The lesser known cause for acne breakouts

There is a lot of evidence on the relationship of cow’s milk and dairy to acne breakouts. There is less attention to the second most important diet related acne trigger.

The global aspects of diet are also worthy of brief mention. In recent years, it has become evident that diets low in processed foods and sugars (with an overall low glycemic load) are associated with decreased acne risk.¹ Other studies that looked into the effect of low glycemic diets that contained 'nutrient-dense' foods such as whole grains, vegetables and fruits have shown acne improvement.²

These findings were confirmed by other studies from Korea, China and Greece showing that acne is associated with increased consumption of highly palatable, sweet, fried, calorie-rich foods with low nutrient density^3,4,5. The Korean study, on more than 1000 patients with acne showed that a high glycemic load diet, dairy food intake, high fat diet, and iodine in Korean foods appear to play a role in acne exacerbation.⁵

What is glycemic indenx and how is it related to acne?

Food with a glycemic index of 70-100 is regarded as high glycemic food, 56-69 is regarded as medium GI food and < 55 GI food is regarded as low glycemic food.

In general: If you are addicted to Italian food, cook your pasta for less time. Cooking can increase glycemic index/load (bad). So al dente pasta is a better choice than soft. Another tip: combine foods with protein (e.g., beans and nuts) or fat. This will slow digestion and allow for slower conversion of carbohydrates to blood sugar, which is a good thing if you want to control acne.

Which high glycemic foods that can cause acne breakouts?

Most processed foods: boxed cereal, crackers and rice cakes, instant oats, sweetened baked goods and candies, white bread, white rice and white potatoes

Which low glycemic foods that can help with your acne?

Low glycemic foods that can reduce your acne: whole grains bread (GI of 46 (low), chickpeas: 33 (low), lentils: 29 (low), non-starchy vegetables, sweet potatoes have a GI of 54 (low), apples or pears: 36 (low), peaches: 28 (low), grapefruit: 25 (low).

1. Cordain L. Implications for the role of diet in acne. Semin Cutan Med Surg. 2005;24:84–91.
2. Bowe WP, Joshi SS, Shalita AR. Diet and acne. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2010;6
3. Wei B, Pang Y, Zhu H, Qu L, Xiao T, Wei HC, Chen HD, He CD. The epidemiology of adolescent acne in North East China. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2010;24:953–7.
4. Ghodsi SZ, Orawa H, Zouboulis CC. Prevalence, severity, and severity risk factors of acne in high school pupils: a community-based study. J Invest Dermatol. 2009;129:2136–41.
5. Jung JY, Yoon MY, Min SU, Hong JS, Choi YS, Suh DH. The influence of dietary patterns on acne vulgaris in Koreans. Eur. J. Dermatol. 2010 Nov-Dec;20(6):768-72.

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