What is the impact of diet on teenage acne?
Acne is a big concern for many adolescents. It’s uncomfortable, embarrassing, and affects their quality of life.
There’s a lot of popularity with removing foods from diet to improve acne. This can be harmful and stressful for an adolescent with a good relationship with food. Is it necessary to cut out foods? Let’s dig into which foods people typically cut out and what the research shows about it.
What is teenage acne?
Skin is the largest organ of our body. It’s our first line of defense against many pathogens, ultraviolet light, hazardous materials, and physical injury. It also helps regulate our temperature, senses stimuli and synthesizes vitamin D.
Acne is an inflammatory disorder that affects 70-80% of adolescents. It varies in intensity across different countries and ages/genders.
How does diet impact teenage acne?
Food is one area we can probably make the most realistic changes. However, despite the prevalence of people cutting out foods to improve their skin, I’m not an advocate for that. Food plays such an important role in so many aspects of our lives, that cutting out foods can negatively affect us. Below, I’ve provided some of the results of research in this area and provide examples of how to implement these changes without restricting intake.
Foods with High Glycemic Index
Food with high glycemic index (GI) is quick to digest, activating the insulin response. This seems to have an influence on acne development. High GI foods include white bread, white rice, cereal, and other important foods necessary for adolescents! Instead of removing these foods from the diet, you can slow down digestion and the resultant insulin response by pairing these foods with high protein, fat, or fiber foods. Learn how to successfully pair food here.
Dairy
Research hasn’t clearly shown a connection between dairy consumption and acne. It does seem that fat free milk is the most strongly connected. If you find that dairy exacerbates your acne, rather than cutting it out of your diet, it may be worth trialing a higher fat milk or dairy product.
Fruits & Vegetables
Adding in more fruits and vegetables to your diet can be helpful for improving skin. Firstly, they can add much needed hydration which is important for skin. Secondly, they provide many antioxidants that have been shown to benefit skin health. Adding a fruit or vegetable to meals and snacks can be a simple and productive way to improve your skin.
Antioxidants
Research suggests that oxidative stress (cell damage) plays a role in acne. That’s why antioxidants can play a role in acne prevention or treatment. Antioxidants are vitamins and minerals that are in many foods. Here are some examples:
- Vitamin A – leafy greens, red pepper, sweet potatoes
- Vitamin C – peppers, potatoes, citrus, strawberries
- Vitamin E – broccoli,
- Zinc – eggs, meat, poultry
- Selenium – spinach, flax seeds
- Antioxidants are also in eggs (vitamin A&E, selenium, zinc) dark chocolate, green tea, and red grapes.
It’s important to note that skincare with added antioxidants may be harmful for kids and teens, and should be avoided.
Carotenoids, Flavonoids, Tocopherols
Carotenoids, flavonoids, and tocopherols are nutrients found in plants. This includes fruit, vegetables, whole grains, beans, herbs, seeds, and nuts, tea and chocolate.
These nutrients act as antioxidants in preventing cell and skin damage. They have an antibacterial effect, and they can suppress proinflammatory production.
So keep eating your plants!
Fats
Omega 3 fats help with reducing inflammation in the body. (As mentioned above, acne is inflammation). You can eat more Omega-3 by increasing your intake of fatty fish (like salmon, sardines, MORE), walnuts, olive oil, avocado, sunflower seeds or taking an omega-3 supplement.
The Impact of Nutrition for Acne
Acne is caused by many factors. Focus on the changes you can make, such as cleansing, moisturizing, and wearing sunscreen regularly. This article has clear recommendations for best skin care for adolescents.
Food seems to play a role in teenage acne. Instead of cutting foods out, look to increase and add-in foods to your diet! Slow down digestion in high glycemic index foods by pairing them with foods high in protein, fiber, and/or fat. Consider increasing the fat content of dairy products and eating more Omega-3 fats. Eat more fruits and vegetables, beans, herbs, eggs, chocolate, and green tea.
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