A Low Carb Diet May Improve Acne

Check out this new study conducted in Australia. According
to researchers there a low carb diet may be helpful in
controlling acne in moderate to severe acne sufferers!

By helping to control insulin levels, it appears a low carb
diet also helps keep pores open by reducing the buildup
of oil under the skin.

So parents of teens reaching puberty, take heed!

Low GI clears up acne in boys NEWS.com.au:
October 05, 2006 06:18am

EATING slowly-digested carbs won't just help shed weight - it
could clear up your pimples too, nutritionists claim.

Carbohydrate foods with a low glycaemic index (GI) have been
proven to help weight loss by making the dieter feel fuller for
longer.

Now researchers have discovered that the popular diet can also
improve acne by 50 per cent when trialled on a group of
teenagers for three months.

Nutritionists at RMIT University enlisted 50 boys with moderate
to severe acne and randomly assigned half a typical adolescent
boy's diet high in processed foods and refined grain products.

The other half were put on a diet high in low-GI foods like
wholegrain bread, pasta and legumes.

These foods are slowly digested and absorbed producing only
gentle rises and falls in blood glucose and insulin levels.

Other carbs removed from their diet were replaced with high
levels of protein like lean red meat and seafood.

'The acne of the boys on the higher protein-low GI diet improved
dramatically, by more than half,' said Dr Neil Mann, lead
researcher of the study to be presented at a European
dermatology conference in Greece today.

'This new evidence suggests that a more natural diet,
comprised of minimally processed foods, may serve as a
defence against acne.'

He said the finding was significant because it challenged the
belief held by many health professionals that there is no link
between diet and acne.

Dr Mann said the diet was successful because it reined in high
insulin levels he believes could be responsible for acne.

'When you go through puberty you produce a lot of growth
hormone that actually makes you insulin resistant temporarily,'
he said.

'With chronically high levels of insulin you're going to get
blockages in the pores and extra oil building up under the skin."

A diet high in processed foods pushes glucose and insulin
levels higher, exacerbating the problem, but low GI foods do the
opposite.

"It's as clear as day," Dr Mann said.

"We're convinced the results show that if people do suffer from
acne badly this sort of dietary change is going to help them a
great deal."

Sydney-based dermatologist Phillip Artemi said the results
provided food for thought and proved the area should be studied
in more depth.

However, he warned there was no evidence that acne was
caused by food, so dietary changes could never cure the
condition.

"Diet may be an adjunct in therapies for acne but it's not going to
be a stand-alone treatment," Dr Artemi said.
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So by incorporating a low carb diet with good hygiene it seems
that most acne sufferers will suffer no more!