'Skin and the Microbiome – the Gut-Skin Axis'
sponsored by OptiBac
1 September 2020The IHCAN Conferences Webinars are provided for professional education and debate and is not intended to be used by non-medically qualified individuals as a substitute for, or basis of, medical treatment. We take your privacy seriously, by registering for any of our webinars you accept our privacy policy.
To download a PDF of the presentation, click here.
Questions and Answers
Please note, this is a transcript of the questions received and have been reproduced verbatim in relation to any grammatical errors.
- What would you recommend for a fungal skin condition such as Tinea Versicolor?
Tinea Versicolor, (also known as Pityriasis Versicolor) is a common fungal infection that can cause small patches of skin to become scaly and discoloured. It is caused by the yeast, Malassezia which is present on the skin in over 90% of adults and does not usually exert any harmful effects. However, if this yeast begins to multiply excessively, it can cause Tinea Versicolor. The reason why this happens is unclear.
Tinea Versicolor is usually treated with antifungal medications in the form of shampoo, creams or tablets.
Malassezia strains have also be associated with gut-related disease such as Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis.
It may therefore be beneficial to address any gut dysbiosis by strengthening the intestinal epithelium and by introducing more beneficial microbes to promote microbial diversity.
If you wish to read more on this subject, this is an interesting paper:
Spatz, M., Richard, M.L. ‘Overview of the Potential Role of Malassezia in Gut Health and Disease’. Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol., 26 May 2020
https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2020.00201
- IF SCFA’s cross the leaky gut barrier should caution be taken when supplementing?
SCFA’s are a natural by-product of the digestive process and so the concern should be less about focusing on these, but rather on optimising the strength of the intestinal barrier to minimise the risk of SCFA’s leaking into the blood stream.
- Do the strains you provide also have FOS?
There are four products in our range that contain FOS:
- ‘For every day’ – contains 88mg
- ‘For babies & children’ – contains 0.75g
- ‘Bifidobacteria & fibre’ – 4g
- ‘One week flat’ – 0.3g
However, there is no FOS in our higher strength dailies, ‘For every day EXTRA STRENGTH’ and ‘For every day MAX’ which are therefore suitable for individuals who can’t tolerate FOS.
- What about SIBO?
As such, we haven’t yet formulated a specific probiotic for SIBO because each case needs to be taken on its own merits and certainly other factors must form an important part of any protocol – for example: promoting intestinal motility; gut-healing programmes to improve gut integrity; antibacterial agents to reduce populations of bacteria and remove biofilms; low-carb diets; digestive aids; lifestyle improvements to address stress.
Most practitioners will follow the ‘Five R’s’ protocol to help support SIBO, in conjunction with the appropriate tests to confirm diagnosis and monitor clients’ progress.
A low FODMAP diet is often selected during the initial period, along with anti-microbials and other supportive supplements.
Once the client begins to test negative for signs and symptoms, then probiotics can be re-introduced and Saccharomyces boulardii can often form the first part of a probiotic protocol for SIBO. Unlike other types of probiotic, it is transient which means that it travels through the gut, (whilst carrying out its mode of action), and does not colonise in the intestines. Saccharomyces boulardii has undergone extensive clinical research demonstrating its ability to flush out any pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli and also heal the gut wall which is important, as intestinal permeability can occur as a side effect of SIBO. We recommend following a similar protocol as for Candida overgrowth:
- Start with 1 capsule twice a day (morning and evening) for the first week
- Increase to 2 capsules twice daily for the second week
- By the third week, increase to 2 capsules three times daily
However, you may find that your clients don’t need to reach 6 capsules a day and that 3-4 will work sufficiently to reduce symptoms. We recommend staying on this dose for several weeks/ months until symptoms begin to improve.
To re-inoculate the gut, we’d recommend Saccharomyces boulardii in combination with our high-strength, broad-strain probiotic ‘For every day EXTRA STRENGTH’. This product provides 20 billion CFU per capsule and contains 4 extensively researched probiotic strains including Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM® – the world’s most researched L. acidophilus strain. The probiotics in this formula will take up residence within the gut to help to support digestion, immunity and energy levels.
- Is there anything that can be done for very dry skin, without eczema over and above omega 3 and 6 fatty acids?
As practitioners, we know that health starts in the gut! As over 70% of our immune cells are located here, it therefore makes sense to optimise gut health to support the health of the skin. If the gut lining regains its integrity and becomes less ‘leaky’, then a significant burden is taken off the immune system meaning that is less likely to overreact – thereby reducing our susceptibility to inflammation.
Also, adequate hydration and a balanced diet (incorporating the tips listed in the webinar) will support overall skin health.
- What probiotics would you recommend?
As mentioned during the webinar, although initial studies have shown some promising outcomes, we still need to see more research in the field of probiotics and skin health before we can confidently make strain-specific recommendations for individual skin concerns. Where probiotics can assist is to help minimise intestinal permeability and increase microbial diversity in the gut – as we saw in the webinar, gut dysbiosis and an altered microbiome can be present in those with a skin condition.
Saccharomyces boulardii can help to strengthen the intestinal wall to reduce permeability and taking a multi-strain probiotic such as ‘For every day EXTRA STRENGTH’ or ‘For every day MAX’ will help to maintain a diverse and healthy microbiome.
- Could you explain the dosing for the For Every Day Max and for Saccharomyces, and why for the latter Optibac suggests starting low dose then increasing it slowly? And please mention for how long would they be taken?
The reason we recommend gradually building up the dosage of Saccharomyces boulardii is to minimise the risk of ‘Candida die-off’ which is a negative reaction that can sometimes occur if this pathogenic yeast is removed too quickly from the body.
We would recommend starting with a low dose of Saccharomyces boulardii and gradually increasing if needed – e.g. 2 a day for the first week, 4 a day for the second week and up to 6 a day thereafter for a few weeks/ months until symptoms improve (spreading the capsules throughout the day). The dose can then be decreased gradually. At the same time, we recommend taking 1 capsule per day of ‘For every day EXTRA STRENGTH’ with or after breakfast and this product is safe to take long-term to help support overall gut health and immune function.
Taking Saccharomyces boulardii alongside ‘For every day EXTRA STRENGTH’ provides a synergistic action of ridding the gut of pathogenic bacteria whilst re-populating the areas they once inhabited with beneficial bacteria – thereby helping to restore balance.
- Can touching the skin or picking at the skin cause disruption to the skin microbiome?
Essentially, everything that we touch, how we wash, the air we breathe, what we eat and drink will affect the composition of our individual microbial ecosystem, including that of the skin.
This is an interesting paper on factors that affect the skin’s microbial composition if you wish to learn more:
Prescott SL, Larcombe DL, Logan AC, et al. ‘The skin microbiome: impact of modern environments on skin ecology, barrier integrity, and systemic immune programming’. World Allergy Organ J. 2017; 10 (1): 29. Published 2017 Aug 22. doi:10.1186/s40413-017-0160-5
- What tests would you recommend to ascertain gut bacteria/dysbiosis?
We are only able to advise on products from our range and therefore cannot recommend specific tests. It always a good idea to check your client’s presenting symptoms.
Symptoms of dysbiosis can include: poor digestion; bloating; irregular bowel movements; compromised immune function; inflammation in the gut; genitourinary issues (thrush, UTI’s); skin issues; candida overgrowth; fatigue.
- For how long would you supplement Saccharomyces boulardii please, as it does not colonise? Would you give probiotics at same time?
See the answer to question 7.
- For how long can people take every day probiotics?
Our dailies range is safe to take on a long-term basis to help support overall gut health and immune function. These include:
- ‘For every day’
- ‘For every day EXTRA STRENGTH’
- ‘For every day MAX’
- ‘For babies and children’
- ‘For your baby’
- Are we able to register as students or do we need to be practitioners already?
Yes, you can register for a practitioner account as a student practitioner. Please contact us at practitioners@optibacprobiotics.com
- Is it possible to access the professional’s database even if you are not registered as a professional with you?
Yes, simply type ‘Probiotics Database’ into your browser or you can access it via this link:
https://www.optibacprobiotics.co.uk/professionals/probiotics-database
