I believe that gut health is at the root of many, if not most, cases of inflammatory-type acne. As we discussed earlier, the gut is the primary source of inflammatory LPS toxins.

Indeed, studies on people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) show they have higher levels of systemic inflammation than people without IBS. As an example, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology in 2015 showed that IBS patients had 50% higher levels of C reactive protein (CRP), which is a marker of systemic inflammation. The amount of CRP correlated with IBS severity; i.e. the people with more severe IBS also had higher levels of CRP.

Furthermore, the IBS patients also had significantly higher rates of migraine, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, hay fever, asthma, and drug allergies. All of which suggest abnormally high immune activation.

Given the above, it’s reasonable to assume that getting the gut under control would reduce inflammation in the body and help with acne. Indeed, this is what my experience and reports from my readers suggest.

Again, I want to emphasize that this is far from scientifically proven, but regardless, it’s something anyone with inflammatory-type acne should look into.

I have outlined two different programs in the gut health section: a full gut healing program and a barrier recovery program. The full program is focused on addressing bacterial imbalances and overgrowth that’s often at the root of gut problems. The barrier recovery program is a lighter version that’s focused on fixing and supporting the gut barrier, and thus prevent inflammatory bacterial toxins from leaking into circulation.

Here’s what I recommend:

• Start by reading the how do I know if I have gut issues page. Pay attention to the sections talking about stool formation and monitoring digestive symptoms. The other parts are less important.
• If you do have stool problems or noticeable digestive symptoms, I recommend going through the full gut healing program. It’s a bit more intensive but by no means too difficult.
• Otherwise, just go through the barrier recovery program.