How Does Diet Relate to Acne?

The relationship between acne and Diet is a topic that is debated over time and time again. Since acne breakouts have different triggers for different sufferers it is hard to say if it plays and overall roll when effecting acne.

A good reason for the lack of research related to acne and Diet is that any scientific studies on the topic would not result in outcome of prescribing drugs. No new drug to administer means no money, so it is near imposable to get funding for a project that has no profitable outcome. With out this research doctors and dermatologist have to assume that diet does not affect acne, especially when someone that has a fairly healthy diet has acne and one that eats poorly does not. With the many factors that determine why some people have acne determining the relationship to diet is hard.

So does diet effect acne? Luckily there has been recant research on the relationship between diet and disease in western society. These studies show that eating refined carbohydrates and sugar causes a surge in insulin and an insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1). This leads to an excess of male hormones, testosterone and androgens, causing the sebaceous glands (gland under the skin) to produce more sebum or oil. This combined with dead skin cells clog pores and is a great starter of acne.

If you look at most of the foods we eat today, they are all in some way processes and on top of that a great majority of the natural food that should be included in our diets is cooked. Fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds in their natural state provide the body with all the nutrients and enzymes required for digestion and absorption. When you cook these many of the vitamins and, minerals are lost making it harder for the body to digest and absorb the proper nutrients. As a result, we consume fewer nutrients and more acne aggravating free radicals or “toxins” are left in the blood stream. Since the digestive system is sluggish form working harder to digest, the bodies uses other means of getting rid of these toxins such as through the pores and are in the form of acne.

Looking at all the fact surrounding acne and diet it seems quite safe to say that acne can be a major player in the cause of acne. So adding more raw foods, having a healthier diet should help with controlling acne.