Low-Glycemic Diet for Acne

A low-glycemic diet may help improve acne, a new study reports. In addition, the low-glycemic diet may also result in weight loss and body mass reduction.

Researchers from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, explained that although the pathogenesis of acne is currently unknown, recent studies suggest that dietary factors, including the glycemic load, may be involved.

The study investigated whether a low-glycemic-load diet improves acne lesion counts in young males.

Researchers recruited 43 male acne patients aged 15-25 years for the 12-week, parallel design, dietary intervention incorporating investigator-blinded dermatology assessments.

The experimental treatment was a low-glycemic-load diet composed of 25 percent energy from protein and 45 percent energy from low-glycemic-index carbohydrates. In contrast, the control situation emphasized carbohydrate-dense foods without reference to the glycemic index. Acne lesion counts and severity were assessed during monthly visits, and insulin sensitivity was measured at baseline and 12 weeks.

The researchers found that at 12 weeks, the mean total lesion counts had decreased more in the low-glycemic-load group than in the control group. The experimental diet also resulted in a greater reduction in weight and body mass index and a greater improvement in insulin sensitivity than did the control diet.

The authors concluded that the improvement in acne and insulin sensitivity after a low-glycemic-load diet suggests that nutrition-related lifestyle factors may play a role in the pathogenesis of acne. However, further studies are needed to isolate the independent effects of weight loss and dietary intervention and to further clarify the underlying mechanisms.

The glycemic index is a numerical index that ranks carbohydrates based on their rate of glycemic response (i.e. their conversion to glucose within the human body). Glycemic index uses a scale of 0 to 100, with higher values given to foods that cause the most rapid rise in blood sugar. Pure glucose serves as a reference point and is given a glycemic index (GI) of 100.

Foods with a high GI are those that are rapidly digested and absorbed and result in marked fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Low-GI foods, by virtue of their slow digestion and absorption, produce gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin levels and have proven benefits for health.

The theory behind the glycemic index is to minimize insulin-related problems by identifying and avoiding foods that have the greatest effect on blood sugar, especially for those with diabetes.

Low-GI diets have been shown to improve both glucose and lipid levels in people with diabetes (type 1 and type 2) and reduce insulin levels and insulin resistance. Low-GI diets may also have benefits for weight control because they help control appetite and delay hunger.

Reliance on GI may lead to over consumption. GI should only be used to rate a food's carbohydrate content. If it is used as the sole factor for determining diet, individuals may easily end up over consuming fat and total calories.

A major criticism of the GI-diet is that the reference food used to determine the glycemic index, white bread, is popular only within a particular culture. Even proponents of this diet acknowledge that the glycemic index tests were developed for people who eat at least 50 grams of carbohydrates per day. Results for people whose foods do not feature large amounts of carbohydrates have not been investigated.

The GI value of a meal featuring every major food group is difficult to predict. Consumers should note that the GI diet is not approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and that following the USDA's Food Pyramid is one potential way to eat healthfully, although some might disagree.

Some junk foods, including chocolate, potato chips and many candy bars, have low GI indexes. However, some suggest that this might be due to small portion sizes. The safety of this diet is not yet well-researched, but consumers should avoid excessive consumption of these generally unhealthy products if they choose to abide by the GI diet. Most of the information about the GI diet available on the Internet is also promoting a product related to this weight-loss plan. Consumers should critically evaluate the bias of information about the GI diet available on the Internet.

Integrative therapies with strong, good or unclear scientific evidence for the treatment of acne include vitamin A (retinol), zinc, guggul and tea tree oil.

For more information about the low-glycemic diet, please visit Natural Standard's Health & Wellness database.

Comments

[Acne]

I heard that low-glycemic diets are great for acne. Thanks for sharing.

[Paul]

I always worry when I see something like this in the news that people are going to go all crazy with dieting. How many people on the Atkin’s diet probably became more unhealthy by eating too many fatty meats and probably not enough vegetables? I can just see teens, who aren’t known for their ability to think long-term or overall health, going and becoming ketoacidotic to try and improve their acne.

In cases with severe acne, which can be really horrible, this might be helpful. but people need to understand the whole concept of the glycemic index and not just low sugars.

[Emily P.]

I think that it should be expected of a patient to exercise a certain level of common sense. Sure, chocolate, chips and candy bars have low GI indexes, but most people know better than to assume that loading up on such foods will not have negative effects. I do think that diet is an integral part of treating acne and skin care in general. I think monitoring your diet can be more effective than topical treatments, but I think one needs to maintain a balance in their nutritional intake and not limit their food consumption to one group of foods. This has never proved to be healthy in the long run, regardless of short term benefits.

[Val Treloar, MD]

As a dermatologist who tries to integrate nutrition and lifestyle with conventional treatment, I was delighted to see work from this excellent study published in both the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. This is scientifically elegant work and very compelling. I look forward to the debate it triggers in the dermatology community.

Alan Logan, ND and I have written The Clear Skin Diet, a book published by Cumberland House and due out at the end of the summer. We incorporate this glycemic load effect, as well as other dietary, stress-reduction, exercise and other lifestyle elements into our discussion of cause and treatment of acne.

We agree that the application of glycemic index/load can be tricky and that we must not lose sight of other components that may impact the skin health of an individual.

Readers may find our approach interesting and hopefully helpful. For an overview of our book, please visit Dr. Mark Hyman's blog:
http://www.ultrametabolism.com/blog/skin_care/

[W Thomas]

To Dr. Trelaor: Can you shed some light as to why a high-glycemic loads contribute to acne and how a low-glycemic diet helps acne? I am genuinely curious! The article does not offer any explanation. Does glycemic load impact hormones that influence oil production or surface bacteria of the skin? I eagerly await your reply...

[marcia b]

Since some junk foods were listed as examples of foods with low GI indexes, I am confused on how they contribute to weight loss. I wonder what the healthier foods with low GI indexes are. I agree that a healthy diet definitely helps your skin, but I think the condition of your skin depends on a variety of factors, such as how much water you drink, type of makeup used, face cleansing regimen, etc., and all of these have to be kept in mind.

[Caren]

This seems like an interesting approach to attacking acne. However, I’m skeptical of the results since forty-three participants seems like a low study population to me, especially with the wide range in ages. I also fear that someone may take eating "chocolate, potato chips and candy bars" to an extreme..

[K. T.]

Caren, I can understand 43 participants seem like a small study population… but I think that in this case it is acceptable to do since the results look at each individual’s acne lesion counts and severity at the beginning and the end of the study, rather than comparing results between two participants. (So they wouldn’t be comparing a 15 year old to a 25 year old.) I hope that makes some sense!

I am confused about how potato chips can help one’s acne problem. I would’ve thought this to be the opposite case with all the oils involved in producing potato chips, as well as the oil that rubs off onto one’s hands and well, I think it’s safe to say, eventually smeared across one’s face and pores… a good thought to end with.

[Cassie]

This is a great way to promote a healthier diet among today's youth. Although better health should be enough incentive, teenagers are more consumed with the immediate physical benefits of a better diet - such as their weight, acne, etc. Perhaps this will be enough motivation to get kids more focused on balancing their diets and analyzing the health content of their foods, rather than paying no attention to it or engaging in fad diets that are often initially effective but unhealthy in the long run.

[Sally]

I think that people are looking at this wrong. Not all low-glycemic foods are bad food for you. So, yes, maybe potato chips and candy bars have a low glycemic index, BUT, I think the study was thinking of foods more like carrots, lettuce, cucumbers, etc. More natural, unprocessed low-glycemic foods vs. highly processed junk foods. I think that people should be able to use common sense here. I know we'd like to believe that junk food isn't so bad, but can we really convince ourselves that it's good? Be real. Carrots are yummy!

[GBuckley]

I love KTs comments about potato chips... and I think she's right! While they may not be a high-glycemic food, the grease they may spread on the hands and face can indeed be pore clogging... best to avoid fatty foods for this reason alone, if not for a host of other health reasons, including hyperlipidemia, weight gain, etc. There are other, less greasy ways to eat a low-glycemic diet!

[Alex]

Sally, I totally disagree.

Certain fatty acids are beneficial and essential. You need a balance of omega-3, 6 and 9. Most acne suffers have low levels of a key omega-6 fatty acid - linoleic acid.

A low-fat, high-fiber diet will actually aggravate acne. A diet composed of nutritious fatty food gives all the nutrients to stop acne - eggs, cod liver oil, salmon, red meat, nuts, dark chocolate, vegetables and so on.

[dalz]

Low-glycemic index diets are also considered anti-inflammatory. I wonder whether this also plays a role in their ability to decrease acne?

[mary]

Hello, This is Mary

I am 36 years old with two toddlers. My youngest just started day are last week - which still feels a little strange. I haven't had this much time to myself in years. The first thing I want to do is lose the extra pounds I put on during the last pregnancy. One of the girls next door has suggested I join her walking group two days a week. After my first pregnancy I lost around 35 pounds using the Herbalife products, but when I called the man that sold them to me three years ago he told me this week he doesn't sell them anymore. He told me to look on the Internet. It's disappointing because he was really nice and he called me regularly to make sure I was using their products correctly. It was nice to have someone checking in with me every week to see how I was, and it kept me motivated.

I searched on the Internet for someone that sells Herbalife in New Jersey. I found many Web sites, but I don't want
just to buy the products, I want to find someone trustworthy that sells the products so I can also meet them and get started again.

Could anybody here recommend someone in New Brunswick?.

Thanks, Mary

[Johnny]

The safety of not eating processed foods is not "well-researched?" For almost all of human evolution humans didn't even eat grain.

Very, very few processed junk foods have low GI values. Potatoes and sugar are at the highest end of the spectrum of GL and GI. This is likely a misconception of very small serving sizes.

I don't think that the USDA plan is healthy unless you mean always fighting weight, being hungry and sick and likely ending up with diabetes and heart disease.

I was on accutane in high school, and 10 years later I still had deep cystic acne in my back. I switched to low glycemic diet nine months ago and have never been in better health. I eat nothing processed, including anything made from grain and flour. I eat a lot of meat and replace vegetable oils with butter. My cholesterol ratio improved, my triglycerides crashed, I lost fat around my waist I could never lose, my hairline quit receding and my acne almost vanished.

Gross excess of insulin (and vegetable oil) is the health bane of the modern world. Look it up for yourself.

[Exposed Skin care]

Home therapy is one of the most common and effective treatments for adult acne. A number of adult acne patients have considered this treatment, knowing that it may help fight against acne. One concrete example is the organic Apple cider vinegar swabs and other astringent cleansers. These products have the strength to eliminate the oil build up that may become blocked in the oil glands of the skin.

[me]

I only got as far as reading the first comment, and maybe I should read more informed responses, but i had to disagree. What's interesting about a low-glycemic diet to me and what seems to distinguish it from Atkins or what have you, is that it's not really a diet. I haven't read anything stating get-thin quick propositions, rather get-healthy solutions. It seems like a very common-sense approach to eating. If someone's concerned about this diet becoming a trend, I'd say, "I sure hope so." In the past, eating natural, low-GI foods seemed to work wonders for my body and energy, before ever reading about this or any other diabetic-type diets. It just sort of made sense to me, and honestly, helped me lose weight without much other efforts. Sort of like my body's process of getting into it's natural state. I'm sure had I included regular exercise, I would have lost more weight. But either way, this seems like a rather healthy, sensible way to go. I've always had good skin, but now dealing with acne and coincidentally drastically poorer eating habits, it doesn't take much to make a possible connection. If this helps that too, hooray! I'll be the happier. Of course there's a multitude of issues that can cause acne (like hormones, stress, etc.), but it makes sense to start from the inside out. Best of wishes to everyone.

[Deanna]

This diet makes sense for women who have polycystic ovarian syndrome. They have a hard time processing insulin, and for some reason, that causes their estrogen to turn into androgens, resulting in acne. So if they eat a low-glycemic diet, their insulin levels don't rise, and they don't get the increase in androgens that lead to acne, hirsutism, weight gain and baldness.

[Acne Scar Removal]

Acne scarring is perhaps worse than the acne itself.

My acne scars weren't horrible. They probably weren't even that noticeable after I put on my foundation. However, I certainly noticed them and that was all it took to bother ME.

If you have acne scars, you may feel a bit helpless. But you don't have to because there are alternatives to getting rid of acne scars. And you CAN do something about it.

So what do you do about it? There are many solutions. These are NATURAL treatments.

Now, just because you hear the word "natural," I don't want you to shake your head and think you need to just buy some over-the-counter miracle cream. These remedies WORK! And you'll find that by consistently using them, your acne scars WILL fade, just like mine did.

So without further ado, here are my favorite natural acne scar solutions:

Vitamin E
Don't underestimate the power of this healing lotion. You can get it at any drugstore in topical form. I have a HUGE bottle of it under my sink :) . Vitamin E naturally heals scars by moisturizing the damaged skin. Use it every day to fade away acne scars.

Cocoa butter
This one should be used carefully. If your acne is not already under control, cocoa butter does pose the threat of additional breakouts. However, if you're using the three-day cure technique and your skin is finally clear, this is a powerful healing tool. Cocoa butter will soften skin, lighten the scars and make them fade into nothing. I love this one. By the way, cocoa butter also works great on stretch marks.

Honey
Okay, this is totally going change your life! Honey works over time on acne and acne scars. Yes, honey! When I first learned about this natural remedy, I was pretty bewildered. The sound of it alone is confusing. Honey is a sticky, sugary substance. How can it possibly clear up skin?

Honey kills bacteria while simultaneously lessens the red look of irritated skin. The acidity in the honey evens out your skin tone, shrinks current pimples and will give your skin a softer feel. Listen, I know you may be skeptical of this solution. I was at first, then I tried it. This natural acne scar remedy works great.

Lemon
Lemon will help clear up acne as well as fade acne scars. Plus your face will smell like a freshly shined hardwood floor, so that's a plus ;)

The acidity in the juice will lighten the redness of the scars and balance your skin's pH levels to prevent future breakouts. Give it a shot.

You can find a lot of other natural acne treatments and acne scar treatments by visiting:
http://www.Natural-Acne-Control.com

[david john]

I cured acne after reading a book called No Acne for Me. I thought there was no cure or treatment, but apparently, I looked in all the wrong places. Acne free and acne cured - get this book.

[weight loss pills]

Diet is a major contributor to the severity of acne. That does not make food a cause of acne. Can you provide a list of foods that have high glycemic indexes?

[acne]

Problems such as ice pink scars, rolling scars are caused by the acne and these problems create lots of trouble for teenagers.

http://www.treatmentsforacne.net/

[dermatologist pomona]

I didn't know that Low-glycemic index diets are also considered anti-inflammatory. You have a nice blog, very informative.

[-krisha-]

Awesome. I learned a lot. I never knew that the low-glycemic diet may help improve acne. Anyway, I enjoyed reading this post. Thanks for guiding me through this.

[Acne Treatment]

Thanks for the excellent tips :)

[Erika the low Glycemic index guru]

I learned new things on this post. So a low GI diet is not only helpful in reducing our weight, it's also good for our skin! Thanks for the information.

[John]

Although it is just anecdotal my own experience fits with the research that you have done.

I tried a low-glycemic diet to try to counter fatigue. It was recommended to me by a dietitian who felt I needed to balance a cycle of sugar rush/dip.

My fatigue improved, but I also noticed a significant improvement in my incidents of acne

[Christopher Reid]

I have found that a healthy diet that includes plenty of water, fruits and vegetable and is low in animal fats and sugars is the best way to have great skin.

Too many people think that they can put on some cream and still eat whatever they want and that the cream will fix their acne.

Another great tip is to take nutritional products on a regular basis, as they help to clear out toxins in the body and improve cellular regeneration.