How a juice cleanse can help your skin

Ever wondered if a juice cleanse is really good for your health and how what you eat affects your skin? Let’s explore the links between your skin and gut, and how a juice cleanse can help your holistic health, not just your gut.

Are your skin and gut linked?

According to research, your skin and gut are connected via your immune system, so what goes into your body can seriously affect your skin. Around 70% of your immune system is thought to be located in your gut. Your brain is part of this connection too, which makes it even more important to take care of your gut health.

Your gut is where your body takes in nutrients, manages hormones, detoxifies and makes neurotransmitters so it makes sense that what you eat has a big impact on the rest of your wellbeing. That includes your skin so if you’re struggling with breakouts, dryness or dull skin you might want to take a look at how you’re nourishing your body.

What’s the best diet for optimal gut health?

A vegan diet - even in the short term - can seriously support the health of your gut microbiome. That microbiome is a mixture of all of the bacteria and organisms that live in your gut, keeping it balanced and in check.

An unbalanced microbiome can affect your immune system, metabolism, hormones and even your skin. This lack of balance could be caused by what you eat. If you’re eating lots of processed food, sugar and meat you might find that your microbiome, and all of its connected systems - are a little out of whack.

If your gut is unbalanced, you might start to notice some other health issues creeping in. Your skin is a big indicator and skin conditions like eczema, rashes and redness can all be linked to an unhealthy gut. You might also find you have an upset stomach, your weight changes without you meaning it to, you can’t sleep well or feel tired and you might experience food intolerances. 

Why a juice cleanse can help your skin and your gut

A juice cleanse is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a change that involves consuming only juices from vegetables and fruits. It’s something that you do in the short term and isn’t a long term dietary change.

Fruit and vegetable juices are high in nutrients and can play a seriously important role in balanced diets.A juice cleanse can change the bacteria levels in your gut for the better, and therefore the rest of the systems that are connected to gut health. This can mean positive changes in your digestive system.

Studies have shown that a juice cleanse can increase the number of Bacteroidetes and decrease the number Firmicutes in your gut. These are both types of bacteria that are related to your weight. Bacteroidetes are associated with weight loss and Firmicutes are associated with weight gain.

Fruit and vegetables contain powerful antioxidants that help to protect skin from the cellular damage caused by free radicals.Getting more nutrients from plant based foods in a juice cleanse can help you to healthy, clear and glowing skin especially if you’ve found it difficult to add fruit and vegetables into your diet before.