An anti-acne diet is what you need to get rid of those stubborn pimples and blackheads. Here’s a list of the best anti-acne foods to help you get flawless skin.
If you ask anyone about their skincare goals, there will always be one common reply — ‘ to get clear and blemish-free skin’. There are four types of skin: normal, dry, oily & acne-prone, combination, and sensitive, and no matter what someone’s skin type is, they are most likely trying to follow a proper skincare routine to get flawless skin. However, for those with oily and acne-prone skin, getting clear and smooth skin is a bit more challenging — the most common reason being frequent acne breakouts. You may use a lot of luxe products to treat acne, but they’ll keep coming back if you don’t provide proper nutrition to your body. An anti-acne diet can help you get rid of those stubborn pimples, blackheads, and whiteheads and get Cleopatra-like skin (1). Keep reading to know more!
What Is Acne?
Acne is scientifically known as acne vulgaris. It is a common inflammatory skin condition that leads to the appearance of whiteheads, pimples, or blackheads on your skin (2).
There are different types of acne, including:
1. Whiteheads: These are clogged pores that stay beneath the skin and appear whitish or yellowish.
2. Blackheads: Also called open comedones, these are stubborn forms of acne and usually appear on the nose and chin. When excess oil, skin debris, and dirt accumulated in the skin comes to the surface of the skin through pores, they react with the air and get oxidized to turn black.
3. Pimples: These are also known as zits and are a mild form of acne filled with pus.
4. Papules: These are tiny, red, raised bumps caused due to excess oil secretion and clogged pores.
5. Fungal acne: As the name suggests, this type of acne is caused by a fungus, especially the Malasseiza yeast.
6. Cystic acne: This is a severe form of acne that leads to painful, itchy, red, and large pimples deep under the skin.
As there are various forms of acne, their causes are also different. Below we have explained in detail the causes of acne.
What Are the Causes of Acne?
Puberty is a difficult phase for most teenagers, and while they go through a rush of different emotions during this stage, their skin too experiences a lot of changes. What happens is that during puberty, a sex hormone named androgen gets produced in large amounts (even in girls).
Large quantities of androgen hormone can make your skin produce more sebum which in turn forms a plug in the hair follicles present on the skin. This excess sebum combined with dead skin cells often leads to blackheads or whiteheads. If it’s inflamed, it turns into a pimple. So, it can be said that acne is mostly caused due to changes in hormones that individuals go through during puberty. Once their hormone levels get balanced, the acne problem also goes away (2).
But then how come adults get acne problems? Well, adults get acne problems due to genetic factors, poor lifestyle habits, and weak immunity of the skin (3), (4).
There are various other triggers of an acne flare-up too, including:
- Using the wrong cosmetic products – This is a less common trigger of acne breakouts, but if you use products that don’t suit your oily skin type, it may lead to acne. All in all, improper use of cosmetic products can lead to acne (5), (6).
- Certain medications – This is also rare, but drug-induced acne can occur as a side effect of certain medications like antibiotics, lithium, antiepileptic drugs, and so on (7).
- A diet with a high glycemic index – Foods high on the glycemic index are known to trigger acne, so avoid them as much as possible (1). High-GI foods include white rice, cookies, cereals, potatoes, and sugary foods.
- Smoking – Post-adolescent acne occurs most commonly in people who smoke a lot (8).
What Is the Link Between Acne And Diet?
There was a time when dermatologists denied any connection between acne breakouts and diet — this claim was partially based on earlier research. But according to recent studies, it can be concluded that your diet reflects on your skin — more importantly, that diet plays a significant role in triggering acne.
Based on a review of several studies, indulging in a low-carb and plant-based diet can help one reduce acne. Food items that have a low glycemic index also help manage acne (9).
As an anti-acne diet can help you treat and prevent acne, try to eat healthy foods for clear skin and bid farewell to your acne woes.
Anti-acne Diet: Foods That Prevent Acne
An anti-acne diet consists of foods that fight acne and help you achieve spotless skin. Below are some dietary guidelines and broad categories of foods that are good for acne:
1. Indulge in a Low Glycemic Index Diet
The glycemic index is a rating system for foods rich in carbohydrates and shows the level of raised blood glucose levels after consuming a particular food. Foods that have a low glycemic index don’t spike blood sugar levels, whereas foods that escalate your blood sugar levels have a high glycemic index (10).
The effect of a low glycemic-load diet is positive on acne, as according to a study, low GI foods can help control acne (11).
Below are some food items with low glycemic index:
- Whole wheat products
- Lentils
- Carrots
- Green leafy vegetables
- Mushroom
- Coconut
- Kidney beans
- Kiwi
- Oranges
- Nuts
- Raisins
2. Eat Vitamin Rich Foods
The best anti-acne foods include food items rich in vitamins, especially vitamins A, E, and D. If your body has low levels of vitamins A and E, there are chances that you’ll be more prone to acne (12). Vitamin E is also essential to keeping your skin healthy and radiant.
Some good sources of vitamin E are:
- Almonds
- Sunflower oil
- Peanuts
- Red bell pepper
- Pumpkin
- Spinach
Rich sources of vitamin A (retinol) are as follows:
- Sweet potato
- Kale
- Carrots
- Spinach
- Watermelon
- Apricot
- Papaya
- Guava
Vitamin D deficiency is common in people with acne, so increasing the levels of vitamin D in the body may also help you treat acne (13). You can get vitamin D by sitting under the sun in the early mornings for at least 15 to 20 minutes. Make sure to expose your hands, neck, and lower legs so that you can soak in the sunlight properly.
Food items rich in vitamin D are:
- Eggs
- Salmon
- Tuna fish
- Dairy products
3. Eat a Diet Rich in Zinc
Zinc is an important nutrient that can help you reverse the symptoms of acne. It can be used both orally and topically to manage acne vulgaris (14). In fact, zinc is considered a promising alternative to various acne treatments as it’s easy on your pockets and has little to no side effects (15).
Foods rich in zinc include:
- Legumes
- Nuts and seeds
- Eggs
- Whole grains
- Dark chocolate (consume in limited quantities)
- Sweet potato
4. Incorporate Antioxidants into Your Diet
Antioxidants are compounds that help prevent oxidative damage to skin cells, thus helping you keep your skin clear and smooth (16). Oxidative stress occurs when there are too many free radicals in the body but not enough antioxidants to eradicate them (17). It can cause hyperpigmentation, photoaging, and acne (18).
A diet enriched with antioxidants can help you fight acne and get gorgeous skin.
Food items high in antioxidants are:
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Pumpkin
- Lettuce
- Avocado
- Beetroot
- Cabbage
- Sweet potatoes
- Kale
- Cabbage
- Blueberries
- Apples
- Strawberries
These were the list of the foods that help with acne — enrich your diet with these food items and get blemish-free skin. Diet and acne are directly related, hence there are also certain food items that one should avoid to treat acne.
Anti-Acne Diet: What Foods to Avoid
1. Dairy Products
Dairy products, like milk, cheese, and eggs are not only tasty but healthy too. However, according to research, dairy products are associated with an increase in the occurrence of acne in kids, teenagers, and adults (19). Therefore people with oily and acne-prone skin should be mindful of consuming dairy products. This does not mean that you completely avoid dairy products — just try to take them in smaller quantities.
2. High Glycemic Index Foods
As mentioned earlier in the article, the best acne-fighting foods are those that have a low glycemic index. Therefore, avoid eating foods with a high glycemic index to prevent acne.
Food items with a high glycemic index are as follows:
- Sugary beverages
- Processed foods: Cakes, biscuits, canned vegetables, jams, candies, burgers, and so on.
- Junk food
- Bakery products: White bread, doughnuts
Conclusion
Our lifestyle and dietary choices affect the mind and the body, including the skin. You can easily get smooth and acne-free skin if you add healthy and nutritious food items to your diet and adopt a healthy lifestyle. Remember that acne is a common problem and teenagers often face it — don’t think a lot about it and never lose confidence due to skin problems. Follow an anti-acne diet and adopt a healthy lifestyle to maintain your skin health.
Sources:
1. Effects of Diet on Acne and Its Response to Treatment
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7847434/
2. Acne: Overview
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279211/
3. Gene variants associated with acne vulgaris presentation and severity: a systematic review and meta-analysis
https://bmcmedgenomics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12920-021-00953-8
4. The Role of Skin Immune System in Acne
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8949596/
5. A Review of Advancement on Influencing Factors of Acne: An Emphasis on Environment Characteristics
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7527424/
6. Relationship between acne and the use of cosmetics: Results of a questionnaire study in 539 Korean individuals
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33206430/
7. Drug-induced acne and rose pearl: similarities
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3900370/
8. Acne and smoking
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2835905/
9. Diet and Dermatology
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4106357/
10. Relevance of the Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load for Body Weight, Diabetes, and Cardiovascular Disease
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6213615/
11. The effect of a high-protein, low glycemic-load diet versus a conventional, high glycemic-load diet on biochemical parameters associated with acne vulgaris: a randomized, investigator-masked, controlled trial
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17448569/
12. Evaluation of serum vitamins A and E and zinc levels according to the severity of acne vulgaris
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23826827/
13. Vitamin D Levels in Patients with and without Acne and Its Relation to Acne Severity: A Case-Control Study
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7549021/
14. Zinc Therapy in Dermatology: A Review
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4120804/
15. The role of zinc in the treatment of acne: A review of the literature
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29193602/
16. Antioxidants in dermatology*
17. Oxidative Stress: Harms and Benefits for Human Health
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5551541/
18. Oxidative stress in the skin: Impact and related protection
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ics.12728
19. Dairy Intake and Acne Vulgaris: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 78,529 Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults
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