The Interplay of Stable Blood Sugars, Radiant Skin, and a Healthy Gut

Blood sugars and continuous blood sugar monitors are all the rage and for good reason. Maintaining a stable blood sugar level isn’t just vital for metabolic health and weight, but also plays a key role in maintaining healthy skin and a normal functioning gut. 
 
This article will explore the connections between stable blood sugars and both skin and gut health and will provide practical tips to achieve and maintain this important balance: 

• The role of stable blood sugars
• Blood sugars and skin health
• Blood sugars and gut health
• My top tips for keeping your blood sugars stable.

 
The role of stable blood sugars
 
Before we go into the detail of blood sugar and skin and gut health, here’s a quick overview of how important blood sugars are, so that we put it all in context. 
 
Simplistically, blood sugar is our main source of energy, and we get it primarily from eating carbohydrates which our digestive system then breaks down to glucose. This then enters our blood stream and provides energy to cells.  Stable blood sugars are vital for lots of reasons, but here are the most cited ones: 

• Energy regulation – stable blood sugars provide a consistent energy supply preventing energy crashes and fatigue.
• Weight management – stable blood sugars are associated with better weight management. Blood sugar levels spiking quickly up before crashing down, can trigger overeating, especially carbohydrate rich foods, which can lead to weight gain.
• Diabetes prevention – blood glucose levels that remain stubbornly high can lead to insulin resistance, pre-diabetes, and Type 2 Diabetes. If your blood sugar levels crash too low, then you can be at risk for hypoglycaemia which can lead to headaches and energy crashes amongst other more serious effects. 
• Cognitive function – blood sugar levels can affect brain function and concentration. If you want to perform well, you should aim for stable blood sugar levels. 

Blood sugars and skin health
There are several ways that blood sugars can have an impact on skin health including: 

• Acne and inflammation.  There has been extensive research into the role of nutrition, including high-glycaemic (sugar) diets  and acne. (1)
• Acne is also linked to insulin response. Foods with high glycaemic values (those that make blood glucose levels rise and fall more quickly) are linked to higher insulin levels. (1,2) and higher insulin levels are linked to increased sebum production.
• Premature aging. Elevated blood sugar levels can have a damaging effect on collagen and elastin, both essential for skin firmness, therefore resulting in wrinkles.
• Glycation happens when the sugar in your blood stream attaches to a protein and produces Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs). These harmful free radicals accumulate and then damage further proteins such as collagen, which can then result in stiff, less resilient skin. 
• Eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea. High blood sugar levels have been associated with increased inflammation within the body, which can trigger these common skin conditions. 
• Itchiness. For many eczema sufferers the unbearable itch is one of the worst possible symptoms. Fluctuating blood sugar levels, specifically rapid spikes and crashes, have been observed to trigger increased itchiness. (3). 
• Skin barrier function (e.g., leaky skin). Eczema is closely related with a poor skin barrier which allows moisture to escape and irritants and bacteria to enter the skin more easily. (4)
• Bacterial infections.  Those suffering from eczema/dermatitis are more at risk to skin infections as their impaired skin barrier, which can be affected by blood glucose levels, allow bacteria through more easily. 

 
Blood sugars and gut health
 
Blood sugars and gut health aren’t usually associated by most people; however, high blood sugar levels can influence: 

• Your microbiome, or your own personal population of gut bacteria, which play a crucial role in not only your digestive health, but also your overall health and wellbeing.
• Digestive disorders. Those that are associated with unstable blood sugar levels include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and intestinal hyperpermeability (Leaky Gut). High glucose levels can also damage the intestinal lining, leading to inflammation and increasing gut permeability (5).
• Systemic inflammation (when your body has an exaggerated immune response to something). Systemic inflammation can damage the gut lining and lead to digestive discomfort and disorders. (6–7). 

 
My top tips for keeping your blood sugars stable. 
 

1. Balance your meals. Protein or fibre slows carbohydrate digestion so consider starting your meal with either of these, rather than first tucking into the pasta or bread. 
2. If you like a sweet treat, consider adding it to the end of a meal instead of having it on its own as a snack. If you do need snacks then try to have some protein first e.g., a handful of nuts and seeds.
3. Avoid ultra-processed foods and drinks. These contain more than the average amount of sugar. Just have a look at the labels!  The simpler ingredients you eat, the less chance you have of eating lots of hidden sugars. 
4. Stress can raise your blood sugar levels, so think about stress-lowering techniques. Can you go for a walk in nature at lunchtime? Can you listen to a meditation in your car before you go into work? Can you do a Yoga Nidra session that you find on YouTube before you go to sleep? 
5. Drink plenty of water. Even if hydration doesn’t lower your blood sugar levels it still helps support your skin and gut health. Try to drink regularly throughout the day rather than gulping down big quantities every so often. 
6. Consider getting a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) for a month. I don’t think everyone should have these for ever, but having one for a month can be really eye opening. What foods make YOU have a sugar spike? You may be surprised. I work with Veri who can supply you with a Freestyle Libre monitor and accompanying app. Clients who work with me can use this tool and have me access their data so that I can help interpret which is the best way of eating for that individual. If you want to find out more get in touch
7. Get a good night’s sleep. How well you sleep can affect your blood sugar levels the next day. I found that out whilst I was using a CGM and found that my normal breakfast had a much worse score the morning after a disturbed night. 

 
I run a 5 day ‘A Week to Reduce Your Sugar Cravings’ Challenge – it’s absolutely free and you can sign up here.
 
Sign up for my news to receive the published articles straight to your inbox. 
 
Read more by clicking below to see my previously published articles: 

• Motivated to change but struggling to stay on track? Tips for long term transformation.

• Symptoms but no idea what’s triggering them? Here are some tips to unravel the mystery.  
• Top Tips for Eating for the Planet without Compromising Your Nutrition 
• I want to eat more plant-based but pulses give me terrible digestive issues
• What is the atopic march?
• Why is eczema/atopic dermatitis itchier at night?
• You’ve been diagnosed with an atopic condition, but what does that mean? 
• Atopic dermatitis/eczema – a chronic condition that effects all ages 
• The skin microbiome, the key to good skin health  
• If one-size-fits all diets worked, don’t you think we would have the magic formula by now? 
  
  

Who Am I? 
I’m Jessica Fonteneau, the Eczema and Digestive Health Nutrition Expert. I’ve worked with hundreds of clients to help them change their diets, better manage their flares, and find relief.
 
My vocation is to help those with eczema and digestive issues, because I have suffered with these interlinked conditions since I was 6 months old, and I truly know what it is like to experience these debilitating conditions. 
 
Every client I have ever worked with has their own triggers and ideal nutrition. There is no such thing as ‘one-size-fits-all’. Whether you work with me one-to-one or use my guided tools, my objective is to help you uncover what works best for you, so that you take back control and experience relief. 
 
My guided programmes are only suitable for adults as children have very specific nutrition requirements. I do, however, work with many child clients as part of my clinic. 
 
I also offer two free communities for adults caring for children with eczema and digestive symptoms, feel free to come and join us and get some well-deserved support. 
 

• Free community for adults with skin and/or digestive issues
• Free community for carers of children with skin and/or digestive issues

 
To easily keep up with my articles, masterclasses, ebooks and online programmes and receive exclusive access to early bird offers, sign-up to my newsletter.  
 
Interested in what I do and who I am? Go to my website: www.jessicafonteneaunutrition.com
 
References: 

1. Meixiong J, Ricco C, Vasavda C, Ho BK. Diet and acne: A systematic review. JAAD Int [Internet]. 2022;7:95–112. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdin.2022.02.012
2. Briganti S, Flori E, Mastrofrancesco A, Ottaviani M. Acne as an altered dermato-endocrine response problem. Exp Dermatol [Internet]. 2020 Sep 1;29(9):833–9. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/exd.14168
3.  Xu X, Zhang H, Li L, Yang R, Li G, Liu S, et al. Study of the Involvement of the P2Y12 Receptor in Chronic Itching in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Mol Neurobiol [Internet]. 2022;59(3):1604–18. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12035-021-02676-4
4. Lee Y Bin, Hwang HJ, Kim E, Lim SH, Chung CH, Choi EH. Hyperglycemia-activated 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 increases endoplasmic reticulum stress and skin barrier dysfunction. Sci Rep [Internet]. 2023;13(1):1–13. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-36294-y
5. Snelson M, de Pasquale C, Ekinci EI, Coughlan MT. Gut microbiome, prebiotics, intestinal permeability and diabetes complications. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab [Internet]. 2021;35(3):101507. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1521690X21000245
6. Stecher B. The roles of inflammation, nutrient availability and the commensal microbiota in enteric pathogen infection. Metab Bact Pathog. 2015;297–320. 
7. Andersen CJ, Murphy KE, Fernandez ML. Impact of obesity and metabolic syndrome on immunity. Adv Nutr. 2016;7(1):66–75.