The general belief is that there is a strong connection between acne and what you eat. Their belief is that certain foods may cause this skin problem. This is not entirely true. Food, regardless of how much fat it contains, cannot cause acne, but it certainly influences its development. Especially foods that contain satureted or trans fat affect acne alot. On the other hand, some food that you eat can make your condition a lot better. In general, people opt for this treatment for cystic acne option before antibiotics and topical creams, as following a diet is much easier and sometimes, even cheaper.
If you want to beat your acne, it is very important to learn what foods you should not eat and what you should eat. Foods that contain saturated and trans fat are those that produce oil on your skin and thus makes your acne worse – meat, dairy products and poultry are among these. Some people also believe that if you consume a lot of these foods, it affects your hormonal changes, but scientific research doesn’t support this claim. The supposed effect of chocolate and candies is represented by more severe acne symptoms, but this was not proved, either.
Controlling acne is possible by increasing the protein intake. At least this is what most of the people believe. But keeping your carbohydrate level at 60-70% in your diet is a hard decision for most people.
For many people, vitamin A and zinc have a been a great help at treating acne. That’s why you should eat foods that have these kinds of elements, and you should also avoid foods that have zinc antagonists. Zinc absorption is decreased by these foods. Therefore, it is important to avoid foods that are rich in calcium, copper and iron. You can find these in many fruits and vegetables. Nuts, seeds and beans, as well as several herbs could help people who suffer from acne.
You can decrease androgen production by drinking green tea, which is one of the most important antioxidants available. As acne is caused by a hormonal change, consuming green tea seems to improve the symptoms of acne.
Some people who suffer from acne reported that decreasing the iodine levels in their diets helped them to get rid of acne very fast. However, this effect has been observed in a limited number of people, so this does not represent a reliable solution to acne. Chips, for example, contain an increased amount of iodized salt, so they can help acne to develop faster.
Other foods that make acne even worse are processed foods, yeasty foods, spicy foods, caffeine, alcohol, white rice, smoked fish, meat or cheeses, burnt food or foods that have been cooked on char, additives and preservatives. Acne could be worsened also by grains and especially whole grains. More than that, high glycemic foods such as potatoes can make acne worse. High glycemic foods can also affect other facial problems than acne too. Low glycemic foods are recommended since they do not provoke a rapid elevation of the insulin levels.