Acne and diet

There is no sufficient data that supports a direct relation between acne and food. Often people tend to avoid necessary food worrying that it can induce acne. Before considering going on a complete unhealthy diet it is important to evaluate the skin condition and carry out a carefully planned diet that does not exclude certain food items altogether that are believed to exacerbate skin problems. Acne is a skin condition that is classified into three main categories including acne pustules, papules and acne cysts. The condition is caused when the sebaceous glands excrete excessive amounts of oil that blocks the pores of the skin and leave room for bacteria to be produced within the clogged pores. This leads to the eventual acne formation. Even though one can resort to treatment through systematic drugs and medication, the effectiveness of each treatment varies greatly based on the type and severity of the condition itself. For mild acne benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid are generally prescribed that can work well however there is no guarantee that the acne condition wont reappear. In such cases it becomes essential to start from scratch and start working towards improving on health and hygiene. Taking constant care for the skin is a crucial factor to improving acne.


When looking at acne and diet, most people will decide on cutting down on meat, dairy products and fatty foods that are considered to have a high level of carbohydrates. The problem is that even though such food can be unhealthy when consumed in excessive amounts they are a necessary part of the diet. Therefore they should not be completely cut off from the diet list. What need to be avoided are trans fat and frozen foods that only add to the waistline and do not contain any healthy nutrients beneficial for the health. According to a research conducted in 2002 by Loren Cordain of Colorado State University, acne development was found to be caused by consuming high glycemic foods such as processed foods and sugar that causes the insulin levels to shoot up leading to acne. The Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology in 2007, further rectified the connection between the glycemic index and acne by claiming that consuming food with a low glycemic index showed improvement of acne from 21.9% to 13.8% among the control group.

Another factor to be considered is food allergies that often cause acne. The University of Maryland Medical Centre state that an allergic reaction to certain food items such as nuts can lead to acne breakouts.

About the author:
Nick has been an expert in skin health. His work has been published on various websites and magazines and provides insightful advice for acne treatment and acne medication skin regimes.