health brief

Dry skin can afflict people at any age, particularly those living in dry climates, and it is commonplace in older people due to the natural loss of oil glands. Japanese researchers have found a possible solution: a probiotic originally fermented from a Southeast Asian rice-and-fish dish that boosts skin moisture within weeks. In a double-blind study, they tested 80 middle-aged adults with a supplement of heat-killed Lactiplantibacillus plantarum probiotics for 12 weeks. They found the supplement significantly increased skin water content and reduced transepidermal water loss in the face, particularly for seniors and those with the driest skin.