Doctors and dermatologists alike are coming round to the idea that dietary and food habits have a large impact on acne-sufferers’ skin. Not only can avoiding certain foods cause acne to stop flaring up, certain foods can also improve the quality of the complexion. Treating your body from the inside-out, and avoiding expensive acne treatments can only be beneficial for your long term health – and your wallet.
Acne is a sign of an imbalance within the body, and it is important to recognise that while acne treatments and solutions like Exposed Skin Care can be effective in some cases, they treat a symptom of a larger imbalance, rather than treating the imbalance itself.
Dairy products can play a large role in skin health. Almost all commercial dairy products like yoghurt, milk and cheese can contain sex hormones and bovine IGF-1. While this hormone can contribute to growth in children, it has an anabolic effect in adults. IGF-1 affects every organ in the body, including the heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, and so on. Evidence suggests that it is a major factor in causing inflammation that can be a precursor to acne. This would suggest that avoiding dairy products is the key to reducing acne. However, dairy products provide the body with a rich source of vitamins and minerals, like Calcium. Therefore, it is wise to consume a reasonable amount of dairy products as part of a balanced diet.
A high glycaemic diet rich in starch, sugars and processed, refined carbohydrates like white rice, as well as sugar and white flour products like bread and cakes can contribute to acne. This is because the sugars or carbohydrates are rapidly metabolised in the gut, before being converted into dietary glucose, which raises the blood sugar level in the bloodstream. This can cause an increase in fats in the sebaceous glands, which in turn increase sebum production, providing an ideal base for acne bacteria to thrive. A low GI diet, and healthier dietary choices like vegetables, fruit, nuts or seeds can help the blood sugar and glycaemic index to remain constant.
Consuming chocolate in moderate amounts will not cause acne – rather,t he sugar and milk it contains can cause acne, for the reasons suggested above. Choose a darker, richer chocolate, and enjoy it!
Doctors agree that skin problems require 80% internal treatment, and 20% external treatment. So while everyone’s skin is different, and some skin types respond better to OTC solutions and medications, initiating a healthy diet will reap more benefits in your body than simply the glowing, clear skin you see in the mirror!