Acne And Carbohydrates
Every now and again I struggle with my profession. The average Doctor has studied for a good number of years, however, is very obstinate, extremely self-assured and generally not very flexible in their thinking. And I feel that I can say that; I’m a Doctor myself, have been married to one for years and come from a family of them…
Take the Doctors point of view about the relationship between diet and acne. The possibility that there could be a link between the two has been denied for decades. After all, there was no randomised-long term- double blind –placebo controlled-multi centre-follow up-study in existence then, which could prove that certain food could give you spots. And what hasn’t been proven simply doesn’t exist!
I refuse to accept this. If something hasn’t been clearly proven, it cannot automatically mean that it isn’t true? And besides, hasn’t every experienced expert known, for a long time, that diet has an impact on the condition of your skin? Thankfully, the message has now finally reached the medical profession; there is actually a relationship between diet and acne!
Critical research
In the case of acne it was standard procedure from the 1930s to the 1960s for dietary advice to be given by your Doctor. This changed when two critical studies were published dismissing the idea, that diet played a role in the cause of acne, as a myth. Not because it had been proven that there was no link, but that there was too little substantive research showing the existence of such a relationship. And I can understand this, for if there is one thing which is difficult to show, it is how food has an impact.
However, in the last ten years our thinking has again changed, mainly due to the incidence of adult acne keeps increasing. And with this, more and more studies are being undertaken into the relationship between diet and acne.
Fast and slow releasing sugars
If, for example, we now look at acne and carbohydrates (sugar), there does seem to be a real connection. We are talking here about the so-called fast releasing sugars. As carbohydrates can be divided into two groups, fast releasing and slow releasing.
Potatoes, white bread, fruit juice, sweets and cakes are examples of food containing fast releasing sugars. Wholemeal products, fruit, vegetables and fish are examples of foods with slow releasing sugars, also known as low glycaemic index.
Although the mechanism behind this is not always clear, it appears that a diet containing slow releasing sugars can reduce the severity of acne.
Look at your dietary habits if you have spots
Are you still struggling with unsightly spots and redness? Have a look at your eating habits. As with every other treatment for acne, you need to be patient. Make sure that you give your new diet a minimum of ten weeks to work. And before you begin your new diet, take a photo of yourself so that you can make a better assessment of whether your diet change makes a difference.
Regards,
Jetske
Research Physician Cosmetic Dermatology
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