http://www.care2.com/greenliving/clear-skin-diet.html
Acne Relief: The Clear Skin Diet
Adapted from The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth, by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S. (Fair Winds, 2008).
Why is it that teens in New Guinea and Paraguay have no acne? Or in Kenya, rural Japan, or Malaisia, for that matter? The reason goes against the commonly held viewpoint of most dermatologists who think acne isn’t caused by diet.
A seminal study on acne published in the Archives of Dermatology in 2002, reported that there was not one single case of acne—zero—in two non-Westernized populations studied for a diet-acne connection. One population was in New Guinea and the other Paraguay.
What do these two cultures have in common? They were eating the diet of our hunter-gatherer ancestors: Food you could hunt, gather, pluck or fish, what Loren Cordain, Ph.D., author of the study and book by the same name, calls The Paleo Diet.
Some of these natural Paleo Diets are purely plant-based. The key appears to be that there is nothing refined, processed, but instead are diets high in fiber and low in sugar.
Cordain hypothesizes that a diet that produces high levels of the hormone insulin is partly the culprit when it comes to insulin. Insulin spikes in response to sugar and processed carbohydrates.
Could it be that those with acne don’t metabolize sugar very well?
Other possible culprits of acne include milk and lack of fresh vegetables. As reported in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, a significant positive association was found between acne and milk intake. Further, diets rich in plant foods contain huge amounts of antioxidants and natural anti-inflammatories.
Here are natural prescriptions for acne:
- Eat the Paleo Diet: No grains, dairy, beans, or soy; eat foods high in protein, vegetables, fruits (especially berries), nuts, and omega fats. Eat only whole foods are high in fiber and low in sugar.
- Saw palmetto (an herb derived from the dried, ripe berry of the American dwarf palm); 320 mgcapsule. Or use Clearogen (www.clearogen.com). Both are used to balance hormones.
- Zinc: 30 mg two or three times a day, use 30 mg for maintenance.
- Essential fatty acid supplement or fish oil.
- GLA (gamma-Linolenic acid, an omega-6 essential fatty acid found primarily in vegetables: 320 mg capsule.
- Tea tree oil topically (an essential oil available from most health food stores).
- Azelic acid (an anti-inflammatory): Use as directed.
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20 comments
add your comment »MJC, Storm and Janet bring up points that so many people who immediately jump on the latest bandwagon forget: that everyone is different and that humans are omnivores.
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wow.Who knew milk had something to do with acne?
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When my acne started in jr. high, my mom took me to the dermatologist, who promptly took me off of milk. I was stunned. I was expecting to have to give up every form of food that I loved. But he explained that the hormones in the milk were a big problem - and it worked. Menopause has restarted my issues with acne, and this is also hormone related, but not so easily solved. I have also found that my face breaks out with elevated stress - one bout of tears will bring on a pimple, so, for me, it's not all about diet.
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Hmm...I've been starting to have a few pimples on my face lately.
Interesting.I just might try this.Thanks
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I have cycstic chin acne. My doc has me using antibiotics which works. My dermatologist suggested accutane. I'm afraid to try because of all the side effects. I've tried many things including expense face washes, herbs, nothing works except antibiotics. My body produces too much oil from the inside. any comments??
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As a person who has (well, had) terrible acne I will tell you this: eliminating carbonated beverages, sugary snacks, and drinking tons of water saved my skin. So yes, you are what you eat.
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Um ... having lived in Paraguay for 14 years of my life, and having many, many Paraguayan adolescent friends when I was myself a teen, I can tell you that yes, people in Paraguay do get acne.
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The Masai in Africa have sustained themselves largely on a diet of blood and milk for centuries. The Inuit traditional foods were whale and seal meat, with little if any greens. What people have eaten had more to do with their climate than anything else. Different people have different allergic reactions to different foods. I doubt there is one diet for everyone, any more than there is one religion for everyone.
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Actually, research has found that our hunting gathering ancestors sat around a lot more than we do today. They probably foraged and gathered for food maybe 2 hours out of the whole day with the occasional hunt and pretty much spent the rest of the time playing. People today on the other hand do sit around a lot in their office buildings but have never been stressed out so much. Compare the 2 hours of hard work compared to 8 to 12 hours, and sometimes 24 hours with kids, a day. I know that would cause me to have some "minor" skin problems.
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Actually, we have both cutting/tearing teeth (our front teeth) AND grinding/crushing teeth (our molars). We are designed to be omnivores, able to eat a wide variety of foods and remain healthy. It is best to get your foods as close to their natural state as possible. Cultivars (legumes/grains) have less nutrient value than "gathered" foods (leafy greens, herbs, roots, seaweed; naturally evaporated salts; honey;) and "hunted" foods (lean meats, including wild meats like ostrich, boar, bison, etc.; eggs; game meats; poultry fed on a natural pastured diet of weeds, bugs, and small amounts of seed and grain; raw milk (yes, our ancestors during the paleo age were starting to learn to keep animals for milk... or at least take advantage of milk when they found it); etc.)
The biggest difference between us and our paleo ancestors is not seen in the food, however. The biggest difference is seen in our activity level. Our ancestors maintained a -grueling- schedule, filled to the brim with intensely physical activity. Today, we sit on our collective hineys, pressing keys on a keyboard, and get our exercise in short bursts in the gym. We are not the same creatures as our paleo ancestors. Our brains are larger, and so are our butts. Our bones are more fine, and so is our skin. Feeding ourselves like our ancestors fed themselves only has value in so far as we are getting our foods as close as possible to their natural source.
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