The Basics

For years, it was common belief that diet had absolutely no effect on acne. But a substantial body of literature now exists that directly implicates diet as the most likely environmental factor underlying the development of acne. Confirmation of the diet-acne hypothesis will require numerous well controlled dietary interventions examining multiple nutritional factors. However, it is a well known fact that changing our eating habits can help prevent acne breakouts.

Diet has a direct effect on our body's insulin levels. Insulin is our master hormone and affects all of our other hormones and hormonal fluctuations, particularly our androgen levels, directly related to acne flare ups. As a result, researchers believe carbohydrates with a high glycemic index, which causes glucose and insulin levels to spike, may influence the development and severity of acne.

Having a low glycemic diet, rich in veggies, fruit, seafood, and grass-fed meat, can help stabilize insulin levels, which theoretically may have an impact on acne development.

Foods that can help you

Also, there are some types of foods that can help you prevent and fight acne. Ingesting Omega-3 fats, such as fish oil, for instance, has been shown to be a powerful anti-inflammatory agent in our body.

Since a big part of acne is inflammation, it makes theoretical sense that eating an anti-inflammatory diet would help.

Every person has a different reaction to certain foods. If you think that a certain food may be triggering your acne try eliminating it for a couple of months and see if you notice an improvement in your skin.

Vitamin B: Vitamin B2 and B6 accelerate the oxidation of cells and can help heal acne faster. Vitamin B can easily be found in most green leafy vegetables and fish. It can also be obtained from foods such as liver, eggs, peas, yeast, soybeans, chicken, cattle, carrots, bananas and grapes.

Vitamin A and Zinc: Vitamin A and Zinc are the basics for controlling sebaceous glands secretion and for reducing the size of the epidermal cells. Foods rich in Vitamin A and Zinc include; spinaches, lettuces, apricots, mangoes, soybeans, eggplants, cabbages, carrots, lentils, pumpkins, tomatoes, green onions and powder milks.

High Fiber Foods: High fiber foods help the metabolism promoting intestinal peristalsis and getting rid of excess grease from our body. High fiber foods include whole wheat, coarse grains, soybean, black beans, rye bread, lima beans, baked beans and bamboo shoots.

Omega-3 Fats: Omega-3 fats are great anti-inflammatory agents found in some food such as fish oil. Since a big part of acne is inflammation, it makes sense that eating anti-inflammatory food would help.