Acne is the most common skin condition that affects 10% of the world.
And while there are many different reasons that acne occurs on the body, including sebum
and keratin production, acne-causing bacteria, hormones, inflammation.
Theres one cause that seems to be controversial and that is your diet.
The diet-acne connection was considered a myth at one point, now there is some research
revisiting this conversation that seems compelling.
In this video, we will look at 4 types of foods that cause acne.
As well as one trace mineral in your diet that could beat acne altogether.
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Now without wasting any more time, let's dive right in.
The first on the list are your high glycemic foods.
Or what I like to call your movie theatre food.
Popcorn, pretzels, candy, sugary drinks.
Can all contribute to acne vulgaris.
And the reason why is not too complicated to follow.
This study titled, significance of diet in treated and untreated acne vulgaris, shows
us: “ Diet based on products with a high glycemic index leads to hyperinsulinemia.
Which is your Elevated insulin levels that stimulate the secretion of androgens and cause
an increased production of sebum, which plays a fundamental role in the pathogenesis of
acne vulgaris.
We also know that having high insulin also affects the levels of circulating IGF-1, which
stands for insulin like growth factor 1: which directly affects how your keratinocytes proliferate,
more on that in a second.
Fruits can have a high glycemic index as well, these include: watermelon, pineapple, papaya,
and the highest of them all, dates!
So if youre eating any of these, start to pay attention to how it affects your skin.
Because i know glycemic index and load are different which we can discuss at a later
video.
Interestingly though, cherries have a low load.
And I know you might be thinking.
Thats not enough to go off of.
Show me a study where low glycemic index foods HELPED acne, then i would be more convinced.
Well, this randomized control trial looked at just that, Forty-three males aged 15-25
were recruited for a 12-weeks.
It concluded that “the improvement in acne and insulin sensitivity after a low-glycemic-load
diet suggests that nutrition-related lifestyle factors may play a role in the pathogenesis
of acne”.
So it really is interesting how that plays out.
The second is: Im sure you guessed it, which is dairy!
Milk and dairy products.
Remember how we mentioned Insulin-like growth factor 1, from earlier and how high glycemic
foods raises those levels.
Well this study from earlier, also mentions how it stimulates 5α-reductase in adrenal
glands and gonads, androgen synthesis, the androgen receptor signal transduction, sebocytes
proliferation and lipogenesis.
With The highest concentrations of IGF-1 to be found in women with acne and the number
of acne lesions positively correlates with the plasma levels of IGF-1.
High plasma levels of IGF-1 which are caused by consumption of milk, stimulates proliferation
of sebocytes, resulting in the development and progression of acne lesions.”
And remember, IGF-1 is also high during puberty, which is a time where acne is more likely
anyway.
Could there be a link?
How many high school students have cereal for breakfast?
The third food to cause acne is fast food.
And fast food is a staple upon western diets.
Anything from burgers, nuggets, hot dogs, French fries, sodas, and milkshakes.
Turns out they can potentially affect gene expression and alter hormone levels mediated
by the forkhead box transcription factor O1 and mTORC1, according to this study.
“And its not only of critical importance to understand the impact of the western diet
on the promotion of epidemic acne, but more seriously mTORC1-driven diseases of civilization.”
So the harmful effects are not confined to just acne, cardiovascular disease is a big
problem in the us.
And diet is one of the first places you should assess.
So again, its something youre going to have to pay attention to.
Are you breaking out after going thru your favorite drive thru?
Star paying attention to the fast foods you eat and the acne you experience, wether thats
on the face, neck, shoulders or back.
And now you might be wondering.
What was that trace element that you mentioned earlier that could help acne.
Well, “In early studies on the influence of zinc on human skin conducted by Michaelsson
and Fitzherbert in 1970's, it has been shown that acne improved with oral zinc supplementation
in zinc-deficient patients.
Later studies have confirmed that patients with acne often are deficient in zinc and
its oral supplementation has a positive effect on treatment of acne vulgaris.
Now chances are you might already be getting enough zinc in your diet if youre in the US.
But its always great to have these measured.
If youre from places like India and Africa, you can be more vulnerable to a zinc deficiency.
So make sure to talk to your doctor to check in for these values.
In the meantime, if your looking for products, I left my best recommendations for treating
acne down below, as well as a zinc-infused facial soap that I think could help as well.
And Even though there are strong no meta-analyses or well-designed scientific trials that give
you hard guidelines that tell you what to eat and what to not eat for acne, the best
recommendation I can give you is to enjoy your favorite foods in moderation.
And if you find that some of them make your skin worse, try cutting them out to see if
it helps.
Curious to see if there was anything I missed, or if you know of anything that helps.
Leave them down below.
In the meantime, Click the subscribe button if you found any value in this video.
And until then guys, ill see you on the next one.