Answer to acne found in our food - by Larissa Cummings
Daily Telegraph (Sydney, Australia)
Thursday, November 24th 2005.
Teenagers who eat less processed foods have a better chance of avoiding acne, diet experts have found.
Although dermatologists have denied the skin condition has a direct link to diet, a recent nutritional study has proved the connection.
Basing their research on Charles Darwin's theory of evolution through natural selection, two professors of nutrition and anthropology have teamed up to find a solution to diseases suffered in developed societies.
As part of their study, Professor Loren Cardain of Colorado State University and Professor Michael Richards of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany, studied the diet habits of two remote communities in Paraguay and Papua New Guinea.
"We examined more than 3000 people in total and we didn't find any acne in those communities. That led us to the conclusion that acne is indeed a disease of civilisation." Dr Cordain said.
"We then back-engineered the biochemistry and physiology behind it and the final step was to do a dietary intervention in which we gave teenagers a diet comprised entirely of fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats and seafoods."
"We gave them no cereal grains, no dairy products and no processed food and lo and behold the acne went into remission."
Presenting this research in a seminar in Sydney yesterday Dr Cordain said the acne finding was just one positive outcome of the study.
"We're no different to any other animal on the planet." he said. "You wouldn't feed a lion grain and an antelope meat because they're genetically adapted to their diets."
More info - Acne Diet
Low Glycemic Diet Can Help Decrease Acne
Posted: November 20, 2007
The findings from a new study suggest another reason why diets that contain low glycemic loads may be of benefit. Not only can they improve insulin sensitivity, this type of diet also appears to clear up acne as well.
Data from earlier studies suggest that dietary factors such as the glycemic load are involved in the pathogenesis of acne. Therefore, changes in diet could impact symptoms of this common skin disease, the researches hypothesize.
Foods that produce a high glycemic load—or high levels of blood glucose—such as white bread and potatoes tend to cause a rapid surge in blood sugar. Conversely, other carbs, such as high-fiber cereals or beans, create a more gradual change and are considered to have a low glycemic index.
Dr. Robyn N. Smith, from the RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues assessed acne symptoms in 43 male patients, between 15 and 25 years, who were randomly assigned to a low glycemic load diet or a normal diet for 12 weeks. The intervention diet consisted of 25% energy from protein and 45% from low-glycemic-index carbohydrates.
The findings are published in the July issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The low-glycemic diet was associated with a significant reduce in total acne compared with the normal diet. In addition, the low-glycemic diet produced significantly greater reductions in body weight and body mass and a greater increase in insulin sensitivity. Insulin resistance is a condition in which the body’s cells become insensitive to the effects of insulin, so the body’s response to a normal amount of insulin is reduced. As a result, higher amounts of insulin are needed for this hormone to work in the body.
Smith and her associates point out that this study is the first randomized controlled trial to examine the influence the effects of glycemic load on acne.
“Although we could not isolate the effect of the low glycemic load diet from that of weight loss,” they add, the findings support the hypothesis of a relationship between acne and high insulin levels.
Reuters, July 20, 2007 - Source
Low-Glycemic-Load Diet May Improve Acne in Young Men
News Author: Laurie Barclay, MD
CME Author: Hien T. Nghiem, MD
July 27, 2007 — A low-glycemic-load diet reduced acne lesions in male patients aged 15 to 25 years, according to the results of a randomized controlled trial study published in the July issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
"Although the pathogenesis of acne is currently unknown, recent epidemiologic studies of non-Westernized populations suggest that dietary factors, including the glycemic load, may be involved," write Robyn N. Smith, MD, from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues. "Recently, there has been a reappraisal of the diet and acne connection because of a greater understanding of how diet may affect endocrine factors involved in acne.... Hyperinsulinemia has been implicated in acne pathophysiology because of its association with increased androgen bioavailability and free concentrations of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I)."
In this 12-week, parallel design, investigator-blinded study, 43 male acne patients aged 15 to 25 years were randomized to receive a low-glycemic-load diet (25% energy from protein and 45% from low-glycemic-index carbohydrates) or a control diet rich in carbohydrate-dense foods without consideration of the glycemic index. Outcome measures included monthly dermatologic evaluation of acne lesion counts and severity. Using the homeostasis model assessment, insulin sensitivity was determined at baseline and at 12 weeks.
Mean reduction in total acne lesion counts at 12 weeks was -23.5 ± 177; 3.9 in the low-glycemic-load group and -12.0 ± 177; 3.5 in the control group ( P = .03). Compared with the control diet, the low-glycemic-load diet was also associated with a greater decrease in weight (-2.9 ± 0.8 vs +0.5 ± 0.3 kg; P < .001) and body mass index (-0.92 ± 0.25 vs +0.01 ± 0.11 kg/m 2; P < .001) and a greater improvement in insulin sensitivity (-0.22 ± 0.12 vs +0.47 ± 0.31; P = .026).
Study limitations include the possibility that topical application of a mild skin cleanser may have contributed to acne improvement; inability to rule out the effect of other dietary factors, such as zinc and vitamin A intake, on acne improvement; and reliance on self reporting of dietary intakes.
"The improvement in acne and insulin sensitivity after a low-glycemic-load diet suggests that nutrition-related lifestyle factors may play a role in the pathogenesis of acne," the authors write. "However, further studies are needed to isolate the independent effects of weight loss and dietary intervention and to further elucidate the underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms."
Meat and Livestock Australia supported this study.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2007;86:107-115.
Clinical Context
Acne is a common skin disorder in a primary care setting. It affects individuals of all ages. In Western populations, acne is estimated to affect 79% to 95% of adolescents, 40% to 54% of individuals older than 25 years, and 12% of women and 3% of men by middle age. Although the pathogenesis of acne is currently unknown, recent epidemiologic studies of non-Westernized populations suggest that dietary factors, including the glycemic load, may be involved. It has been postulated that the frequent consumption of high carbohydrates lead to hyperinsulinemia. Hyperinsulinemia has been implicated in acne pathophysiology because of its association with increased androgen bioavailability and free concentrations of IGF-I.
The objective of this study was to determine whether a low-glycemic-load diet improves acne lesion counts in young men.
Study Highlights
In this randomized trial, 43 male patients with mild-to-moderate acne aged 15 to 25 years were recruited for a 12-week, parallel design, dietary intervention to either low-glycemic-load or the control group.
The experimental treatment was a low-glycemic-load diet composed of 25% energy from protein and 45% energy from low-glycemic-index carbohydrates.
In contrast, the control group received carbohydrate-dense foods without reference to the glycemic index.
A washout period of 6 months was required for subjects who had previously taken oral retinoids or 2 months for subjects who had taken oral antibiotics or topical antibacterial or retinoid agents.
Topical therapy, in the form of a noncomedogenic cleanser, was standardized for both groups.
Acne lesion counts and severity were assessed during monthly visits, and insulin sensitivity (using the homeostasis model assessment) was measured at baseline and at 12 weeks.
Results demonstrated that at 12 weeks, mean total lesion counts had decreased more (P = .03) in the low-glycemic-load group (-23.5 ± 3.9) than in the control group (-12.0 ± 3.5).
Inflammatory lesion counts fell by 17.0 (45%) in the low-glycemic-load group and by 7.4 (23%) in the control group (P = .02).
The experimental diet also resulted in a greater reduction in weight (-2.9 ± 0.8 vs 0.5 ± 0.3 kg; P < .001) and body mass index (-0.92 ± 0.25 vs 0.01 ± 0.11 kg/m2; P = .001) and a greater improvement in insulin sensitivity (-0.22 ± 0.12 vs 0.47 ± 0.31; P = .026) than did the control diet.
Limitations of the study include a possible direct effect from the skin cleanser used by all of the participants; other dietary factors (eg, zinc and vitamin A intake) may have confounded the relation between diet and acne improvement; and self-reporting of dietary intakes may lead to measurement error.
Pearls for Practice
In Western populations, acne is most prevalent in adolescents; however, individuals older than 25 years and men and women of middle age are still affected.
After 12 weeks, the low-glycemic-load diet was demonstrated to significantly reduce acne lesion counts and improve insulin sensitivity when compared with a high-glycemic-load diet.
Source of Article
Rosacea Diet |
