Acne Diet: Can You Fight Acne From the Inside?
16 May 2007If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
There’s a lot of debate regarding whether specific foods cause acne. We know your diet can greatly influence the way you look and feel. Acne is generally recognized to be the result of hormonal imbalances in the body due to adolescence, or a woman’s natural cycle. There may be foods that aggravate these imbalances. Similarly, there may be supplements that can help the body cope. In order to feel and look your best when suffering acne, you owe it to yourself to eat the highest quality diet you can. Let’s take a look at some things you might consider in creating an acne diet for yourself.
Your Best Acne Diet
1. Avoid milk if you can. If you can’t, drink only whole milk, not skimmed or low-fat. Milk is linked to a higher incidence of acne. Just two 8 ounce glasses appears to increase your acne risks significantly. There are hormones in milk from the pregnant and lactating cows which combined with your own hormonal anarchy appears to create mass skin chaos.
2. Eat more fish. Fish has omega 3 oils that are beneficial for the heart and surprisingly for the skin too. Try eating canned whole sardines and canned salmon with bones as part of your acne diet. The softened and edible bones contain calcium, helping to boost your intake of this mineral if avoiding milk.
3. Drink water. Keeping your body hydrated on an acne diet with six glasses a day can do wonders for your skin’s health.
4. Increase your intake of green leafy veggies such as kale and collards; carrots, sweet potatoes and yellow or orange fruits such as apricots. They all contain beta-carotene, an important source of Vitamin A which helps reduce the severity of acne breakouts. Eating more fresh fruits and vegetables as part of your acne diet fights not only acne but a host of other illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease. Leafy greens also contain calcium; another plus.
5. Enjoy more whole grains, and take a balanced B vitamin complex to supplement your acne diet. Low levels of B vitamins can worsen acne.
In addition, some people have reported benefits in taking megadoses of vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid). It appears that 10 grams daily of B5 may reduce oil secretions and acne. If you want to try this approach, start slowly by taking 5 grams at first for three days, then ramp up to 10. As you’re taking a B complex tab which will already contain B5, take that base dosage into account when increasing B5 intake. Take the B5 and your B complex with food to minimize any digestive upset. Powdered B5 may be less expensive than pills. This remedy is reported to work over a period of three months, and for some acne may get worse before getting better; so don’t expect any instant benefits. It is also reported that high doses of B5 may cause hair to become brittle and lip chapping.
6. Although not a dietary recommendation, you should also look to reduce stress in your life whenever possible. Exercise, such as a brisk walk in the local park or around the block where you work or live, can help you cope with stress, aid digestion of those great acne diet foods and improve blood circulation to the skin; all of which may help improve your skin’s overall health.
You can choose one suggestion, or all the above in planning your acne diet. Whatever you choose, you should always keep in mind that there is no guarantee of cure with these suggestions. If your acne is not controlled despite eating your highest and best diet, limiting fast and over-processed foods, and reducing your stress, see your doctor. Severe acne cases may indeed require medical treatment.
