ORGANIZATIONS
American College of Nutrition. 300 South Duncan Ave.,
Suite 225, Clearwater, FL 33755. Telephone: (727)
446-6086. Website:http://www.amcollnutr.org.
American Dietetic Association. 120 South Riverside Plaza,
Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60606-6995. Telephone: (800)
877-1600. Website:http://www.eatright.org.
American Society for Nutrition. 9650 Rockville Pike,
Bethesda, MD 20814. Telephone: (301) 634-7050.
Website:http://www.nutrition.org.
Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. 3101 Park
Center Drive, 10th Floor, Alexandria, VA 22302-1594.
Telephone’’ (703) 305-7600. Website:http://www
.cnpp.usda.gov.
Ken R. WellsAcne diet
Definition
The acne diet or more accurately, the acne-free
diet, is simply a way of eating claims to improves or
eliminates acne. There is some debate in the medical
community about the impact of diet on acne; however,
there is a body of evidence to support the idea that
what is eaten may affect the skin.
By reviewing research from over 40 years, doctors
such as dermatologist, Dean Goodless have developed
a set of recommendations regarding foods that may
prevent acne. In his bookThe Acne-Free Diet Plan,
Dr. Goodless presents his recommendations. He sug-
gests eating a diet low in fat and high infiberalong
with avoiding peanut product, fried foods, excessive
salt, dairy products, foods that are high in refined
sugars, and high carbohydrate foods.
Origins
As long as people have had pimples, there have been
attempts to clear them up quickly or prevent them all
together. Most cultures have folk remedies to help clear
the skin. It wasn’t until the last 50 years that serious
scientific research has been conducted to confirm or dis-
prove these folk tales and myths. One of the earliest studies
about food and acne focused on chocolate. This study
found that chocolate did not increase acne breakouts.
Other studies since have confirmed this finding.
For the most part, acne treatment has been the
emphasis of research; however, there have been iso-
lated studies that explored the effect of specific vitamin
and mineral supplements on acne. Other studies have
investigated ethnic groups and communities from the
Pacific Islands to Africa where there is little or no
incidence of acne, even during puberty. When the
diets of these people are compared to the typical West-
ern diet, there are nutritionally significant differences.
The ethnic groups with very low incidence of acne ate
predominately plant-based diets that were low in fat
and virtually sugar-free. The typical Western diet is
heavy in meats, saturated fat, refined sugar, and highly
processed foods. By studying these differences, doc-
tors and researchers have developed suggestions for
dietary changes to improve or eliminate acne.DescriptionIntegrating the results of many studies, dermatol-
ogists and nutritionists have developed a list of foods
to avoid and beneficialvitaminsandmineralsto con-
sume. The following acne diet has been proposed to
help prevent acne breakouts:
Eat 20 to 30 grams of fiber every day–Fiber helps
keep the colon clean and may remove toxins from the
body before they reach the skin.
Eat a low fat diet–The cultures whose natural diet
was low in fat, had less acne, and high fat consump-
tion may elevate hormone levels in the body that
cause blemishes on the skin.
Avoid peanut products–Peanut products were found
to cause acne flare ups in a study of 500 adolescents.
Avoid fried foods—Fried foods were found to
caused break outs.
Limit salt intake especially table salt or iodized salt–
Many people with acne have elevated levels of iodine,
found in table salt, in their blood stream during acne
flare ups.
Avoid highly salty sacks such as chips, lunch meats,
canned foods, and salted popcorn–These foods are
high in salt and, in some cases, fat.Possible causes of acne- The hormone increase in teenage years (this can cause the oil glands to
plug up more often) - Hormone changes during pregnancy
- Starting or stopping birth control pills
- Heredity
- Some types of medicine
- Greasy makeup
SOURCE: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and
Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services
(Illustration by GGS Information Services/Thomson Gale.)Acne diet