these studies found no evidence that individual foods
cause acne.
Studies of the diets of ethnic groups that have a
low incidence of acne form the basis of most of the
acne diets. Studies of the diets of tribes in New Guinea,
Paraguay, and the Bantu of South Africa, all of whom
have little or no acne, show that they eat a primarily
plant-based diet. Similarly, in other countries where
the diet is plant-based such as Japan, there is a rela-
tively low occurrence of acne.
Studies have shown that half of acne patients
tested had abnormal glucose levels, and in another
study, 80%of premenstrual women with acne had
abnormal glucosemetabolism. These data and others
that show a high carbohydrate diet increases the levels
of testosterone in the blood of both men and women,
have lead to the recommendation of reducing the
amount high carbohydrate foods or foods containing
high levels of refined sugar to treat acne.
Researchers have developed a method for meas-
uring how quickly carbohydrates are converted into
glucose. The more rapidly a food is converted to glu-
cose, the higher the level of insulin is secreted into the
blood. The scale is called the glycemic index. Eating
lower glycemic index foods may help reduce the num-
ber and severity of acne breakouts.
A large study of over 45,000 nurses found a link
between the amount of dairy products these women
consumed and the severity of acne they experienced.
Women who reported consuming higher amounts of
dairy products reported more severe acne. Similarly,
the two ethnic groups with little or no acne also con-
sumed no dairy products.
Several studies have compared the results of zinc
supplementation with oral antibiotic therapy to
resolved acne and found zinc to be almost as effective
as the antibiotic tetracycline.Resources
BOOKS
Goodless, Dean R. MD.The Acne-Free Diet. Celebration,
FL: New Paradigm Dermatology, 2005.
Perricone, Nicholas MD.The Acne Prescription: The Perri-
cone Program for Clear and Healthy Skin at Every Age.
New, NY: HarperCollins, 2003.
PERIODICALS
Adebamowo, C. A., D. Spiegelman, F. W. Danby,
A. L. Frazier, W. C. Willett, and M. D. Holmes. ‘‘High
School Dietary Intake and Teenage Acne.’’J Am Acad
Dermatol52 (2005): 207–14.
Ayres, S. and R. Mihan. ‘‘Acne Vulgaris: Therapy Directed
at Pathophysiologic Defects.’’Cutis28 (1981): 41–42.Cordain, L., S. Lindeberg, M. Hurtado, K. Hill, S. B. Eaton,
and J. Brand-Miller. ‘‘Acne Vulgaris: A Disease of
Western Civilization.’’Arch Dermatol139 (2002):
1584–90.
Deplewski, D. and R. L. Rosenfield. ‘‘Growth Hormone and
Insulin-like Growth Factors Have Different Effects on
Sebaceous Cell Growth and Differentiation.’’
Endocrinology140, no. 9 (Sept 1999): 408–994.
Gaul, L. E. ‘‘Salt Restriction in Acne Vulgaris.’’Indiana
State Med Assoc58 (1965): 839–42.
Levin, O. L. and M. Kahn. ‘‘Biochemical Studies in Diseases
of the Skin: II Acne Vulgaris.’’Am J M Sc164 (1922):
379–85.
Leung, L. H. ‘‘Pantothenic Acid Deficiency as the Patho-
genesis of Acne Vulgaris.’’Medical Hypotheses 44
(1995): 490–92.
Michaelsson, G., L. Luhlin, and K. Ljunghall. ‘‘A Double-
Blind Study of the Effect of Zinc and Oxytetracycline in
Acne Vulgaris.’’Br J Dermatol97 (1977): 561–66.
Yeh, H.P. ‘‘Acne in Taiwan.’’J Formosan Med Assoc 74
(1975): 212–19.Deborah L. Nurmi, MSADHD diet
Definition
Attention deficithyperactivitydisorder (ADHD)
is defined as the combination of inattentive, hyper-
active and impulsive behavior which are severe, devel-
opmentally inappropriate, and impair function at
home and in school. Common features include mood
swings, anxiety, impulsivity, hostility, poor concentra-
tion and sleeping disorders, along with physical com-
plaints such as headaches, migraines, and stomach
upsets. ADHD individuals are also more likely to
have been of low birth weight and to have allergies
or auto-immune problems. Proportionally more males
than females are affected, with inattention tending to
be a more female trait and hyperactivity more com-
mon in males.
ADHD does persist into adulthood, although
symptoms tend to diminish with time, but the main
focus relates to the problems of children with ADHD.
Growing children are especially vulnerable to nutri-
tional and environmental factors that influence brain
development and function, which can have either a
negative or positive impact. The symptoms of this
difficult condition can also significantly compromise
their education, making them challenging to teach
and consequently having a deleterious effect on theirADHD diet