Is the Culprit Ruining Your Skin on Your Dining Table? Foods to Avoid vs. Foods to Eat, the Secrets to Skin Health

Modern medicine supports the wisdom of the Donguibogam in various ways. What the Donguibogam describes as stagnant heat in the lungs and stomach or damp-heat can be explained in modern terms as chronic inflammation and an imbalance in the gut-skin axis. Our gut is not just a digestive organ; it is a massive immune organ housing more than 70% of our immune cells. With Westernized diets, the sugar, refined carbohydrates, dairy products, and processed foods we frequently eat become main culprits that rapidly spike blood glucose and proliferate harmful bacteria in the gut. When blood glucose rises suddenly, insulin secretion is stimulated, and a hormone called insulin-like growth factor 1 increases as well. This insulin-like growth factor 1 stimulates the sebaceous glands to increase sebum secretion and accelerates keratinocyte proliferation, creating a vicious cycle of clogging pores and inducing inflammation. It is like pouring oil on firewood. Casein and whey protein in dairy products are also known to stimulate the secretion of insulin-like growth factor 1. Furthermore, when harmful bacteria proliferate in the gut, leaky gut syndrome can develop as intestinal mucosal permeability increases. As the intestinal barrier loosens, undigested food debris and toxins enter the bloodstream, and as these toxins circulate through the body, they trigger chronic inflammation. At this point, the skin, as one of our body's major detoxifying organs, attempts to expel inflammatory substances outward, manifesting as acne or blemishes. Ultimately, skin trouble is a mirror of the internal inflammatory response. Gluten in wheat flour can also irritate the intestinal mucosa and trigger inflammatory responses in some individuals. Hence, modern science shows that caring for skin health requires not just topical applications, but dietary management to protect gut health and reduce inflammation. There are many cases where acne that did not improve with dermatology treatments clears up through dietary improvement alone. It is worth taking a quiet moment to consider whether the culprit troubling your skin has been on your dining table all along.