New research shows that diets high in certain carbohydrates with a high glycemic index can cause or worsen acne, while a diet high in protein and low glycemic index carbohydrates can improve it. A healthy diet with whole grains and low processed foods can have a positive effect. Western diets high in refined processed foods can cause a surge in blood sugar or insulin, leading to problematic skin conditions. Other dietary culprits include fat content, caffeine, red meat, and dairy products. Plant-based diets with little meat and dairy are less likely to be affected by acne.
For many years it was generally assumed that there was no link between diet and acne, but due to new research this view has changed. Diets high in certain types of carbohydrates with a high glycemic index appear to cause or exacerbate acne, while a diet high in protein and low glycemic index carbohydrates appear to improve the condition. A healthy diet high in whole grains and low in highly processed foods should have a positive effect on acne.
High glycemic index carbohydrates are those that cause a higher blood sugar response. Factors that affect the glycemic index include processing, protein and fat content, fiber, and food particle size. A diet high in refined processed foods causes a surge in blood sugar or insulin, which then affects all other hormones in the body.
One effect, that of producing a fluctuation in the male hormone called androgen, encourages the subcutaneous sebaceous glands to produce large quantities of sebum. The bacteria responsible for acne use the sebum for growth, so when more of this natural moisturizer is made, the bacteria increase. When sebum gets blocked in the pores of the skin, bacteria thrive and skin problems flare up. Therefore, you can follow a clear skin diet to improve acne.
A typical Western diet includes many foods that are high on the glycemic index, leading to conditions such as obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and problematic skin conditions. Dairy products, grains, and processed refined foods are broken down rapidly during the digestive process and produce a rush of insulin. Any food that is broken down more slowly results in a more stable blood sugar, with hormones not fluctuating as much.
This means that not only junk food can be responsible for acne, but also bread, refined grains and carbohydrates. Supporting this theory are studies showing that those cultures not influenced by Western eating habits have very few problems with acne. When people living in these cultures changed their diet to include more “Western”-type foods with high glycemic indexes, they were affected to the same extent as Westerners.
Other dietary culprits believed to influence acne are fat content, caffeine, red meat and dairy products. Those who eat plant-based and plant-based diets with little meat and dairy are much less likely to be affected by acne. This recent shift in thinking came about because of substantial new research and an awareness that the studies that theorized that there was no link between diet and acne were flawed.
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