sci. 2019;95(1):13-20. doi:10.1016/j.jdermsci.2019.05.007Scher JU, Ubeda C, Artacho A, et al.Decreased bacterial diversity characterizes the altered gut microbiota in patients with psoriatic arthritis, resembling dysbiosis in inflammatory bowel disease.Arthritis Rheumatol. 2015;67(1):128-139. doi:10.1002/art.38892Zeng L, Yu G, Wu Y, Hao W, Chen H.The effectiveness and safety of probiotic supplements for psoriasis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and preclinical trials.J Immunol Res. 2021;2021:7552546. doi:10.1155/2021/7552546Umborowati MA, Damayanti D, Anggraeni S, et al.The role of probiotics in the treatment of adult atopic dermatitis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.J Health Popul Nutr. 2022;41(1):37. doi:10.1186/s41043-022-00318-6Davani-Davari D, Negahdaripour M, Karimzadeh I, et al.Prebiotics: definition, types, sources, mechanisms, and clinical applications.Foods. 2019;8(3):92. doi:10.3390/foods8030092Mori N, Kano M, Masuoka N, et al.Effect of probiotic and prebiotic fermented milk on skin and intestinal conditions in healthy young female students.Biosci Microbiota Food Health. 2016;35(3):105-112. doi:10.12938/bmfh.2015-022National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Probiotics: what you need to know.Portincasa P, Bonfrate L, Vacca M, et al.Gut microbiota and short chain fatty acids: implications in glucose homeostasis.Int J Mol Sci. 2022;23(3):1105. doi:10.3390/ijms23031105

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Jena PK, Sheng L, Mcneil K, et al.Long-term Western diet intake leads to dysregulated bile acid signaling and dermatitis with Th2 and Th17 pathway features in mice.J Dermatol Sci. 2019;95(1):13-20. doi:10.1016/j.jdermsci.2019.05.007Scher JU, Ubeda C, Artacho A, et al.Decreased bacterial diversity characterizes the altered gut microbiota in patients with psoriatic arthritis, resembling dysbiosis in inflammatory bowel disease.Arthritis Rheumatol. 2015;67(1):128-139. doi:10.1002/art.38892Zeng L, Yu G, Wu Y, Hao W, Chen H.The effectiveness and safety of probiotic supplements for psoriasis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and preclinical trials.J Immunol Res. 2021;2021:7552546. doi:10.1155/2021/7552546Umborowati MA, Damayanti D, Anggraeni S, et al.The role of probiotics in the treatment of adult atopic dermatitis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.J Health Popul Nutr. 2022;41(1):37. doi:10.1186/s41043-022-00318-6Davani-Davari D, Negahdaripour M, Karimzadeh I, et al.Prebiotics: definition, types, sources, mechanisms, and clinical applications.Foods. 2019;8(3):92. doi:10.3390/foods8030092Mori N, Kano M, Masuoka N, et al.Effect of probiotic and prebiotic fermented milk on skin and intestinal conditions in healthy young female students.Biosci Microbiota Food Health. 2016;35(3):105-112. doi:10.12938/bmfh.2015-022National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Probiotics: what you need to know.Portincasa P, Bonfrate L, Vacca M, et al.Gut microbiota and short chain fatty acids: implications in glucose homeostasis.Int J Mol Sci. 2022;23(3):1105. doi:10.3390/ijms23031105

Jena PK, Sheng L, Mcneil K, et al.Long-term Western diet intake leads to dysregulated bile acid signaling and dermatitis with Th2 and Th17 pathway features in mice.J Dermatol Sci. 2019;95(1):13-20. doi:10.1016/j.jdermsci.2019.05.007

Scher JU, Ubeda C, Artacho A, et al.Decreased bacterial diversity characterizes the altered gut microbiota in patients with psoriatic arthritis, resembling dysbiosis in inflammatory bowel disease.Arthritis Rheumatol. 2015;67(1):128-139. doi:10.1002/art.38892

Zeng L, Yu G, Wu Y, Hao W, Chen H.The effectiveness and safety of probiotic supplements for psoriasis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and preclinical trials.J Immunol Res. 2021;2021:7552546. doi:10.1155/2021/7552546

Umborowati MA, Damayanti D, Anggraeni S, et al.The role of probiotics in the treatment of adult atopic dermatitis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.J Health Popul Nutr. 2022;41(1):37. doi:10.1186/s41043-022-00318-6

Davani-Davari D, Negahdaripour M, Karimzadeh I, et al.Prebiotics: definition, types, sources, mechanisms, and clinical applications.Foods. 2019;8(3):92. doi:10.3390/foods8030092

Mori N, Kano M, Masuoka N, et al.Effect of probiotic and prebiotic fermented milk on skin and intestinal conditions in healthy young female students.Biosci Microbiota Food Health. 2016;35(3):105-112. doi:10.12938/bmfh.2015-022

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Probiotics: what you need to know.

Portincasa P, Bonfrate L, Vacca M, et al.Gut microbiota and short chain fatty acids: implications in glucose homeostasis.Int J Mol Sci. 2022;23(3):1105. doi:10.3390/ijms23031105

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