Foods That Cause Acne
Acne is a skin condition; your skin is the largest organ of your body. Diet is obviously going to play a key role in helping to establish inner health and balance. Without this inner health you can not hope to achieve lasting clear and unblemished skin. Maybe a good place to start is to look at foods that cause acne rather than coating the largest organ of your body in aggressive chemicals.
click here for a holistic acne treatment course
Let’s look at some of the prime suspects in the hunt for foods that cause acne.
1. Fats and oils
It is well known that a high fat diet has a serious negative effect on your overall health. As well as the circulatory problems, there are blood sugar level problem. This can in turn give rise to hormonal imbalance, one of the chief suspects in sebum overproduction and blocked pores. Most people can relate an acne breakout following a junk food binge; try to replace the high fat food with lower fat, healthier, unprocessed natural foods. Don`t forget that the fats will be rapidly absorbed by your body and stored for a lasting negative effect.
2. Dairy products
Not only high in fats (see point 1) but also very high in hormones especially when you consider that a high proportion of milk comes from pregnant cows. Hormone imbalance triggers overproduction of sebum oil which results in more acne.
3. Refined carbohydrates and sugar
The problem with sugar is that, not only is it a refined chemical with zero nutritional value (just calories). Sugar intake causes blood sugar levels to rise rapidly prompting your body into a counter response of a surge of insulin and hormones. This increase in hormones causes the overproduction of sebum oil; this encourages the p.acne bacteria growth which causes acne breakouts.
4. Caffeine
Caffeine triggers hormone release which is linked to acne aggravation, also disturbs sleep which is necessary to help with stress control, stress has been linked to hormonal imbalance, as well as having a general detrimental effect on health.
5. Processed foods
Processed foods contain many additives, preservatives, artificial colours, artificial flavouring (to counter the lack of taste by being over refined). All of these products act as toxins to the body and have to be expelled somehow. Unfortunately one of the body’s ways of getting rid of toxins is through the skin; this causes further irritation to the acne. There may also be allergic reactions to some of these chemicals that are being consumed as well as the increased fats, refined sugars and lack of vitamins.
6. Alcohol
Alcohol consumption can lead to hormone increase, as well as being a poison to your body, disturbing sleep patterns and affecting stress levels. The other side effect of alcohol is that it can be consumed in an environment where there is increased temptation to binge on junk food and nibbles (ever had the beer munchies and tried to walk past the kebab shop!). I don`t think you will hear the phrase “I could murder a nice healthy salad” when listening to someone who has had a few beers.