Sugar and Acne
Food is related to acne is due to the inflammatory properties.
Acne is essentially wounds and inflammation on your skin.
Glycemic index of the food determines how that food can affect our skin health and how acne-prone it can cause our skin to become.
It helps measure blood sugar levels after eating particular foods.
Foods that are higher than 55 under the Glycemic Index are considered to be inflammatory.
What happens then? You may ask…
When you consume high GI foods, it causes the body to produce insulin which then white blood cells migrate to the clogged follicles. It secretes enzymes that break down cells in the skin area.
The inflammation will them promote over-production of pimple-producing hormones in the body.
In short, foods and acne are definitely correlated.
(This information can be further studied. Read more about it on the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/86/1/107.full)
Click here to read our guide on overcoming sugar addiction
Wheat, Dairy, and Sugar are the main three inflammatory foods
Hormones in the wheat and dairy are what cause them to be inflammatory. According to Dr. Mercola, http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/06/16/food-causing-acne.aspx, “Glutinous proteins, found in wheat, barley, and rye, known as prolamines can make your gut more permeable, which allows partially digested proteins to get into your bloodstream that would otherwise have been excluded, any of which can sensitize your immune system and promote inflammation, which can contribute to worsening acne.”
Moreover, sugar (refined carbohydrates) and glutinous grains should also be avoided if you want clear skin.
There is no better way to put it then what it said on Doctor Mercola’s website, “When you eat grain carbohydrates and sugar/fructose, it causes a surge of insulin and insulin-like growth factor called IGF-1 in your body. This can lead to an excess of male hormones, like testosterone, which cause your pores to secrete sebum, a greasy substance that attracts acne-promoting bacteria. Additionally, IGF-1 causes skin cells known as keratinocytes to multiply, a process that is also associated with acne.”
Not only eating high refined carbs on regular basis will cause you to break out, it will cause your pancreas to produce too much insulin and eventually lead to insulin resistance.
As the result, yes you guessed it, diabetes. (The mixture of both type I and II, meaning it’s more difficult to treat or control!).
So what should you eat to get clear skin?
Besides a good skincare regime, and good hygiene, your diet certainly plays an important role when it comes to getting clear skin.
Apart from avoiding or cutting down refine sugary, deep friend, and glutinous foods, you should eat your veggies and fruits!
I know it’s so cliche! But it works!
When it comes to fruits, it can get a little tricky. Because there are some fruits that are high in fructose.
And we know fructose turns into glucose and that’s the same as sugar.
Stick to the berries is a safe approach. It’s high in antioxidants that are great for your health and skin.
They are also lower in sugar.
Fruit juices (especially concentrate juices) are to be consumed with caution. Without the fibers in them as the buffer, the sugar will go right into your blood stream, and cause that harmful insulin spiking effect.
