Does Good Nutrition Affect Acne?

Although the connection between acne and foods like chocolate and greasy items is a myth, according to MayoClinic.com, research shows possible connections between what you eat and your chances for bad pimple outbreaks. The studies are not yet definitive, and acne is not completely preventable, but good nutrition may play a role in lessening the skin disorder's severity.

Carbohydrate and Blood Glucose Effects

Carbohydrates and glucose levels may play a role in acne severity, according to a 2007 study by Australian researchers and published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." One group of male acne sufferers between the ages of 15 and 25 were put on a low-glycemic diet, which means that they ate carbohydrates specifically chosen to break down slowly, thus keeping blood glucose levels more table. High-glycemic foods break down rapidly, making blood sugar rise. Another group ate a diet not planned around the glycemic index. Those on the restricted diet had fewer acne lesions after 12 weeks.

Dairy Products and Hormones

Studies dating back to the 1990s show a possible link between dairy products and acne. One study published in the "Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology" in 2008 found that teenage boys who consumed skim milk were more likely to have acne than those who did not. The link may be related to hormones rather than dairy products, according to the AAD's AcneNet website, because milk usually comes from pregnant cows and there is a known link between pimples and hormones in humans. This causal effect is not yet proven for milk, but it is a possibility.

Considerations

Eating healthy carbohydrates and cutting back on dairy products may affect acne, but the main cause is puberty-related hormones, skin oil production and skin cell shedding. Acne occurs when the skin oil, or sebum, and dead skins combine with bacteria and partially or completely block pores. Oil overproduction happens naturally as prepubescents enter adolescence and usually tapers off when they reach adulthood, regardless of what they eat.

Treatment

Eat a nutritious diet as eating well contributes to your overall health, including healthier skin, which may make your acne heal more quickly. Physicians prescribe more potent treatments for severe outbreaks or do treatments like dermabrasion, in which the skin is smoothed down, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Severe acne cysts may need a cortisone injection to lessen swelling and scarring potential.