Your digestive system has an internal skin called the “Mucosal Barrier”. This barrier protects you from invading organisms such as parasites, mold, bacteria and viruses and houses an immune army that stops these “bugs” from getting into your general circulation.
Many skin conditions miraculously clear up when care is taken to identify and remove hidden digestive infections and foods that irritate the gut lining. I’ve seen hives, rosacea, dermatitis and even psoriasis disappear simply by working on digestive health with my clients.
For example, it’s now widely recognised that fungal organisms can cause dandruff, athlete’s foot and jock itch. It’s also well known that coeliac disease can manifest as skin disease (dermatitis herpitiformis).
We also know that foods such as cow’s milk can also definitely lead to skin conditions such as eczema.
Spotlight On Helicobacter Pylori:
In 2009, an excellent paper was published in the European Journal of Dermatology. The paper, entitled H pylori Infection and Dermatologic Disease examined the available research associating H pylori with a number of common (and some less common) skin conditions.
The paper shows clear associations between H pylori and several skin diseases:
Alopecia
Atopic dermatitis
Chronic urticaria
Rosacea
Psoriasis
Behcet’s disease
Immune thrombocytopaenic purpura
Lichen planus
Prurigo
Sjogren syndrome
It is not clear why disturbances in digestive function and the presence of infections such as H pylori lead ton skin complaints. It is believed that the body’s immune response is the likely reason for skin manifestations.
Moreover H pylori and other digestive infections do not always cause digestive symptoms. Instead, they can lead to seemingly unrelated conditions such as skin problems, low energy levels and mood symptoms like depression and anxiety.
Unfortunately doctors will rarely run digestive testing unless severe digestive symptoms are present. This leads patients in the dark about what may be creating their mysterious symptoms.
Other bacteria, parasites and fungal organisms also have the potential to cause skin conditions. These organisms may include:
Giardia
Cryptosporidium
Blastocystis
Dientamoeba fragilis
Entamoeba histolytica
Endolimax nana
Clostridium difficile
Campylobacter
Salmonella
Yersinia
Vibrio
Citrobacter
E. coli
Candida species
Digestive Infections & Bacterial Overgrowth Are Toxic!
As you may know, your liver and kidneys are the powerhouses of detoxification. They process the metabolic waste products that our bodies produce on a daily basis.
Certain parasites, bacteria and yeast and fungal organisms are known to produce toxins (these are known as endotoxins). The toxins can leak from the digestive system into general circulation, particularly if the mucosal barrier in the intestines has been damaged by the presence of the bugs.
This increase in toxic load within the body can overload the liver and kidney pathways. As a result, the body has to find other ways to eliminate the toxins. One way this is achieved is by pushing out toxins through the skin.
Consequently, areas of skin through which toxins are being eliminated may become irritated, swollen and either itchy or painful. I’ve personally seen these rashes disappear in clients when they have followed programmes to a) eradicate digestive infections and b) boost their detoxification capacities, particularly through the liver and kidney pathways.
Summary
There is no doubt that disturbances in digestive function can lead to skin diseases. As discussed, we do not know for sure why skin conditions develop in response to digestive infections and foods, but it is likely that the immune response and toxicity are involved.
The likes of eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, rosacea, urticaria and others can all improve significantly when key foods are avoided and digestive infections are removed. This allows the “inner skin” of the mucosal barrier is allowed to regenerate.
Topical creams, lotions and gels will simply not work if the skin problem itself is being caused by internal imbalances in detoxification function and digestion. In fact, using topical lotions in these situations may make the conditions worse.
Instead, it is better to run clinical testing to identify exactly why the symptoms are occurring in the first place. The Metametrix GI Effects 2100 test is a good place to start (www.h-pylori-symptoms.com/h-pylori-testing)