We're hearing a lot about probiotics these days. Yogurt, kombucha, kefir: it seems as though probiotic foods are all the rage. But what about PREBIOTICS? You may not be hearing as much about prebiotics, but the evidence indicates that they may be even more important. That's because prebiotic foods are critical for maintaining the health of our GI tract. And in dermatology, research has found a definite link between the health of our gut and the health of our skin. This connec

Psoriasis can be a very frustrating skin disease. It's a chronic disease, and even the best therapies don't always clear the skin. It's no wonder, then, that so many patients with psoriasis turn to the Internet for ideas on alternative therapies or special diets. What they find on the internet, though, can be very misleading. I was working on a project with one of our Baylor medical students on quality of medical information. We started reviewing the top websites that came

Foods with refined carbohydrates and added sugars can lead to rapid rises in blood sugar, which may worsen acne in some people Can certain foods cause acne? That's a straightforward question. And it's the exact question we asked our patients. In order to understand patient beliefs about acne, we surveyed patients who were being treated at the Baylor College of Medicine Department of Dermatology. We surveyed these patients about their beliefs regarding the link between diet

Are there foods that can help protect against sun damage? Absolutely. I've performed skin exams on thousands of patients, and one observation always puzzled me. Why do some middle-aged women have such youthful skin, while others have noticeable wrinkles, multiple brown spots, and skin texture changes on their face and chest? Why would there be such a difference in women with the same skin type and approximately the same amount of sun exposure? One potential reason is diet.

What kind of foods do you think about when you think about foods that are bad for your skin? With acne, many people focus on fried, greasy foods. It sort of makes sense: wouldn't fried, greasy foods increase your skin's oil production? It turns out it's more complex than that. In fact, two of the biggest culprits are sugars and refined carbohydrates. That's not what we thought 20 years ago, but research in the last decade has really changed our thinking on this topic. Patie