GOODBYE ACNE – HELLO GREAT SKIN AND WELLBEING

In my day, teenagers would try anything to get rid of acne.  New research shows a little information about eating low GI foods may go along way to improving the self esteem, health and performance of your teenager.

Now mom’s have a new and powerful tool to help influence their teenage children to eat well, especially since most teenagers run out of the house without eating properly.  A study conducted at Australia’s RMIT University* showed that a diet rich in low GI carbs and lean protein can improve acne by 50 per cent, in under three months.  The same diet can also help with insulin resistance, weight management, sustaining energy and overall well being.

The old adage "you are what you eat" not only applies to overall health and nutrition, but how your skin looks and feels as well.  As the largest organ in the body, our skin can benefit or suffer from foods that have an impact on our heart and other major organs.  Acne sufferers claim that certain foods worsen their symptoms, particularly chocolate, greasy foods, soft drinks, peanuts or foods high in fat.

Acne is formed when the oil gland produces extra oil.  At the same time, the gland becomes blocked due to cells lining the follicle duct expanding under the action of insulin related growth factors such as IGF-1.  This causes a build-up of oil within the gland which gets bigger.  As a result, bacteria grow within the gland eventually bursts causing inflammation and redness.

In the Australian study, 43 teenage boys between the ages of 15 and 25 with moderate to severe acne were assigned either to a low glycemci load (45% carbohydrate and 25% protein) diet including low GI carbs and lean protein, or the control diet with a moderate to high GI.

According to lead researcher Dr. Neil Mann, “This diet reined in the high insulin levels that could be responsible for acne. When you go through puberty you produce a lot of growth hormone that actually makes you temporarily insulin resistant. In conjunction with a high glycemic load diet, common in western societies, this causes chronically high insulin levels. With such high levels of insulin you're going to get blockages in the pores and extra oil building up under the skin. A diet high in processed foods pushes glucose and insulin levels higher, exacerbating the problem, but low GI foods do the opposite. Low GI carbohydrates and lean protein-rich foods help to reduce insulin levels that affect the hormones associated with acne.”

Good Food, Good Skin
Dermatology related nutrition research has reveled other nutritional factors that can help promote healthy and attractive skin. Speaking at the American Academy of Dermatology's Skin Academy (Academy), dermatologist Susan C. Taylor, MD, FAAD, offered the following tips:

1)  Drink plenty of water so the skin stays hydrated.

2)  Follow the recommendations of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Daily Food Guide, commonly referred to as the food pyramid. The foods recommended by the USDA as part of a healthy diet contain valuable vitamins and minerals that have proven health benefits for our bodies. These include: choosing and eating at least three ounces of low GI carbohydrates breads;  eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, including more dark green and orange vegetables; consuming calcium-rich foods, such as fat-free or low-fat milk and other dairy products; and opting for a variety of low-fat or lean meats, poultry and fish.

3) The appearance of your skin, hair and nails will benefit from consuming an adequate supply of certain vitamins: antioxidants in Vitamins C and E can protect the skin from sun damage and help reduce damage in skin cells caused by harmful free radicals which contribute to aging skin; Vitamin B (biotin) is responsible for forming the basis of skin, hair and nail cells; and Vitamin A, found in many fruits and vegetables maintains and repairs skin tissue.

4) A Swedish study showed that subjects with a higher intake of vegetables, olive oil, and monounsaturated fat and legumes, but a lower intake of milk/dairy products, butter, margarine and sugar products had less skin wrinkling in a sun-exposed site.

For more information on acne, eczema, psoriasis and rosacea, go to http://www.skincarephysicians.com/, a Web site developed by dermatologists that provides patients with up-to-date information on the treatment and management of disorders of the skin, hair and nails.

* The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 86, No. 1, 107-115, July 2007

Low Glycemic Index (GI) and Low Glycemic Load (GL) foods have been proven in studies to be beneficial: dieting; weight loss; obesity; diabetes; balancing blood sugar; sustained energy; sport nutrition; mental performance; acne; eye health; macular degeneration; heart disease and forms of cancer. See also Low GI Diet, Low GI Recipes, Low GI Food, Low GI Eating.

Copyright 2008, Saul Katz

Comments

[dermatology upland]

Thank you for this post, I'm looking for a topic like this because i have many pimples, and it will help me a lot to achieve my ever dreamed clear and pimple free skin. thanks again and good luck.

-charrie-

[dermatology rancho cucamonga]

I enjoyed reading i was definitely agree in this blog, we can prevent acne on our own way and it gonna easy if we know how to maintain a insulin resistance, weight management, sustaining energy and overall well being. Keep up the good work.

by: sphin

[dermatologist pomona]

"Low GI carbohydrates and lean protein-rich foods help to reduce insulin levels that affect the hormones associated with acne.” this is very informative thank for sharing,i bothered myself coz i had a big problem in my acne,thank for the tips.

by: sphin