It has long been thought that a diet rich in sugary foods, or high on the glycemic index scale, doesn’t contribute to acne. When I myself was a teen burdened with acne I remember very clearly the dermatologist going on about how my diet of refined junk food made no difference to my facial blemishes. Well he was wrong. Recent research now confirms that acne is definitely worsened by ones diet, particularly sugar.
I mean this is not really rocket science. It is nice to have a study that shows the link between sugar and acne, as a confirmer of the truth type-of-thing, but in reality it just makes sense, right? Think about it, we all know instinctively that too much sugar is bad for us. We know that by eating too much white bread and drinking too much pop we are doing ourselves in. I feel most of us understand that much.
What really happens is that a diet high in sugar leads to hormonal imbalances, which then contribute to other problems, irregular menstrual cycles, obesity and diabetes being some of them. Hormonal imbalances can include the elevation of testosterone, yes the same hormone that leads to changes in a males voice. Testosterone stimulates the sebaceous glands in the face to secrete more oils, or sebum, which leads to a greasier complexion. This in term can lead to blocked pores, or the creation of white and black heads, which then in turn become inflamed and become the pimple as we know it. This is one way that sugar is thought to contribute to acne.
Sugar is bad for acne, just as it is bad for ones weight, plain and simple. But where is all this sugar coming in from? The majority of it is actually from refined grains like white flour, which is pretty much in everything. Another major contributor is from pop. Soda pop contains sometimes as much as a half cup or more of refined white sugar! It is absolutely crazy to think about this, especially when we see all our youngsters pounding back the sweet drinks, candy bars and white bread sandwiches in their lunch boxes. Refined fruit juices are just as bad and are best avoided in my opinion.
In my own personal experience I noticed a big shift in the health of my skin when I gave up most sources of refined sugar in my diet, ate whole grains and more vegetables. The difference was night and day. I wish I didn’t have to figure it out for myself though. If only that dermatologist so long ago had informed me, had said, “hey kid you’d do best to cut out the junk”. I probably would have listened and would probably have avoided the years of social embarrassment my teen years produced.
Wishing you health,
Dr. Trevor Erikson
Copyright © 2019 Dr. Trevor Erikson