by Ashleigh Feltham,  Accredited Practising Dietitian and Accredited Nutritionist

Getting older is a privilege not given to everyone and it is important to start this blog by acknowledging this fact. There are many changes that are part of getting older and one of these changes is developing older skin, which over time causes wrinkles. There are thousands of skin products on the market claiming to help reduce wrinkles, but what you may not have considered is your diet and its effect on your skin health.

Including foods with healthy fats, protein and vitamins like omega-3 fat, vitamin E and collagen are quite well known. But prebiotic fibre could also play a role in reducing the appearance of wrinkles that occur with ageing skin.

Fibre is a type of carbohydrate that your body cannot digest, and prebiotic fibre is a specific type of fibre that feeds the health-promoting microbes in your gut.

 The link between the health of your gut microbiome and skin health is so strong that researchers have defined a gut-skin axis. Seventy per cent of your immune system is found in the gut, hence if there is a gut dysbiosis, it will impact the skin.

A study investigated the effects of prebiotic fibre on 30 healthy women between 40 and 60 years of age. They found that by including 4.5g of dietary fibre daily for eight weeks, there was a reduced average wrinkle length and depth compared to the placebo group with no prebiotic fibre. Specifically, crow’s feet wrinkles were found to be significantly improved in the prebiotic group. Note that this amount of dietary fibre is well below the daily recommended dietary fibre intake. For an adult, this is 25-38g.

Chronic inflammation is linked to many health problems, and it worsens the effects of ageing. A healthy gut microbiome reduces this level of chronic inflammation and could be one reason for the positive effects of prebiotic fibre in your diet on the skin. Feeding health-promoting microbes gives skin a healthy, low inflammatory condition.

Prebiotic fibre can be found in plant-based foods. This includes wholegrains like wholegrain crackers, bread, pasta, rice and couscous. Also, legumes, nuts, seeds, fruit and vegetables. By structuring your diet around whole foods and including plant-based foods in each meal and snack, you should be able to achieve your daily dietary fibre needs.

Take home message:

Ageing is a privilege to be celebrated. But lifestyle choices, including your diet, can influence how much your skin shows the signs of ageing. If you are keen to show off your most healthy looking skin, look after the health of your gut. A healthy gut heavily impacts the health and hence the appearance of your skin. Include plant-based fibre and supplement with inulin to meet your daily fibre needs.

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References:

1. Claudio Franceschi, Judith Campisi, Chronic Inflammation (Inflammaging) and Its Potential Contribution to Age-Associated Diseases, The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, Volume 69, Issue Suppl_1, June 2014, Pages S4–S9,
2. De Pessemier B, Grine L, Debaere M, Maes A, Paetzold B, Callewaert C. Gut-Skin Axis: Current Knowledge of the Interrelationship between Microbial Dysbiosis and Skin Conditions. Microorganisms. 2021 Feb 11;9(2):353. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms9020353. PMID: 33670115; PMCID: PMC7916842.
3. Hawrelak, J.A. (2013). Probiotics.Textbook of Natural Medicine. J. Pizzorno and M. Murray. St Louis, Elsevier: 979-994.