Probiotics can help against acne

Probiotics (prepared with beneficial bacteria) can have a positive effect on many conditions, including acnea chronic inflammatory skin condition that can persist from a few months to, in the worst case, several decades.

Acne usually appears during puberty and disappears before the age of 25 for reasons that are still unknown. Its influence on the lives of those affected can be enormous, as their image is affected, and conventional medicine cannot offer a satisfactory therapy.

Certain bacteria can promote acne

Although they are not the only cause, certain bacteria, such as Propionibacterium acnesare involved in the development of acne or contribute to its triggering. In the most serious cases, antibiotics are used, which cannot prevent relapses and can favor the appearance of increasingly resistant bacteria.

He Propionibacterium acnes It is part of the normal flora of the skin. Therefore, it is not the direct cause of acne. However, if there is acne, an excessively high proportion of this bacterium can be observed in the skin microbiota.

Probiotics are part of acne therapy

Probiotics, which are often taken in the form of food supplements, can also be present in creams and supply the skin’s bacterial flora with beneficial bacteria to create a healthy balance, It prevents the overgrowth of harmful bacteria and reduces the risk of acne.

A review published in the journal Dermatologic Therapy concluded that probiotics could represent an effective therapeutic component for acne.

Probiotics stimulate skin immunity

For their analysis, the researchers at Tehran’s Rasoul Akram Hospital examined all studies published to date on this topic, regardless of whether they used probiotics in the form of creams or dietary supplements. It was concluded that Probiotics strengthen the skin’s natural defenses so it can better defend itself against acne.

For the researchers, it was amazing how numerous the mechanisms of action with which the probiotic bacteria were able to counteract acne were:

On the one hand, probiotics form antibacterial proteins and specific inhibitors (bacteriocins) that have an inhibitory effect on the growth of other bacteria (such as propionibacteria). On the other hand, probiotic bacteria reduce hyperkeratosis common in acne (cornification in the sebum duct) by having a positive effect on keratinocyte-forming cells. In addition, probiotics inhibit inflammatory messenger substances, the cytokines IL-8 and TNF-alpha, on epithelial cells and keratinocytes and thus relieve skin inflammation, which is common in acne.

Probiotics in holistic acne therapy

Therefore, probiotics can be an excellent part of a holistic approach to acne. Probiotics also have a beneficial effect because they not only counteract inflammatory processes, but also reduce oxidative stress and regulate the blood sugar level and the fat content of the skin.

Both a fluctuating blood sugar level and excessive sebum production on the skin are among the characteristics of acne and must be taken into account during therapy.

How to use probiotics

Probiotics can be taken in capsule form. However, they are also available in liquid form. Both can be combined with each other.

It must be taken into account that not only the intestinal flora is positively influenced by the intake of probiotics, but the entire population of microorganisms (microbiota) that inhabits the body, including the flora of the skin.

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