Foods and acne

Acne (Acne Vulgaris) affects most people more or less at some point in life. It is most common in adolescence and most often occurs on the face but can also occur on the back and other parts of the body.

However, some people are struggling with acne more than others and the problems may continue into adulthood.

Acne is caused in most cases by clogged pores, excessive sebum production in the sebaceous glands and inflammation. The skin contains bacteria, including Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes), which produce inflammatory substances. If these bacteria multiply in the clogged pores, it can aggravate the inflammation and cause pimples and blackheads.

The gut-skin-connection

There is a strong connection between gut health and the skin, as well as many skin problems, of which acne and psoriasis are two. Problems with the gut can increase inflammation in the body, including the skin, and cause skin problems. Read more about the gut-skin-connection here.

Probiotic supplementation has been shown to reduce inflammatory skin disorders.

Acne and oxidative stress

Sebum can also be oxidized (exposed to oxidative stress), i.e. attacked by reactive oxygen molecules, which further aggravates the inflammation. In an article, the authors describe a theory that oxidative stress is the very starting point for the development of acne. Antioxidants are molecules that protect against oxidative stress and it has been shown that patients with acne often have low levels of antioxidants.

Increased sebum production can be caused by hormonal changes e.g. during menstruation and puberty through increased levels of the hormone testosterone. This excess of sebum causes the bacteria in the skin to be nourished, which can cause more inflammation.

Other hormones that affect the development of acne are insulin like growth factor (IGF-1) which is affected by the body’s blood sugar and intake of certain foods.

Foods and acne

Dairy products (especially milk) and a diet with a high glycemic load (foods with a high GI and GB) increase the levels of IGF-1. Areas where the diet has a naturally low glycemic load have a lower risk of acne.

Maintaining a balanced blood sugar balance is also important as bacteria seek out areas with high levels of glucose and diets with a low glycemic index (GI) have been shown to reduce symptoms in adolescents with acne. High blood sugar can aggravate acne and other skin sores. This is because bacteria in the skin use the sugar as energy, which means that the bacteria can thrive.

It is said that chocolate aggravates acne but is it really true? There are many aspects that suggest that chocolate could aggravate acne. To begin with, it contains sugar and milk. A study on men aged 18 – 25 found that consuming chocolate with 100 percent cocoa for 7 days greatly aggravated men’s acne. This suggests that substances in cocoa alone may have the effect, such as caffeine or theobromine, which are thought to clog pores.

Antibiotics are often used in the treatment of acne as bacterial infections can aggravate the inflammation and make the problems worse. Therefore, it is important not to touch the affected areas with your fingers as this increases the risk of infection. Unfortunately, antibiotics do not differentiate between different types of bacteria but also kill the normal bacterial flora, which can lead to fungal infections and also reduced protection against harmful bacteria and other microbes. In addition, overuse of antibiotics can, of course, lead to resistance.

“So, what should I eat?”

If you’re suffering from acne you may want to try to adjust your diet a bit and see if you notice a difference. Here’s a checklist of what may be a good start:

Reduce intake of sugary and processed foods.
Increase intake of antioxidants from foods, for example berries, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds.
Ensure you have sufficient levels of nutrients important for acne.
Support gut health by eating foods good for gut flora, such as fermented vegetables (sourkraut or kimchi) and fibre. If you have a reaction to fermented foods or fibre, try instead to avoid them. Everyone is different!
Find what is your trigger by excluding certain foods and see if you get better in a few weeks. Try excluding grains (flour, inkluding wheat, pasta, pizza, baked goods, breads etc. etc.), dairy, and so on. Keep track of your symptoms to see what changes.
Acne is an inflammatory condition so choosing anti-inflammatory foods, nutrients and ingredients (omega-3 fatty acids, spices like turmeric, ginger and so on, berries, supporting gut health) as well as avoiding inflammation triggering foods (processed foods, sugar etc.) is a good idea.
For some people it may be confusing to follow the advice to “eat this but not that” and find it easier to follow a specific program or “diet” (I don’t like the word diet because it is associated with dieting, as in losing weight. A diet is simply eating specific foods!). If you follow a diet or program, there are usually free recipes online and you don’t have to worry too much about excluding certain ingridients, if you follow recipes in line with your chosen diet. In regards to skin health, you may want to try the Paleolithic diet to start with. If you feel that you need to be more strict, you may want to try the Autoimmune protocol – AIP (a strict version of the Paleo diet), the Ketogenic diet or the Wahls protocol. This may help you to identify which foods are your triggers.

Remember, everyone is different, you need to find what works for you. Learn to listen to you body and be aware of reactions. You may want to keep a diary to keep track of what foods lead to reactions and what foods are supportive.

In this article, you can read more about specific nutrients for acne.

If you want to share your story or journey, please do contact me, I would love to hear from you!