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About acne

Acne Food Prescriptions

About Acne »

Acne is a common skin disorder that occurs in two forms:

Superficial {acne vulgaris)-affecting the hair follicles and oil-secreting glands of the skin and manifesting as blackheads, whiteheads.

Inflammation and cystic {acne conglobata} - a more severe form, with deep cyst formation and subsequent scarring.

In both forms, the lesions occur predominantly on the face and, to a lesser extent, on the back, chest, and shoulders. These areas of the skin have more sebaceous glands that produce sebum, a mixture of oils and waxes that lubricates the skin and prevents the loss of water.

Signs and Symptoms:
Acne is associated with the presence of black heads, pimples, nodules (tender collections of pus deep in the skin that discharge to the skin's surface), and cysts (deep nodules that fail to discharge contents to the surface).

Food Prescriptions:
In addition to a healthy diet and drinking plenty of water, a few specific food prescriptions are in order. All refined carbohydrates and fried food must be eliminated and foods containing trans-fatty acids (margarine, shortening, and other synthetically hydrogenated vegetable oils) or oxidized fait acids (fried oils) should be avoided, as these foods may aggravate acne. Consumption of milk and milk products should also be limited or eliminated due to their potential hormone content.

Specific nutrients have been shown to exert a positive effect in treating acne. They include zinc, vitamin A, selenium, vitamin E, and chromium (from brewer's yeast).

Zinc, in particular, is vitally important in the treatment of acne. This important mineral plays a role in the action of many hormones as well as in wound healing, the immune response, and tissue regeneration. As it relates to acne, too little zinc seems to enhance the effect of testosterone on increasing sebum and keratin secretion and makes it difficult for the skin to heal quickly.

Zinc supplementation in the treatment of acne has been the subject of much controversy and many double-blind studies. However, the inconsistency of the results may be due to differences in absorption of the various zinc salts used. For example, studies using effervescent zinc sulphate show effectiveness similar to that of the antibiotic tetracycline (with fewer side effects from chronic use) while those using plain zinc sulphate have shown less beneficial results. The majority of patients required twelve weeks of supplementation before good results were achieved, although some showed dramatic improvement immediately. Zinc levels are lower in thirteen-and fourteen-year-old males than in any other age group, so it is particularly important for this group to supplement, and the best way to do that is through natural food sources.

Foods rich in zinc include most nuts, whole grains, and legumes.

Also important are dietary antioxidants, as male acne patients have significantly decreased levels of antioxidant enzymes. This normalises when vitamin E and selenium are supplemented in the diet. What's more, the acne of both men and women improves with this treatment. This improvement is probably due to inhibition of lipid peroxide formation and suggests the use of other antioxidants. In addition to regular daily consumption of 1/4 to 1/2 cup of raw nuts and seeds, supplementing the diet with selenium (100 to 200 micrograms per day) and vitamin E (200 to 400 IU per day) appears indicated.

Brewer's yeast may also be of benefit in healing acne. In one double-blind study, in more than 80 percent of the patients given brewer's yeast, the acne was either completely healed or considerably improved after five months of use, while the corresponding figure among those receiving a placebo was only 26 percent. This improvement was thought to be due to the high content of chromium within the brewer's yeast, though other nutrients may also have been responsible.

The widespread belief that chocolate per se causes or aggravates acne is apparently not true. In two studies, one conducted at the Pennsylvania
School of Medicine and the other at the U.S. Naval Academy, eating chocolate did not produce any significant changes in the acne conditions of study participants. Nonetheless, we recommend that individuals with acne choose dark chocolate since it is has the highest levels of anti inflammatory phenols and that they avoid sweet chocolate products (too much sugar!) and those that contain trans-fatty acids. Milk chocolate should also be avoided due to the high hormone content of most commercially available milk.

If you are interested in booking a FREE consultation for advice on the best treatments and products for your acne or acne scarring, please call us today on 01132 823 300 or complete an enquiry form.