In spite of the fact there have been several studies done to show there is a link between acne and diet, many dermatologists are reluctant to state this is the case. They are generally cautious when it comes to endorsing an acne cure until all the evidence is in and the studies have been scientifically proven. Even so, more doctors are advising patients to eat healthier, low GI foods as part of their treatment of acne.
I believe there is enough evidence, both scientific and anecdotal, to point to diet as one of the main causes of acne. I have listed some studies that support this.
Study One - Acne And Milk
As long ago as 1966, Time magazine reported the results of 10 years of evidence gathering by Dr. Jerome Fisher, a practicing dermatologist. Over those 10 years he made a study of teenagers coming through his medical practice. He was convinced that milk and milk products played an important role in teenagers' acne not only because of the hormones it contained but also because of the amount of milk sugar and fat. To test his theory he asked the teenagers to give up milk and milk products. The ones that gave it up had a noticeable reduction in their acne. He studied 1,088 young people over that ten-year period, which was enough to convince him he was correct.
Even if the study was not done under a strict scientific methodology, there is still enough indication that a diet high in milk and its products could cause an acne problem. He also noticed that many of his young patients consumed a lot more milk than the average person.
Study Two - Acne And Milk
Dr. Bill Danby, a dermatologist working out of Manchester, New Hampshire, thought milk caused acne. He asked Dr. Willett, of the Harford School of Public Health in Boston, to help him investigate this. Dr. Willett and his colleagues studied the dietary habits of 47,000 nurses by asking them to complete a questionnaire to find out those who had suffered severe acne as teenagers and those who had consumed a lot of milk. The results showed a link between acne and those women who consumed a lot of milk when they were young.
Here again, the results have been criticized because of the lack of strict scientific criteria - for example the women were asked to remember what they consumed some years earlier. Mind you I do not see a problem, as I can very well remember the amount of milk I drank when I was young. I might add the main criticism came from the dairy industry. However, the results remain scientifically unproven.
Study Three - Acne And A High GI Diet
The results of a study by an Australian team of scientists have added to the body of knowledge that is emerging on the link between acne and diet. They selected 43 young men between the ages of 15 and 25 and split them into two groups. They gave one group the typical teenage diet of high sugar, high GI food while they gave the second group protein and low GI foods. At the end of the 12-week study the scientists were amazed at the results: the young men on the healthier diet reduced their acne by 50 percent.
The results of the study were presented at the 15th Congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, and have been published in the July 2007 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, and the August 2007 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Many more professionals now recognize the link between acne and diet by including a change of diet as part of their treatment regime. The good part about it is you can use this knowledge to treat your acne in a simple low-cost way. All you have to do is change your eating habits.
Acne FoodsYou will find more information on the link between acne and diet, and how you can use this to control your acne, when you visit http://cysticacnenaturalremedies.blogspot.com William Burnell has an interest in following and promoting successful natural solutions to health problems.