The Acne and Diet Connection

Acne, as you may know, affects more than ninety percent of the world’s population at some time in their life.  It is in fact the most common skin disorder treated by dermatologist and most of its victims are teenagers and adults.  According to some scientific research, acne is caused by different factors like hormones, bacteria, and some genetic factors.  Some even said that acne is caused by a poor diet, to which many did not agree.

Well, the acne and diet issue has been studied for several years.  Although some dermatologist claimed that diet has nothing to do with the formation of acne, many still hold that acne and diet has a certain link.  Acne and diet are somehow correlated as diet plays a role in the development of acne.  Here’s a common explanation that will show how acne and diet are connected.

Certain studies have found out that eating refined carbohydrates and sugar leads to a surge of insulin as well as an insulin-like growth factor known as IGF-1 in the body.  If this forms, it then can lead to an excess of male hormones, androgens, which are deemed as the most potent cause of the acne formation.  The acne and diet connection maintains that if an excess of male hormones is produced, the pores of the skin will secrete sebum or oil, which is a greasy substance that generally pulls the attention of acne-causing bacteria.  In addition, this process triggers the IGF-1 to cause skin cells known as keratinocytes to duplicate and multiply, which in turn is a process related with the acne formation.

Furthermore, the link between acne and diet is shown with the results of certain studies conducted on the acne cases in islanders of Papua New Guinea and hunter-gatherers of Paraguay.  According to this acne and diet connection study, the appearance of acne is triggered by some environmental factors to which diet is one.  Many have found out through such acne and diet study that limiting grains is an integral step toward optimizing your health, which led the researchers to think that no-grain diet is somehow beneficial for acne.

Today, the acne and diet link is one of the hottest issues in the medical field.  Many have claimed that there is only little research regarding the connection between acne and diet for there is no money in it.   Some even claimed that doctors and dermatologists only say that diet has nothing to do with acne since they can’t sell you a healthy diet.  Now, come to think of it, underneath it all, acne just like some diseases is caused by diet, but you can’t cure it by just focusing on the diet since some other aggravators are behind it.