Diet for acne and skin – What To Eat And What To Avoid?

It seems to mainly affect adolescents …

But more and more people in later life are more or less exposed to the disease.

Commonacne(acne vulgaris),because we are talking about it,is the most common skin disease.

The symptoms can be so intense that we look for solutions and help wherever possible to save our skin.

It turns out that in addition to visiting a dermatologist, we should also take a serious look at our diet.

Who is most affected by the changes?

Acne usually affects people in the 2nd and 3rd decade of life.

The vast majority of cases are mild.

Unfortunately, some of them can make life difficult for us, leaving unsightly scars.

The peak incidence is in women at 14-17. years of age, and in men 16-19.

The average age at which patients suffer from acne hasincreased to the age of 25 in recent years!

Situations in which acne lesions persist into adulthood are more and more frequently observed .

How long does acne last?

The duration of this difficult period for our skin may vary, but it disappears on average after 3-5 years. It is influenced by predisposition as well as the procedure .

The causes of acne

So far, the causes of acne have been seen only in four basic factors:

• Excessive production of sebum
• Colonization of sebaceous glands byPropionibacterium acnesbacteria
• Disturbance of keratinization of the hair-sebaceous outlets
• Increased inflammation

All this is true, but recent studies have provided a bit more answers about the mechanism itself, and thus created the basis for the search for new solutions in treatment [1].

Sebocytes – a breakthrough in pathogenesis?

The sebocytes, or cells of the sebaceous glands, were particularly studied.

There are TLR2 receptors on their surface, which are stimulated by the presence of the aforementioned bacteria.

This indirectly leads to the activation of metalloproteinases, which then contribute to the destruction of skin connective tissue [1].

It also turns out that the presence of acne is influenced by the composition of sebocytes produced by sebocytes, including higher content of free fatty acids and squalene.

Acne lesions may also be aggravated by corticotropin and dihydrotestosterone, as well as insulin-like growth factor IGF-1, which makes diet a viable form of therapy .

Higher levels of IGF-1 are observed in people with severe acne symptoms, and a hyperglycemic diet is also responsible for its expression.

Confirmation was found in people with secondary IGF-1 deficiency who do not suffer from acne.

What can aggravate acne lesions?

Hormones:In women in the premenstrual period, intensification of symptoms is observed [1].

Light:This is still an unsettled topic, as studies have found both positive and negative effects of UV radiation on acne.

Many of the studies supporting the adverse effects of light have been retrospective, so it was easy to misinterpret.

In turn, light therapy brought relief from ailments in many patients [1].

Drugs:If you’ve seen a muscular man with a huge acne problem, he probably takes steroids, or he doesn’t know that there are steroids in his preparations.

Anabolic steroids, corticosteroids, antiepileptic and antidepressant drugs, and even vitamin B12 may intensify acne lesions [1].

Stress:Excessive cortisol secretion can also aggravate symptoms [3].

Diet:There is still much debate over this topic, and research is quite divergent.

Most often you hear about the intensification of acne lesions after eating sweets or dairy products. Each of these versions may contain some truth, which will be discussed in a moment [4].

How to cure acne?

We can treat acne locally or generally.

Topical treatment, which is sufficient for most patients, includes drugs that reduce hyperkeratosis of the sebaceous glands, inhibit the multiplication of bacteria and seborrhea.

This group of drugs includes salicylic acid, weak antibiotics, retinoids, zinc pastes and others.

REMEMBER

When the symptoms are very severe, it is necessary to use an oral antibiotic, eg tetracycline and erythromycin [1].

Diet for acne – does it make sense?

As already mentioned, scientists still do not agree on the effect of diet on the occurrence of acne.

Nevertheless, several works were created, and the Polish authors did a great job of compiling them in their review work.

However, before we examine specific products / groups of products that may aggravate or alleviate the symptoms of acne, let’s consider how our skin can be helped in general.

The key to a healthy diet

As with the hair, the most important thing for the skin’s health will be a balanced diet.

This is, in a way, related to the statement that dairy products and sweets can be harmful.

After all, basing the diet on processed products with a lot of simple sugars and saturated fats does not comply with the nutritional recommendations, and with dairy, although it is important, we should not exaggerate (as with other ingredients) [5].

Vitamins and minerals

Although it is difficult to contract micronutrient deficiencies while eating a variety of healthily, it is worth mentioning about their effects and paying attention to their supply. The most helpful for the skin will be:

• Vitamin C(citrus fruits, blueberries, currants, peppers, parsley) – is a strong antioxidant, participates in the synthesis of collagen, protects against changes induced by UV radiation, prevents discoloration of the skin, improves its firmness [6].
• Vitamin D(sun, supplements, fatty fish, fortified food) – can reduce the secretion of sebum and inhibit the growth ofP. acnesbacteria , has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties [5].
• Vitamin A(orange and red vegetables and fruits, offal, fish oil) – generally responsible for the proper condition of the skin, normalizes sebum secretion and epidermis keratosis; it was noticed that the supply of carotenoids reduced acne symptoms [5].
• Niacin(yeast, meat, cereal products) – may inhibit the secretion of sebum, have anti-inflammatory and exfoliating properties; it also gives good results in therapy [6].
• Biotin(offal, nuts, cereal products) – its deficiency intensifies acne lesions, but it is difficult to find such a condition in a healthy person [6].
• Zinc(whole grains, seeds, pods) – deficiencies of this element have been confirmed in many acne patients, it may be bacteriostatic againstP. acnes[5,7].
• Selenium(nuts, meat, sprouts, fish) and silicon (cereals, banana, carrot, nettle) – exfoliate [7]

Healthy fats

It turns out that the condition of the skin is also well influenced byfatty acids, specifically omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

The most important of them are linoleic acid (omega-6) and alpha-linolenic acid, DHA and EPA (omega-3). Their sources will be vegetable oils, nuts, fatty fish, linseed and chia seeds [6].

These acids have a positive effect on the condition of the skin thanks to their anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic properties. They are also able to regulate the immune system.

Their deficiency in the diet, which occurs in the case of excessive consumption of saturated and trans fatty acids, may increase the production of sebum [6,8].

Studies have shown that the supply of fish oilcan reduce the symptoms of acneby inhibiting the excessive production of sebum and closing the gland orifices, and by inhibiting the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines [8].

Reports that an excess of omega-6 fatty acids in the diet will be harmful and that an appropriate ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in the diet should be adheredto are becoming a thing of the past.

We would have to eat only omega-6 fatty acids and no omega-3s at all to overproduce inflammatory compounds.

Currently, it is necessary to put a lot of emphasis on the lack of omega-3 fatty acids – the recommendations say a minimum of 250 mg of DHA and EPA acids together, and 0.5% of energy from alpha-linolenic acid (for a person with a requirement of 2000 kcal it is “only” 1 g) [6,8].

What about that sugar?

IGF-1 appeared while describing the mechanisms of acne formation.

Responsible for its increased synthesis, among others insulin, or more precisely, its elevated levels in the blood.

When does it happen?

When we eat foods with a high glycemic index (GI), that is, those that significantly increase blood glucose levels.

In the state of hyperglycemia, more insulin is secreted in order to accelerate the transport of glucose to cells and reduce its concentration in the blood [2,6].

The conclusion is therefore simple and has been confirmed in many clinical trials.

Excessive supply of products with a high GI favors the exacerbation of acne symptoms.

What are the products?

• Wheat bread and products made of highly refined cereal grains
• Honey
• Sweets (milk chocolate, bars, candies, jellies , etc.)
• White sugar
• Dried fruit (often with added sugar, e.g. cranberry)

Avoiding them can significantly improve the condition of the skin and alleviate the course of the disease [6].

Is dairy really that terrible?

The harmful effect of dairy products was very often associated with a fairly high glycemic index.

However, as it turns out, thehormones present in milkmay be of greater importance.

Research shows thatacne lesionscan worsen when you consume skim milk, which contains more estrogen.

Androgens may be responsible for oily skin, colonization of hair follicles by bacteria and hyperkeratosis of the skin [8,9].

Dairy products also worsen the condition of the skin, because they may contain, among others, progesterone or testosterone precursors.

Whey proteins may also have an impact – in athletes who gave up taking protein supplements, the skin has improved [8, 10].

However, you should not give up dairy products, but it is worth giving fermented products a chance in the diet, which do not cause adverse changes, and they can alleviate the symptoms of acne.

Summary

With acute acne problems, you should definitely limit the supply of products rich in simple sugars and highly processed.

The key to successwill be following the principles of a healthy diet , with an emphasis on polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins A, D and C, zinc, and selenium.

Temporarily, with mild changes, zinc paste with salicylic acid from the pharmacy will help.

Limiting the supply of dairy products, on the other hand, must be considered individually, because we do not have to observe increased symptoms in everyone.

Diet by itself will definitely not cure us, but treatment will help and reduce the severity of symptoms. In the case of significant lesions, it is worth going to a dermatologist for special preparations.