Whether or not acne and diet are related is a bit controversial. Many dermatologists still maintain that there is no connection, but now many are finally coming around and realizing that diet is in fact an important factor in acne prevention. Preventing and healing acne through diet is not as simple as eliminating the bad foods, there are also many foods that must be included in order to get proper nutrition, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and antioxidants. That being said, here are the top 5 foods to avoid for preventing and healing acne through diet.
1. Hydrogenated trans fats. These fats are engineered and not found in nature in the proportions we see in food products today. The hydrolyzing process allows vegetable oils to remain solid at room temperature, but it also changes the molecular structure of the fat making it unhealthy and highly inflammatory. Hydrolyzed fats are found in many processed foods. Read the label before you buy!
2. Saturated animal fats. Saturated animal fats are worse for you than saturated vegetable fats, such as coconut oil. If you eat meat, get lean meats. Saturated fats are inflammatory and will aggravate acne.
3. Refined sugar - Sugar is also is inflammatory and it causes spikes in blood sugar and insulin production. There is a correlation between high sugar foods and acne. Continually elevated insulin levels in the body puts tress on the body and is one of the main underlying causes of acne. It is also a good idea to limit high glycemic index fruits and vegetables. All of your fruit and veggie servings should not be from potatoes and sugary fruit like watermelon.
4. White flour and grains which are not whole. Theses processed grains have the outer hull and germ removed and as a result they provide much less nutritional value than whole grains. Plus, many of the missing nutrients are important in healing acne including zinc, vitamin b6 and selenium.
5. Milk and other dairy products. Milk consumption is associated with acne and is probably hormone related. This could be growth hormones given to cows to produce more milk, but even milk from cows that are not fed artificial hormones contains natural growth hormones. All animal milk does- after all its purpose is to help young mammals grow. The natural hormones found in cows' milk are similar enough to human hormones that they may get into the bloodstream and work in the body just as our own natural hormones do.
These are the top foods to avoid for naturally preventing and healing acne. This is only part of the picture; getting proper nutrition is just as important if not more so in your anti acne diet. You will need to replace the bad foods in your diet with good, acne fighting foods. There is clear evidence that acne and diet are interrelated and knowing what foods to eliminate is the first step in clearing up your diet and your skin.
Visit ehealingacne.com for anti-acne diet recipes, home remedies, and more information on healing acne naturally.