Can Your Diet Cause an Acne Breakout?

The debate rages on over how your diet and acne condition are linked. For years now, medical professionals and researchers have sought an answer to this elusive question. However, studies are starting to show that food may not be the direct cause of acne breakouts. The culprit may be the chemicals released during the process of metabolism of certain foods. These particular chemicals may directly cause the onset of acne, may worsen an existing acne condition, or may trigger and acne outbreak.

Another finding is that acne may be triggered by the extra sebum production through the male hormone, testosterone. Meat and meat products contain hormones and hormone-like substances which may significantly impact the body's hormonal balance. There are recorded cases and observations by beauticians that individuals who are regular meat consumers generally have acne breakouts. This is true, because steroids and hormones are found in certain types of meat. Studies have shown that an unbelievable 90% of acne is caused by eating food, with the remaining 10% due to hormonal factors.

Acne develops because of clogging in the hair follicles of the skin. This happens when excessive sebum is produced and accumulates in the pores. The sebum creates a plug when it mixes with dead cells formed on the walls of the hair follicles, closing the pore. These overfilled pores are then attacked by bacteria which creates irritation and inflammation.

To prevent the formation of acne, the following acne treatment is performed. The pores are unclogged, reducing the sebum formation, and the bacteria are killed resulting in reduced inflammation.

Notably, Western diets are dominated by high-fat foods, with dairy products being one of the major offenders. These foods may be the reason behind the considerable number of Westerners that are acne sufferers. In the East, however, people sustain themselves on carbohydrates and low fat foods, usually items in the vegetables and fruits category. Acne is all but absent in this part of the world.

Acne production is also affected by hard-to-digest foods and may put stress on the digestive processes of the body. An impeded digestive system may be a catalyst for all forms of skin disorders. This is why it is imperative that people infected with acne be very conscious of their diets. A good diet of fiber-rich and plant-based foods will aid in the process of digestion and metabolism, and may even help clean the digestive tract.

A high consumption of liquids, especially water, must also be incorporated into the diet.

Together with fruits and vegetables, including a daily serving of flax seed oil, the body should be able to recover some of the lost nutrients in the body. Fish high in oil content are also a good addition to the diet, as they will provide essential fatty acids. Whole grains, lentils and beans and root vegetables may also aid in avoiding the onset of acne. On the other hand, alcohol and caffeine intake must be avoided.