eating for acne. Part 2

Continued from last week, this information gets a little more specific about foods that been shown to have a negative impact on acne.

2. Negative foods and supplements

Dairy is often the first food that comes up in association with acne and many people notice their skin is worse when they consume it.

Here's a brief 'Why?'

• dairy breakdown products stimulate the formation of IGF-1 (insulin like growth factor) which in turn switches on the oil glands

• IGF-1 also increases androgen/testosterone activity which is the main trigger for oil production

• Low fat and skim dairy seem to have a stronger effect that full cream products, but if you are going to cut out dairy to see if it makes a difference for you it is easier to cut all cows/goat milk products from your diet

Whey protein - usually consumed pre-workout

• Effects the body on a similar way to dairy and increases IGF-1

• This may be helpful for muscle/ protein activity it seems to have a negative effect on the skin

• Soy protein seems to have the same effect

• Vegan or plant based proteins have not been extensively studied, but seems to be a better option for patients wishing to supplement their diet with protein if they are acne prone

Vitamin B6

• Has been associated with increasing levels of Cutibacterium acnes (previously known as Propionibacterium acne), the main bacteria associated with pustular acne

Vitamin B12

• is detrimental by a similar mechanism as Vitamin B6

• However, Vitamin B12 is essential for brain, neuronal and heart function, so  if you are taking Vitamin B12 because you are deficient, please do not stop this before discussing with your prescribing doctor

Steroids

• Anabolic steroids trigger acne, most commonly on the body.

• this is due to an alteration in the immune function on the skin, allowing bacteria and yeast to flourish, as well as increasing sebum/oil production

Testosterone/DHEA supplements

• these directly stimulate sebocytes (oil glands) to produce oil and subsequently cause acne

3. Individual triggers

This is more an area of trial and error. Some patients may find gluten flares their skin, or alcohol, or foods that are high in histamine.

Identifying individual food triggers, can be quite arduous, and probably of more low yield. As discussed before, acne is not really caused by one individual food.

Stress can play a large roll when it comes to worsening acne, due to the hormones your body releases when you are under a lot of psychological stress. Though its not exactly diet related, eating better and exercising or meditating regularly can definitely help your skin

Conclusion

Food is vary rarely the only trigger when it comes to acne. It can be just one component in a whole host of underlying factors. Having said that, a good diet will lead to improved overall health, which will in turn benefit your skin.