Controlling Acne through the diet

We’ve all been there where we’ve had a night of too much chocolate or a cheese and wine platter with the gals on the weekend and woken up with a pimple of some sort on our face. Usually, we know who the culprit is on these one-off events. 
When it comes to chronic acne driven by hormonal imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, impaired detoxification pathways, inflammation, etc. our daily dietary habits can have a significant impact on the underlying cause of acne and significantly halt progress  - even if you’re using the best skincare going around. So the question is; can acne be controlled by diet? And, if so - what foods trigger acne? And what foods should be avoided for acne?

Specific food triggers acne through a number of mechanisms including their effect on glycemic response (significantly impacting sebum production), increasing inflammatory mediators, directly altering the gut-skin axis, influencing hormonal status, detoxification pathways, etc. However, we also need to consider what may be lacking in the diet and whether this may be slowing the progression of healing your acne.

What foods trigger acne?

High glycaemic foods: 

Carbohydrate foods with a high glycaemic index (fancy term to describe foods that break down into glucose molecules really quickly) in the diet can cause acne due to its direct demand on high insulin secretion to shuttle the glucose into the cell. High insulin can cause acne as it stimulates the production of androgens (like testosterone) which leads to high sebum production. This includes sugar, soft drinks, juice, white rice, white bread, white potato, rice noodles, and rice cakes.

Dairy products

Dairy food triggers acne by causing a spike in insulin levels and IGF-1, which is involved in the formation of acne. If you’re also sensitive to lactose or casein within dairy products, your body may create even more of an inflammatory response and trigger those pesky breakouts. Dairy directly can increase the sensitivity of testosterone within the sebaceous glands, further driving sebum production which can cause acne.

Gluten

Gluten can be a hard one to pinpoint as causing your breakouts, as it’s in so many foods that we often gravitate towards on a regular basis. You can test for coeliac disease via blood testing, to see if your immune system is mounting a response against your morning toast. However, if you aren’t coeliac it can be difficult to pinpoint if gluten food triggers acne, as it may generally be the more subtle sensitives that don’t always show up in obvious ways.

Gluten sensitivity can affect your skin as well as your digestion and hormonal balance, which can also cause acne. Excluding it for a period of time can be helpful to determine whether gluten in your diet can cause acne. However, you do need to be strict with this one!Soy products 

Soy, like gluten, can trigger acne as it is in so many food products we often eat daily. If you have a sensitivity to soy, then it is possible that soy food triggers acne for you. Too much soy can also alter your estrogen levels, which can be problematic if you have hormonal issues and hormonal acne. 

Other food sensitivities

Other sensitivities to food may be harder to determine and you may need to work with your practitioner to do some further testing or an elimination diet if necessary to determine what food triggers acne for you. What food triggers acne is dependent on the individual and may include eggs, caffeine, cocoa, or nuts.

What should I eat to reduce acne?

• Omega 3 

  Omega 3 is anti-inflammatory and required to support healthy cell membranes. We need omega 3 for a healthy skin barrier, so deficiencies in omega 3 can show up as skin irritation, rashes and/or acne.

  Unfortunately, the modern diet contains a lot of omega 6, which can be inflammatory, so we need to be able to balance this out with adequate omega 3 sources. Some recommendations of what to eat to reduce acne and boost your omega 3 intake are fish, chia seeds, sea buckthorn oil, walnuts, flaxseed oil and flaxseeds.
  

• Antioxidants

  Reduce the inflammation within the body and skin by eating lots of antioxidants in fruits and vegetables. Particularly high amounts of antioxidants are in foods such as berries, green tea/matcha and brightly coloured vegetables. 

• Zinc containing foods 

  Zinc is a great nutrient for the skin because it is antimicrobial for acne and supports skin repair via supporting the immune response, reducing keratin and reducing excess testosterone. Some great options of what to eat to reduce acne include oysters, lean sirloin steak, crab, lean minced meat and yoghurt. 

• Fibre via wholefoods 

  Fibre is key for acne. It helps make sure that you have regular bowel movements for the excretion of toxins from the bowels, as well as helps support a healthy microbiome within the gut. Fibre is found in your whole foods, which are natural foods that aren’t heavily processed. To get enough fibre daily some foods to eat to reduce acne include nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables.

  Aim to eat 2 servings of fruit (approximately 150g, the size of a medium sized fruit such as a banana, or a handful of berries) and 5 servings of vegetables (approximately 75g, ½ a cup of cooked vegetables or 1 cup of leafy greens) every day.

• Drink enough water

Aim for 2-3 litres of water a day depending on your activity levels. Water is so important for the skin because it helps the cells stay hydrated and it also supports the digestive system in moving waste through the bowels.

Dehydration can cause constipation which means that toxins aren’t able to be effectively cleared from the body which can then recirculate and contribute to inflammation and acne formation. Some ways to maintain water intake throughout the day are to set reminders on your phone, keep a reusable water bottle in your line of sight, include herbal teas or add a squeeze of lemon to a glass of room temperature water to give it some flavour.

 Extra tips to reduce acne:

• Increase your omega intake with fish oil if you find it difficult to eat a lot of fish or other sources of omega 3

• Work with a practitioner to identify sensitivities or intolerances if required

• Work with a practitioner to create a suitable meal plan if you need some help and support to change your diet in a way that is sustainable 

• Always wash any makeup or SPF off at night before you go to bed

• Ensure you are washing your pillow case regularly