Plant-Based Diets: Skin Health Benefits Explained

A plant-based diet can have a positive impact on skin health. The skin is an organ that is exposed to the external environment and has functions such as regulating body temperature, protecting against infections, and preserving internal organs. A plant-based diet is rich in nutrients and antioxidants, which can help to prevent photoaging, improve skin firmness and elasticity, and decrease skin pigmentation and wrinkles.

Research has shown that a plant-based diet can be beneficial for inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and acne. This is due to the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of plant-based foods, which can help to reduce inflammation and cutaneous symptoms.

In addition, a plant-based diet can also have a positive impact on the gut microbiome, which is linked to skin health. A plant-based diet can help to improve the composition of the microbiome, leading to positive effects on the skin.

Overall, a plant-based diet that includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and whole grains can promote healthier skin and help to manage certain skin conditions.

Plant-based diets can help prevent and reverse skin ageing

A plant-based diet can help prevent and reverse skin ageing in several ways. Firstly, it can improve skin health by providing essential vitamins and antioxidants, such as vitamins A, C, and E, which protect against oxidative damage and promote collagen production. These vitamins are found in abundance in fruits and vegetables, which are staples of a plant-based diet.

Secondly, a plant-based diet can help to reduce acne by improving gut health. The gut-skin axis refers to the relationship between the gut microbiome and skin health. An imbalance in the gut microbiome can lead to gut dysbiosis, which has been linked to skin conditions like acne, as well as psoriasis, dermatitis, and skin cancer. Plant-based diets are rich in fibre and polyphenols, which can help to improve gut health and reduce the risk of acne.

Finally, a plant-based diet can help to prevent signs of ageing by promoting skin elasticity and firmness. This is due to the presence of nutrients and antioxidants in plant-based foods, which can stimulate collagen production and protect against cellular damage. Specifically, vitamin C and E, beta-carotene, and lysine have been linked to improved skin health and reduced signs of ageing.

Plant-based diets can help treat acne

Acne is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that affects the pilosebaceous unit and is characterised by comedones, papules, pustules, nodules, and cysts. It is most prevalent in adolescents, affecting around 85% of this age group.

A plant-based diet can help treat acne due to its anti-inflammatory properties and ability to reduce sebum production and hyperkeratinization of the pilosebaceous follicles.

Dairy and Acne

The consumption of dairy products, particularly milk, has been linked to an increased risk of developing moderate to severe acne. This is due to the ability of certain amino acids in milk to stimulate the synthesis of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which plays a key role in acne pathogenesis by increasing sebum production.

Plant-Based Diet and IGF-1

A plant-based diet can help reduce IGF-1 levels and acne symptoms. This is because plant-based diets are typically low in saturated fat and arachidonic acid, which are known to increase IGF-1 levels. In addition, plant-based diets are rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids, which have anti-inflammatory properties.

Plant-Based Diet and the Gut Microbiome

The gut-skin axis is a bidirectional relationship between the intestine and the skin. An imbalance in the gut microbiome, known as gut dysbiosis, can lead to skin conditions like acne. A plant-based diet can help improve the gut microbiome and reduce the risk of acne by providing prebiotics and probiotics, which promote the growth of beneficial microorganisms in the gut.

Plant-Based Diet and Skin Inflammation

Plant-based diets are rich in antioxidants, including vitamins A, C, and E, which help prevent cellular damage and reduce inflammation. In addition, plant-based diets are a good source of polyphenols, which have anti-inflammatory properties and can help modulate the immune response.

Plant-Based Diet and Collagen Synthesis

Collagen is a protein that promotes skin elasticity and firmness. A plant-based diet can help increase collagen synthesis by providing the body with the necessary nutrients, such as vitamin C, vitamin E, and lysine.

Plant-Based Diet and Weight Loss

Obesity is a risk factor for the development of acne. A plant-based diet can help with weight loss, which may indirectly improve acne symptoms.

Plant-Based Diet and Environmental Factors

A plant-based diet can help reduce the environmental impact of the animal food industry, which contributes to climate change and increases the average global temperature. This, in turn, may help reduce the prevalence of acne, as higher temperatures and UV exposure can worsen acne symptoms.

Plant-based diets can help treat psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease that affects millions of people in the United States alone. It is characterised by scaly, erythematous plaques with well-defined margins. It is now known that psoriasis is also a systemic pathology, with a persistent inflammatory state, that affects multiple organs and therefore results in a significant decrease in the quality of life.

A plant-based diet can be beneficial in managing psoriasis for several reasons. Firstly, a plant-based diet is low in saturated fat, trans fat, and arachidonic acid, which are known to damage cells. Secondly, a plant-based diet is rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids, which have anti-inflammatory properties and can help reduce inflammation and cutaneous symptoms associated with psoriasis. Thirdly, a plant-based diet can promote weight loss, which has been shown to have a strong association with clinical improvement in psoriasis patients.

There is extensive evidence that supports the benefits of a plant-based diet in managing psoriasis. For example, a cohort study found that 86% of respondents who made changes to their diet reported positive results on skin improvement, with the best results observed with vegan, Pagano, and Paleolithic diets. Another study reported that a whole-food plant-based diet was enough to achieve good disease response in a patient with psoriatic arthritis, allowing her to discontinue pharmacological treatment.

In conclusion, a plant-based diet that consists of limited or excluded animal-derived products and an increased intake of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and cereal products is beneficial in managing psoriasis.

Plant-based diets can help treat atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common inflammatory skin disease, characterised by erythema papules and pruritic scaly plaques, predominantly in skin folds such as hands, neck, and head. It has a prevalence of 2-3% in the adult population worldwide. Its aetiology is multifactorial, resulting from the interaction of genetic and environmental factors and immunological activity.

Plant-based diets such as the vegetarian diet are recognised as a complementary therapeutic option for AD. A recent cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between adults with AD and lifestyle factors such as alcohol consumption, stress, obesity, physical activity, sleep duration, and diet. The study found no association between diet, specifically vegetarian and vegan diets, and the presence or severity of AD. However, obesity, a diet-related disease, was reported as a positively related factor with moderate to severe AD.

In contrast, another study showed that a vegetarian diet significantly decreased the SCORAD (scoring atopic dermatitis, consisting of erythema, edema, crusts, and excoriation) index. The amelioration of skin inflammation went hand in hand with a significant decrease in serological parameters such as LDH5 activity, the number of eosinophils and neutrophils in peripheral blood, and PGE2 synthesis.

A vegan diet excludes products of animal origin but includes a wide variety of plant foods. Leading international nutrition organisations have determined that a well-planned and balanced plant-based diet is protective against chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.

The Benefits of Plant-Based Diets for Atopic Dermatitis

A plant-based diet can be beneficial for AD for several reasons. Firstly, any poorly planned diet, even an omnivorous one, can lead to nutritional deficiencies and growth alterations. Secondly, a diet rich in fat and low in fibre can alter the gut microbiome, causing an imbalance of the gut-skin axis capable of orienting immunity toward an inflammatory response. The gut and skin have many similar characteristics, and targeting gut microbial alterations may be helpful in regulating the immune response and improving cutaneous AD lesions.

Thirdly, the role of prebiotics and probiotics in AD prevention and treatment is of great interest. Prebiotics are non-digestible foods or nutrients that potentially may improve the host's health, stimulating the growth or limiting some species of intestinal bacteria. A vegan diet may be rich in prebiotic ingredients (oligosaccharides, dietary fibre, and inulin), affecting the metabolic pathways of the gut microbiome and increasing beneficial microorganisms. The prebiotics' introduction appears to be useful in reducing the severity of AD and its incidence.

Finally, numerous studies have highlighted an association between environmental pollutants and AD prevalence and severity. Minimising environmental pollutants, such as those produced by the meat and animal derivatives industry, could, therefore, also act on these environmental risk factors.

Plant-based diets can help treat other inflammatory skin diseases

A plant-based diet can help treat other inflammatory skin diseases in the following ways:

• A vegan diet, which includes a wide variety of plant foods, provides ideal nutrients for skin diseases such as acne, atopic dermatitis, and psoriasis.
• The supplementation of vitamin B12, recommended in those who follow a vegan diet, seems to have a protective role.
• Avoiding the intake of foods of animal origin and their derivatives is protective against the development of numerous skin diseases.
• A plant-based diet can be beneficial for acne for several reasons. Acne has a multifactorial pathophysiology, influenced by genetic, hormonal, inflammatory, and environmental factors. The influence of diet has long been studied in acne due to its role in many pathogenetic mechanisms. Acne pathogenesis involves excess sebum production, hyperproliferation of Cutibacterium acnes, hyperkeratinization of the pilosebaceous follicles, and inflammation.
• Dairy consumption could be advantageous for patients with acne, especially concerning the casein contained in cow's milk that increases IGF-1 levels. In addition, whey proteins have insulin-like effects.
• The consumption of fruit and vegetables also plays a protective and ameliorative role due to their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions.
• Dermatologists often advise against a plant-based diet in patients with acne due to the need for supplemental vitamin B12. In nature, bacteria found abundantly in the soil and in the intestines of ruminants produce vitamin B12, accumulating in animal tissues. Patients who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, devoid of the animal supply of B12, may need to supplement it.
• A diet rich in fat and low in fiber can alter the gut microbiome, causing an imbalance of the gut-skin axis capable of orienting immunity toward an inflammatory response.
• Gut and skin have many similar characteristics, and targeting gut microbial alterations may be helpful in regulating the immune response and in improving cutaneous AD lesions. The role of prebiotics and probiotics in AD prevention and treatment is of great interest.
• Other studies have underlined the antioxidant and immunomodulating role of plant foods, which could affect the inflammatory component of dermatitis.
• A plant-based diet may have beneficial effects on psoriasis for several reasons. First, eliminating products of animal origin limits the ingestion of saturated and trans fatty acids, improving the skin and the risk of comorbidities.
• Various antioxidants plus gamma-linolenic and alpha-linolenic acids are widely available in the vegan diet and relate directly to healthier skin and the treatment and prevention of cardio-metabolic problems associated with psoriasis.
• A low-energy diet rich in omega-3 and gamma-linolenic acid improves the metabolic profile, reducing psoriatic manifestations and increasing the effectiveness of some psoriatic treatments.
• Chronic inflammation associated with psoriasis determines the formation of free radicals and reactive oxygen species. This oxidative stress contributes to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques and vascular damage. Antioxidants (polyphenols, beta-carotene, and vitamins E, A, and C) are protective against free radicals.
• Studies comparing the gut microbiota of patients with and without psoriasis have observed differences, suggesting a possible influence of gut dysbiosis. Prebiotics that contain polysaccharides, found in fiber-rich foods, may be beneficial.

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