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Wellness

What Causes Dandruff? Why Probiotics Are the Best Treatment

Hannah Healy

By Hannah Healy

Updated June 28, 2023

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read the disclosure policy.

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This “What Causes Dandruff? Why Probiotics Are the Best Treatment” post is sponsored by Kaya Biotics. I only recommend products that I have personally tried and believe are of value to my readers. All opinions in this post are my own.

What causes dandruff? Many are surprised to find that what happens in your gut can affect your skin and scalp. This is why probiotics are the best treatment for lasting relief.

Light blue dish with white capsules in it on a white marble surface next to a wooden comb

What Causes Dandruff?

Although there are a few different dandruff causes, many people are unaware that it is not just a condition that starts and ends with the skin. It can be a symptom of a larger issues going on inside your body.

Below are a few different dandruff causes:

  • Allergies/Sensitivities to Shampoos or body products
  • Dry skin
  • Seborrheic dermatitis
  • Eczema
  • Food allergies
  • Candida Overgrowth

Some people have mild cases of dandruff that are caused my minor things like dry skin or sensitivities to harsh shampoos. These are usually pretty easy to clear up. However, if you have a more persistent case of dandruff that isn’t clearing up with any of the normal treatments, candida overgrowth may be causing it.

Light blue dish with white capsules in it on a white marble table next to green leaves

What is candida overgrowth?

Candida albicans is a fungus that normally lives within the body in small amounts, but an infection called candidiasis can occur when there is an overgrowth of it which leads to other symptoms.

Symptoms of candida overgrowth:

  • Dandruff
  • Digestive problems
  • Bumpy white coating on the tongue
  • Recurring UTIs or yeast infections
  • Persistent fatigue
  • Frequent infections (sinus, ear, skin or nail)
  • Lowered immune system
  • Joint pain
  • Sugar cravings

How does one get candida overgrowth?

A small level of Candida albicans in the body is normal and healthy. Usually it is kept in check by the beneficial bacteria and microflora that lives within a healthy gut. However, different circumstances like antibiotics can threaten and sometimes wipe out the good bacteria in your digestive system. With that good bacteria no longer around to keep Candida at a healthy level, it begins to grow and multiply.

Below are a few ways that candida can take over…

  • Antibiotic use
  • Poor diet high in sugar and refined carbs
  • Weak immune system
  • Diabetes
  • Food allergies or intolerances

How does Candida overgrowth cause dandruff?

Candida albicans is a fungus that can grow and change shape rapidly to colonize the gut. It can even transform and permeate the walls of the gut lining which makes its way into your bloodstream and other areas of the body, including the skin.

Not only does it create dandruff, but Candida has even been found in skin cultures of Eczema.

A hand holding white capsules next to a black bottle and green leaves

Why Probiotics are the Best Treatment for Dandruff

Candida overgrowth happens because good bacteria is too low to keep candida from overgrowing. This is just one of the many benefits of good bacteria along with better immune system support and digestive support. A quality probiotic is the best way to feed your body good bacteria and develop a gut with diverse microflora to stay healthy.

Probiotics are an important part of getting candida overgrowth under control thereby helping to treat the dandruff caused by this fungal overgrowth.

One study had 30 men with dandruff take probiotics for a little over 50 days. Results showed that probiotic use reduced their dandruff by 57% by the end of the trial.

Black bottle of kaya biotics probiotics on white marble table next to dish with capsules and green leaves

Kaya Biotics Candida Complex Probiotics are specifically designed for this purpose…

I like Kaya Biotics Candida Complex probiotics for dandruff caused by candida or just for helping with candida in general because it is specifically designed for it.

It was created to support your gut and uses specific strains of bacteria that have been shown in studies to help with candida.

A 2012 study found that the probiotic strains Lactobacillus reuteri and L. rhamnosus were able to suppress the growth of candida and kill off yeast. Both of these powerful strains are included in Kaya Biotics Candida Complex.

Another study found that the probiotic strain Bacillus subtilis is anti-fungal against candida. This strain is also included in the Kaya Biotics Candida Complex.

Why I like Kaya Biotics Probiotics

Not only does Kaya Biotics base it’s probiotic products on the latest scientific research as you can see above, but it also has a number of other amazing qualities…

    • All ingredients are Organic and non-GMO
    • All products are hypoallergenic – no unnecessary fillers, binders, etc
    • Capsules come in dark ultraviolet glass bottles which protect the capsules and increases shelf life
    • Kaya Biotics probiotics are stored in special capsules to withstand stomach and gallic acid and safely transport the bacteria to your gut.
    • Sustainable packaging in glass bottles, which are environmentally-friendly and free of plastics

Click here to check out Kaya Biotics Candida Complex Probiotics

Black bottle of kaya biotics probiotics on white table with white background

References:

  1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC126862/
  2. probiotic dandruff study- dermatology news
  3. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/idog/2012/636474/abs/
  4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21204933
  5. https://kayabiotics.com/combat-dandruff/
What Causes Dandruff? Why Probiotics Are the Best Treatment
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Hannah Healy

Hannah Healy is the founder of Healy Eats Real, a health and wellness website that provides healthy recipes and helpful information on wellness. Hannah is the published author of The Ultimate Paleo Cookbook. Her work has been featured on Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, Redbook, fitness and MSN.

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