Acne and Your Diet

Acne, pimples or 'zits' as many people know is the most common form of skin complaint. There are nearly 17 million people in the US alone, who suffer from acne. There is good indication that in some cases good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle can be highly beneficial to sufferers. It's effects ranging from mild redness to permanent scarring.

Age of Acne Sufferers
Acne can affect almost any age of person with the most troublesome years being the teenage years but there have been cases where adult acne suffer from it, sometimes with it occurring well into middle age.

Causes of Acne
Acne has a variety of causes some of which can be affected by change in lifestyle, hormonal activity, stress, accumulation of dead skin cells and allergy to bacteria which are present in the pores of the skin. It is sometimes a reaction to anabolic steroids and medication containing halogens, lithium barbiturates or androgens. One study has said that acne is basically a skin allergy and removing food allergens could help in relieving sufferers.

What is Acne
Acne is a disorder of the sebaceous glands or the skin's oil glands. There are two types of acne: acne vulgaris and acne rosacea.

Acne, Diet and Your Skin
Acne and diet have been linked through specific scientific research giving us better indication of what we should be eating if we wish to stand the best chance against Acne.
The skin is the largest organ in the body and a healthy supply of nutrients improves the tone and quality of the skin. Though a rich diet of fried food, chocolates and other junk food does not directly cause acne, there is evidence that changes in diet may help those suffering from the condition.
A diet rich in omega 3 fish oils, antioxidants, vitamins - Vitamin A especially - and beta-carotene usually helps in reducing acne. Vitamin A helps in strengthening the protective tissue of the skin and reducing sebum production. It helps in maintaining and repairing skin tissue and ridding the body of toxins.
Chromium supplements also help in clearing infections and healing pimples quickly. It also prevents further breakouts.
Zinc being a good antibacterial agent, helps control the oil-producing glands of the skin. Eating zinc-rich foods could help in reducing acne.

Vitamin E
While there are many who support using Vitamin E , there are those who believe it might worsen the symptoms. It would help if a person checks out his or her reaction to Vitamin E and then decides whether to temporarily increase or decrease the intake of this vitamin. It must be noted that Vitamin E is a well-known antioxidant and taken in the right amounts, is generally beneficial for the body.

Drinking Water
Simple as it may sound one of the most important ways to keep the skin clear is to drink at least eight glasses of water. This cleans the body of waste and keeps it free of toxins. Water helps in circulation, digestion, absorption and excretion. The skin also flushes out toxins and drinking enough water ensures that there is less strain on it as it does so.
Foods to Avoid There are foods that could be avoided when one has acne. Though chocolates have by and large been cleared as a cause of acne some studies have shown that there could still be a link between chocolates and acne rosacea. However the reasons are not wholly clear or proven.
A study conducted by the US Colorado State University showed a link between refined carbohydrates and processed foods like sugar, white bread, pizza, cake and pastries, and acne. These can cause a series of reactions in the body that increase the production of acne-causing bacteria. Refined carbohydrates also cause the body to produce a high level of insulin which increases the production of male hormones that cause acne. Though the results have not been proved conclusive, it would be a good idea to restrict the intake of these foods. Milk has also shown up as one of the foods that aggravates acne. Lowering one's consumption of milk is also advised. However, to prevent calcium deficiencies, other calcium rich foods must be included in the diet.
It must be specified that those suffering from acne cannot depend on diet alone. There are many natural and other cures available, so together with a proper diet, it is important to visit a skin specialist. With a little care, it is possible to have glowing and acne free skin.