Dr. Perricone's Diet

Dr. Nicholas Perricone, a board-certified clinical and research dermatologist, lists refined sugars and carbohydrates quick to convert to sugars as enemies of the body. He states that sugars create inflammation in our cells. For example, sugars react with minerals such as copper and iron to create free radicals. These radicals then make our cells age rapidly. Thus, one of the key elements of Dr. Perricone's diet is to avoid sugars and carbohydrates. To do this, Dr. Perricone uses the glycemic Index, or GI. This scale is used to indicate how much a certain food increases your blood sugar. He advices you to only consume foods that have a GI of 50 or less.

Carbohydrates

Despite holding carbohydrates in a negative light, Dr. Perricone acknowledges that our body needs carbohydrates. His diet recommends limiting your carbohydrates to 4 to 7 servings per day and to only consume those carbohydrates that have a low GI. He especially favors fresh fruits and vegetables and recommends, for example, almonds, avocados, broccoli and cantaloupe. However, Dr. Perricone frowns upon fruits that have a high GI such as raisins, pineapples and bananas.

Proteins

Dr. Perricone states that proteins are key to looking young because the body uses them to repair damaged cells. He values animal proteins over vegetable proteins and especially recommends fish and seafood. He states that proteins should be consumed during every meal and highly recommends unsaturated fats such as olive oils.

Supplements

Dr. Perricone suggests you use anti-inflammatory supplements to complement your diet. Besides multivitamins, he recommends, Coenzyme Q10; gamma-linolenic acid, or GLA, which is an omega-6 fatty acid; and omega-3 fatty acids.

Critique

Dr. Perricone's diet has been criticized for lack of scientific support. Dr. Perricone states in his book "The Perricone Prescription," which was published in 2002, that nutrients can help fight inflammation and cure many diseases. Yet, although it has been proven that dietary deficiencies can cause inflammation, many scientists, such as Dr. M.E. Swift and his colleagues refute this in a study published in the "Journal of Investigative Dermatology" in 2001 by citing a lack of scientific evidence. Dr. Perricone's diet is expensive to follow due to many required supplements. Yet, even doctors Harriet Hall and Stephen Barrett, who criticize his statements, rarely find his diet unhealthy.