Which foods should you reduce if you suffer from acne? Although controversial, this question is raised very often by patients with numerous inflammatory dermatoses, and for good reason. Modern findings in dermatology and endocrinology (because junk food is the source or at least a contributing factor of numerous metabolic diseases) more and more explicitly admit that there is a connection between unhealthy food and problems in the body's function. No food causes acne directly, but there are foods that are proven to contribute to the creation of "ideal" conditions for the development of acne. Specifically, when we talk about inflammatory skin diseases (and this group also includes acne), there are two large groups of foods that should be avoided.
First, it is a food with a high glycemic index.
There is a very clear and well-researched association between foods with a high glycemic index and acne vulgaris. Namely, by consuming food rich in sugars, which as a rule has a high index, the body is brought into a state of hyperinsulinemia. The increased level of insulin leads to an increased secretion of androgenic hormones, which in turn have a feedback effect on the increased secretion of sebum. Although the increased secretion of sebum is not in itself the cause of acne, it can certainly contribute to the possibility of the development of clogged pores, which then create an extraordinary microclimate for the development of acne.
In a state of hyperinsulinemia, the level of the circulating hormone IGF-1 (" insulin -like growth factor ") increases and the level of IGFBP-3 ( insulin -like growth factor binding protein ) decreases, the imbalance of which has been proven to directly affect proliferation. and apoptosis (programmed death) of skin cells - keratinocytes. This process contributes to the improper functioning of the skin, that is, it negatively affects the function of normal desquamation, which is an extremely important prerequisite for clean skin.
The process of increased sebum secretion and hyperkeratinization create a vicious circle where one mechanism supports the other in the process of creating ideal conditions for the bacterial proliferation of naturally occurring C. acnes bacteria, and thus inflammation occurs very easily. Even a small hormonal fluctuation in favor of androgenic hormones (eg in PMS), can lead to significant inflammation that repeats itself cyclically from month to month. The standard Western diet rich in saturated fat, carbohydrates full of sugar and refined foods (snacks, sweets, bread, etc.) certainly plays a role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory skin disorders. Changing your diet alone will most likely not completely cure acne, but approaching acne treatment without overhauling your diet is an equally unproductive endeavor.
Another large group of foods that has been proven to have a negative effect on the appearance of acne (mainly of a hormonal nature) are dairy products.
Milk, whether organic or not, is rich in hormones that act to increase the IGF-1 hormone, much like refined carbohydrates. Receptors for this hormone are located in keratinocytes. In acne sufferers, a very clear and definite relationship was found between the amount of IGF-1 hormone, dihydrotestosterone or DHT (testosterone metabolite), the amount of sebum and the intensity of acne lesions because IGF-1 has been proven to stimulate the enzyme 5α-reductase responsible for metabolizing testosterone in DHT. The number of acne lesions, that is, the intensity of sebocyte proliferation, positively correlates with the levels of IGF-1, which in turn positively correlates with the consumption of dairy products.
Not only does IGF-1 increase the level of androgenic hormones, but it also lowers the levels of SHBG ( sex hormone binding globulin ), which makes these androgenic hormones more bioavailable. Milk is rich in progesterone, but also DHT precursors (such as 5α-pregnanedione and 5α-androstanedione) which are easily converted into DHT by enzymatic pathways. This is very unfavorable for people who already suffer from oily skin because DHT directly affects the intensity of sebum secretion. Therefore, in people who already suffer from hormonal acne, the addition of endogenous hormones from food can have disastrous consequences for the entire hormonal function of the body, including for the health of the skin.
A food that is often called out for causing acne is chocolate. Classic milk chocolate unfortunately contains a "winning" combination of milk and large amounts of sugar, so it is not unusual for it to cause skin problems. But you can breathe a sigh of relief - milk-free chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa and a low percentage of sugar will not be problematic for the vast majority of people - of course, if you consume it as a dessert in moderate quantities.
Remember, any dietary change takes at least 3 months to show real results, so don't give up too soon. Even if your diet doesn't show a significant effect on your acne, reducing the above-mentioned foods will definitely have a positive effect on your health.