Acne, does diet really matter?
Acne is common and can be very frustrating to live with. Acne is the result of the overproduction of sebum (the oil in your skin) and keratin (a protein found in your skin). Excess androgens (male like hormones), bacteria, inflammation and oxidative stress may all play a role in having acne or not. So, what can you do about it if you have acne?
Does diet really matter? The short answer is yes.
There are several studies that look at diet and acne rates in different communities. Researchers found diets rich in a variety of antioxidants, high in fibre and omega 3 fatty acids, low in sugar and processed foods, and almost NO dairy resulted in people having virtually no acne.(1) This last point of NO dairy, is one I want to highlight here in this blog post.
Cow’s dairy causes acne.
Cow's dairy promotes acne in two ways. First, cow’s dairy increases insulin levels and inflammation. The sugar and protein (A1 casein) found in cow's dairy stimulates insulin-like growth factor type I (IGF-1), which drives insulin to make more sebum and keratin and promotes inflammation in most people, thus leading to acne and more acne! Interestingly, the protein (A2 casein) found in goat and sheep milk as well as Jersey milk seems to not cause inflammation and are a good alternative to cow's dairy for acne suffers if tolerated. (2,3,4) So, if you want clearer skin one thing to seriously consider is stop drinking milk or eating cow's dairy (yes, this includes cheese, yoghurt, processed foods containing milk ingredients).
Balancing your hormones, improving your digestion and quenching your body’s inflammation may also be important in ridding you of acne for good. Eliminating cow's dairy from your diet if you suffer from acne is a great place to start. Eliminate for at least 4 weeks for best results and see what happens. You can have clear skin without drugs. There are a handful of other effective natural acne treatments (no accutane or spirolactone people!). Talk to your local naturopathic doctor for more acne support.
References:
http://ndnr.com/gastrointestinal/acne-vulgaris-yes-diet-matters/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22419445
http://drfionand.com /Blog post January 4, 2018: Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) in Dairy and Insulin Resistance
https://www.larabriden.com/Blog post April 22,2014: Insight into Acne, Dairy, Sugar.