What Is An Acne Diet?

What exactly is an acne diet and how does it benefit people?

While there is some relationship that exists between acne and nutrition, there is little credible research available that provides links between certain food groups and the development of acne. If you are a person that suffers from acne, figuring out which foods trigger the development of acne can be done through a process of trial and error – or by in investing in the right research, products or information that will cut down your learning time about acne diets.

This means that in order to find out which foods may be triggering your body to develop acne, it will be necessary to rule out all possible food groups that are known to cause acne through an acne diet. This can be done over a period of one to two weeks. During this period, you will observe a noticeable improvement in your skin complexion and the acne diet you are currently on should be maintained until your skin is totally clear of any visible blemishes.

Once your skin is clear, you can begin testing the different foods that are known to cause acne such as oily foods, salty foods, and foods that are high in refined sugars. After the trial and error process, you are free to either maintain your current acne diet or stay off all foods that are known to cause acne completely. In any case, what is important is that you are aware of what tends to cause acne in your skin and avoid those particular foods.

Foods to Avoid on an Acne Diet:

Naturally oily skin is exacerbated by the consumption of food that contains saturated fats and trans fats. Many animal products (e.g. meats, dairy and poultry) contain saturated fats. Nonetheless, keep in mind that the body requires other essential fatty acids such as those that are found in flaxseed, fish or hempseed oil.

A high calorie intake is believed by others to contribute to increased hormone levels and therefore lead to more break-outs, but this so far is unsubstantiated by any concrete research. Another popular belief that is said to be false is the so-called relationship between eating chocolates and candy and developing acne. One thing is true though—chocolate does contain a significant amount of saturated fats.

Foods to Try on an Acne Diet:

A recommended period to try an acne diet would be a time span of two weeks. During this season, consume as many well-ripened fruits and vegetables as you would like. A salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, avocados, and chives dressed with olive oil is also known to work wonders for one’s skin. Raw fish such as sashimi is also a good food group to include in an acne diet.

If you are not comfortable with eating raw fish, there is a substitute and that is egg yolks. Men are recommended to consume five egg yolks a day at the most while women are recommended to have two at the most. It is important not to consume more than the recommended allowance as excessive levels of protein in the body will cause the skin to retain more water than it needs to and pinch off sebum canals in the skin.

A diet that is high in protein is recommended to assist in controlling acne. The reason behind this may be the decreased production of a certain enzyme as more protein is consumed by the body, as the enzyme is responsible for higher levels of oil production, therefore causing higher chances of clogging pores. A diet that consists of no more than 50 percent carbohydrates is recommended as well.

When on an acne diet, keep in mind as well that sugars should always be combined with fats. This means that when you eat nuts, you should couple them with dried fruits or a similar food of that sort. Similarly, if you eat a cucumber-tomato salad, it is a good idea to throw in some avocado as well. To simplify matters, you can also just combine olive oil with orange juice. What is important is to stabilize one’s blood sugar levels while on an acne diet.

Acne Treatments and Vitamins

It is advisable not to use any topical or hormonal treatment whilst on an acne diet as these can sometimes aggravate acne problems. You should also taper off antibiotics during the two-week period as antibiotics weaken one’s defence system and this can lead to problems when consuming fresh raw egg yolks or raw fish.

Some people have recommended the inclusion of additional vitamin A and zinc in one’s diet in order to help with acne. Green tea can also be served alongside meals and can be helpful as it leads to a decrease in the production of androgen hormones. Some people who suffer from acne have also claimed that a decrease in iodine levels in their diet lessened their acne breakouts significantly. People who are on an acne diet are also discouraged from consuming very salty foods such as chips and the like.