Acne is an inflammatory skin condition, affecting between 17 and 45 million people in the United States. Acne is caused by sebum, which is formed by the sebaceous glands. Your body uses sebum to lubricate your hair and skin. Normally, sebum travels up your hair follicles to the skin. Acne occurs when the sebaceous glands produce too much sebum, which then mixes with dead skin cells, causing blockage and inflammation of the hair follicles. A healthy diet including foods containing vitamins and minerals necessary for good skin health, as well as those thought to possess anti-inflammatory properties, may be beneficial to your acne treatment regimen, says the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Zinc
Zinc plays an important role in keeping your skin healthy. Zinc helps your body with cell growth, wound healing, protein metabolism and hormone regulation. Zinc is also believed to provide protection from free radicals, which can be damaging to the skin. One of the hormones regulated by zinc is testosterone, which may cause acne if an imbalance occurs within the body. In addition, zinc helps to prevent the overproduction of skin oils through its role in protein synthesis and collagen formation. Foods high in zinc include meat, poultry, seafood, whole grains, oats, beans, nuts and dairy products.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A aids in the treatment of acne by reducing sebum and keratin production. In addition, retinoid drugs commonly prescribed to treat acne, such as Retin-A and Tazorac, are developed from vitamin A. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, vitamin A has many of the same acne fighting properties as retinoid drugs, but with fewer side effects. Vitamin A can be found in beef liver, chicken liver, milk, cheese, eggs, carrots, cantaloupes, sweet potatoes, spinach and fortified cereals.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is an antioxidant that works together with other antioxidants in your body to protect your skin from harmful free radicals. Vitamin E also regulates the amount of vitamin A in your body by protecting fatty acids from pollutants, which keeps vitamin A levels within the normal range. Vitamin E rich foods include nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, green leafy vegetables and fortified cereals.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, omega-3 fatty acids are essential to overall human health. Your body needs an equal amount of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to function properly, as omega-3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation, while omega-6 fatty acids can cause inflammation. In addition, a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids may prevent the build-up of dead skin cells within hair follicles by blocking pro-inflammatory prostaglandins. Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in cold water fish such as salmon, mackerel, halibut, sardines, tuna and herring. It is also found in plant and nut oils, such as flax seed, flax seed oil, canola oil, soybeans, pumpkin seeds and walnuts.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Acne
- Nutritonal Supplements Health Guide: use of Zinc for Acne
- Holistic Online.com: Conventional, Holistic, and Integrative Treatments for Acne
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin A and Carotenoids
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin E
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Omega-3 Fatty Acids
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