Low Glycemic diet as treatment of Acne.
When my son played Ice Hockey as a teenager, he went away on weekends for back to back games. He always returned very spotty. When he was at home, his diet was dictated by us and was very good but when away he ate lots of junk food high in carbohydrate.
It has always been my belief that there is a very strong link between acne and diet. A study done recently has made things a lot clearer. The prevalence of acne, a distressing skin condition, is very high. It is estimated that 79 to 95% of adolescents, 40 to 54% aged 25 and older, 12% of women and 3% men in their middle age have acne.
No one knows the true cause of acne. The distribution globally of acne raises the possibility that low carbohydrate intake is responsible for the lower incidence of acne in non-Western countries. The theory is that high carbohydrate intake causes raised Insulin level (Hyperinsulinemia). High Insulin levels is an important part of acne in general because it affects androgenic hormones and growth factor.
In a 12 week study, Dr. Robyn. N. Smith and colleagues, from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, gave 43 male adult acne patients, aged between 15 and 25, a randomised low glycemic load diet (25% energy from protein and 45% from low glycemic index carbohydrates) and a control diet rich in carbohydrate dense foods without consideration of the glycemic index. The results published in the July issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed the low glycemic diet was associated with a significant reduction in total acne compared with the normal diet
Although this is the first randomised study to look at the effect of low glycemic foods on acne, I suspect there are a few more in the pipeline.
"Although we could not isolate the effect of the low glycemic load diet from that of weight loss, the findings support the hypothesis of a relationship between acne and high insulin levels and acne." Dr. Smith's team said.
Foods are considered low glycemic when they are rich in complex carbohydrates and releasing sugar directly into the blood stream very slowly. By doing this it reduces the Insulin demand and reduces the peak level of insulin. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar level and can affect growth and sex hormones.
To find out the Glycemic Index of food, the blood sugar level is monitored after eating that food. HGI(High Glycemic Index): 70+ MGI (Medium Glycemic Index: 56 to 69. LGI (Low Glycemic Index): 55 and lower.
Foods with Low Glycemic Index. Heavy Mixed Grain 45 Whole Wheat 49 Special K (UK) 54 Natural Muesli 40 Porridge 58 All-bran (UK) 30 Oat bran 50 Rolled Oats 51 Soya and Linseed 36 Wholegrain Pumpernickel 46 Tomatoes 15 Onions 10 Raw Carrots 16 Broccoli 10 Boiled Carrots 41 Frozen Green Peas 39 Frozen Sweet Corn 47 Cabbage 10 Mushrooms 10 Lettuce 10 Green Beans 15 Red Peppers 10 Chillies 10 Cauliflower 15
Foods with High Glycemic Index. Dates 103 Scones 92 Instant White Rice 87 Glutinous Rice 86 Tapioca 70 Watermelon 80 Pretzels 83 Rice Cakes 87 Fresh Mashed Potatoes 73 French Fries 75 Short Grain White Rice 83 Instant Mashed Potatoes 80 Donuts 76
So if you want to knock spots off your teenage child or yourself, reject white bread, burgers, and French fries and embrace cereals and beans.
More Free Body Acne Info
Filed under Acne by Dr. Phil Hariram
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