Surprising Facts About Your Skin!

For clear and healthy skin, read this (don’t skip #3)!

1️⃣ Skin health is a reflection of gut health.

Breakouts, rashes, irritations, and redness are outward signs of inflammation, which often stems from the gut.

Tip: Support your gut AND skin with fiber, probiotics, and healthy fats!

2️⃣ Sugar accelerates skin aging.

Excess sugar triggers a process called glycation, where sugar binds to collagen proteins in the skin, leading to fine lines, wrinkles, and aging skin.

Tip: Limit sweets to occasional treats!

3️⃣ Diet can minimize sun damage.

Although not as strong as sunscreen, certain nutrients like beta-carotene and lycopene are stored in layers of the skin, where they help protect against UV damage.

Tip: Eat the rainbow!

4️⃣ Sleep is needed for glowing skin.

During sleep, the body releases growth hormone and produces collagen to strengthen the skin, reduce fine lines, and minimize sagging or puffy skin.

Tip: It’s true that we all need our beauty sleep!

5️⃣ Chemicals in skincare products can seep into your bloodstream.

Chemicals that persist in the environment and in our bodies (meaning they never go away!) are called forever chemicals. Many of these are ingredients in skincare products from sunscreens to lipsticks.

Tip: Read labels and choose non-toxic products!

Okay, I know that’s a lot of information, but the point is:

Chasing skin health with nothing more than expensive topical products is not doing anybody any good. Skin health is truly a reflection of whole-body health.

Click the link in our bio to get started with Dr. Cantrell! 🌱

REFERENCES:

-Abraham K, Monien BH. Transdermal absorption of 13C4-perfluorooctanoic acid (13C4-PFOA) from a sunscreen in a male volunteer - What could be the contribution of cosmetics to the internal exposure of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)?. Environ Int. 2022;169:107549. [link]

-Gill V, Kumar V, Singh K, Kumar A, Kim JJ. Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) May Be a Striking Link Between Modern Diet and Health. Biomolecules. 2019;9(12):888. [link]

-Ragnarsdóttir O, Abou-Elwafa Abdallah M, Harrad S. Dermal bioavailability of perfluoroalkyl substances using in vitro 3D human skin equivalent models. Environ Int. 2024;188:108772. [link]

-Stahl W, Sies H. Photoprotection by dietary carotenoids: concept, mechanisms, evidence and future development. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2012;56(2):287-295. [link]

Want to Add Something New to Your Thanksgiving Spread? Give This One a Try! 🍁

Maple Miso Brussels Sprouts

INGREDIENTS

4 cups brussels sprouts, halved

¼ cups slivered almonds

Dressing

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp maple syrup

1 tsp miso

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp fresh orange juice

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 °F

2. Thoroughly wash and cut brussels sprouts in half. Remove any brown or yellow outer leaves. Add to large bowl. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.

3. Transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake 15-20 minutes (toss half way through), until they are brown and outer leaves are crispy.

4. When they’re almost done, remove from oven and add the slivered almonds and half the dressing. Toss to coat, then return to the oven for another 5 minutes. You don’t want the almonds to burn.

5. Remove from oven, drizzle remaining miso dressing on, mix to coat evenly.

6. Transfer to serving dish, garnish with shredded parmesan if you want, and enjoy!

Recipe from Harvest Table Nutrition

Can You Touch Your Toes?

🗞️ New Study!!

The main finding was that having more flexibility between the ages of 46 and 65 lowered the odds of death over the next decade plus.

We’re talking about physical flexibility here (although I would guess that mental flexibility helps too!).

More than 3100 men and women were evaluated with the “Flexindex,” which measures flexibility in multiple joints throughout the body. They were then followed from about 1994 until 2022.

▪️ Men with the least flexibility were nearly twice as likely to die over the follow-up period than men with high flexibility

▪️ Women with the least flexibility were almost 5x more likely to die than those with high flexibility

(PMID 39165228)

These same researchers previously found that the ability to rise from a seated position on the floor and the ability to stand on one leg for 10 seconds are also predictors of longevity.

Want to work on your flexibility?

Check out a yoga class or take a break anytime from sitting to do some gentle stretching!

REFERENCE:

Araújo CGS, de Souza E Silva CG, Kunutsor SK, et al. Reduced Body Flexibility Is Associated With Poor Survival in Middle-Aged Men and Women: A Prospective Cohort Study. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2024;34(8):e14708. [link]

Curcumin for Metabolism (new study!)

What you need to know ⬇️

Curcumin is the biologically active compound in turmeric (the yellow spice used in curry).

It’s a polyphenol known for its beneficial effects on metabolic health—including blood sugar, insulin, inflammation, and weight.

But curcumin is not well absorbed from the digestive tract, so there have always been questions about its bioavailability and whether it’s worth taking.

A new research review (PMID 39062953) reveals that curcumin may not need to be well absorbed to still have metabolic effects 🙌

The reason is because curcumin acts directly in the gut to shift the gut microbiota in favor of beneficial bacterial strains, like Bifidobacteri, Lactobacilli, and butyrate-producing bacteria.

👉 This shift in gut microbiomes translates into a cascade of events that influences metabolic health.

The thing about natural compounds is that they always have multiple effects on many pathways in the human body. This is what makes them more challenging to study and to explain but so powerful for our health.

If you want to explore ways to add more turmeric into your diet, you can try out:

🫚 Golden Milk (warm milk with turmeric and spices)

🫚 Yellow Rice (add a dash of turmeric while cooking)

🫚 Scrambled Eggs or Tofu (mix turmeric in when cooking)

🫚 Smoothies (sprinkle into your smoothie)

Do you have a favorite way to use turmeric? Let me know in the comments.

Servida S, Piontini A, Gori F, et al. Curcumin and Gut Microbiota: A Narrative Overview with Focus on Glycemic Control. Int J Mol Sci. 2024;25(14):7710. [link]

Aging Happens in Bursts (new study!)

This might explain a few things.

A new study tracking 108 Californians between the ages of 25 and 75 found that human aging is not linear! Instead, they found bursts of disruption in molecular markers of aging at 2 points in time:

▪️ Around the age of 44, changes occur that affect the metabolism of lipids, caffeine, and alcohol

▪️ Around the age of 60, changes occur that affect immune function, kidney function, and the metabolism of carbohydrates

The study used the words “waves” and “crests” to describe the moments across the lifespan when aging activities spike. At both the age 44 and age 60 crests, muscle and skin aging also accelerated.

Do you think your body has hit one of these aging bursts?

PMID 39143318

REFERENCE:

Shen X, Wang C, Zhou X, et al. Nonlinear dynamics of multi-omics profiles during human aging. Nat Aging. Published online August 14, 2024. [link]