Most adolescents experience acne problems to different extents, but this complex condition also affects 40 percent to 54 percent of adults older than 25, as reported in the July 2007 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." If you have acne, good facial hygiene, refraining from touching your face, keeping your hair out of your face and avoiding skin irritants are good strategies to control your acne. However, if your diet includes a lot of high glycemic index foods, you may have problems getting your acne under control.
Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load
The glycemic index, or GI, and the glycemic load, or GL, are two different concepts evaluating carbohydrates in food. The GI was created in the early 1980s at the University of Toronto and ranks carbohydrate-containing foods on a scale of zero to 100. Low GI foods, with a GI value of 55 or lower, have little impact on your blood sugar levels, while high GI foods, with a GI value of 70 or above, cause large spikes in your blood sugar concentrations. The GL, created in the late 1990s at Harvard University, integrates the GI concept along with the carbohydrate content in a typical serving of food. The more carbohydrate you eat and the higher the GI of these foods, the higher your GL.
High Glycemic Load Diets and Acne
A high glycemic load diet, which comprises large quantities of high GI foods, could be one of the major contributor to the higher prevalence of acne in Western societies compared with other part of the world where diets are characterized by a lower glycemic load. In the U.S. and other developed countries, the diet is based on processed and refined carbohydrate-rich foods, such as breakfast cereals, crackers, bread, muffins, baked goods, cookies and french fries, which contribute to a higher glycemic load.
Hyperinsulinemia
A high dietary glycemic load results with a larger insulin secretion by the pancreas and high levels of insulin are involved in the pathophysiology of acne. Hyperinsulinemia, or high circulating insulin concentrations, are associated with an increased the bioavailability of androgen and free concentrations of insulin-like growth factor 1, or IGF-1, which are both related to the pathegenesis of acne, as explained in the July 2007 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."
Low Glycemic Load Diets and Acne
Consuming a low glycemic load diet can help to significantly alleviate acne by approximately 51 percent, as shown in a randomized controlled trial published in July 2007 in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." You can lower your dietary glycemic load by eliminating high GI carbohydrates from your diet and replacing them with low GI carbohydrates, protein or healthy fats. For example, instead of baked or mashed potatoes, you can have barley, a low GI carbohydrate, or a larger serving of protein-rich food, such as chicken or lean meat, or add healthy fat, such as olive oil or slices of avocado.
References
- University of Sydney: The Glycemic Index
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; A Low-Glycemic-Load Diet Improves Symptoms in Acne Vulgaris Patients: a Randomized Controlled Trial; Robyn N. Smith, et al.; July 2007
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; International Table of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Value; Kaye Foster-Powell et al; 2002
- Harvard School of Public Health: Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load for 100+ Foods
