Acne Diet, Acne Vitamins and Mineral Supplements | Low Glycemic Diet and Pimples

Diet and Acne

There is no solid evidence that food causes acne. But many people say they see a connection in their own lives. For example, many people claim chocolate aggravates their acne, or perhaps fried foods or spicy foods. So, if you notice that your acne seems worse when you eat certain foods, it makes sense to avoid those foods as much as you can.

Low glycemic diet and acne

Glycemic load is a relative measure of:

• how much carbohydrate is in the diet
• how quickly that food is converted in the body to blood sugar

Some studies have shown that a low-glycemic-load diet enhanced weight loss among volunteers on a reduced-calorie diet. Now, there is a study showing that a low-glycemic diet may help against acne.

A diet that is low glycemic has fewer carbohydrates, and more complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are those that take longer to digest, for example whole wheat bread that's high in bran would be considered a complex carbohydrate, while white bread would be a simple carbohydrate.

In one study, male acne patients in their teens and twenties spent twelve weeks on either a low-glycemic diet or a regular diet. The low-glycemic-load diet was 25 percent protein and 45 percent from low-glycemic-index carbohydrates. Acne lesions were counted, and at the end, the low-glycemic group had fewer than the control group. This may suggest that nutrition-related lifestyle factors can play a role in the severity of acne. However, further studies are needed to confirm this.

Vitamins and minerals for acne

Good nutrition is important to overall health, including the health of your skin. Many studies have been done about the effect of a healthy diet on acne. Vitamins and minerals, in particular, have been studied as they relate to acne.

Vitamins can play a role in the health of your skin - and not only the vitamins you get from foods and vitamin supplements. Some vitamins have also been found useful when used in topical creams and lotions. For example, Vitamin A is the key to the topical acne treatments Retin-A and Accutane. Vitamin C is another ingredient found in many lotions for skin, and may be useful in the fight against acne.

Minerals are also important to good health. For example, zinc deficiency has been linked to acne in some studies. Zinc has also been connected with the reduction of scar formation. In the diet, sources of zinc include oysters, lean meat and poultry. Zinc is also found in topical products that are applied to the skin.

Ideally, you should be able to get all the vitamins and minerals you need from a good diet. But let's face it - our diets are often not as good as they should be. If this is the case, you may decide to use supplements. If using supplements, check the label to avoid huge doses of any one vitamin or mineral. Check the expiration date as well, in order to make sure the product is still potent. And remember to store vitamin and mineral supplements in a cool dry place, where children can't get to them.

One other thing - keep in mind that taking too much of a vitamin or mineral can be toxic and very dangerous. Make sure you do not exceed the recommended dosage if you are using supplements.

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Updated June 2009

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