Solving Adult Acne, Easier Than You Think
Just as relevant for adults experiencing Acne for the first time or as a ‘re-run’ later in life, there are many manageable contributing factors causing Acne. Unraveling the red, inflamed cascade of events that cause pimples is not as difficult as you would imagine.
Dairy and Glycemic Load
Consuming high amounts of dairy and sugar cause acne in the following ways:
Triggers Hyperinsulinemia & increased insulin growth factor
This in turn cause an increased production of androgen hormones and sebum
In addition a decrease of 'insulin growth factor binding protein' which controls the growth of cells in the skin
The result of which, stimulates increased cellular growth also leading to acne.
Gut Health
As someone once told me; 'skin is a window into your intestines'. Several aspects of poor gut health will contribute to ongoing acne, such as:
Low hydrochloric acid (in the stomach) level impairs the proper digestion of food which results in a build up of bacteria in the small intestine.
SIBO (or small intestine bacterial overgrowth) produces toxic metabolites that steal your vitamins and injure cells in the bowel wall.
Leaky Gut enables toxins (meant for excretion) to venture into the blood system.
Imbalanced beneficial bacterias in the microbiome allow an overgrowth of harmful bacteria.
All of which lead to increased bacteria and toxins on the skin.
Inflammation
You may have heard, chronic inflammation is the driver of all chronic conditions, diseases and poor ageing. Yep, aboslutely correct!
One of the simplest strategies you can use for any condition is to remove the underlying inflammation to provide some relief to symptoms.
You can see inflammation in action in acne characterised by red, swollen and even hot lesions. Generally imbalances in diet put the body in an inflammatory state.
Consume more omega 3s than omega 6 foods.
Increase fresh antioxidant foods.
Avoid trans and saturated fats, but consume those healthy omega 3 fats and essential fatty acids.
Plenty of water, stress management and quality sleep go a long way to prevent inflammation.
As does the avoidance of foods to which you are allergic or intolerant.
But the big factor to consider is gut health. As we discussed above, poor gut health and digestion will result in microbes, bacterial overgrowth and the leaking of endotoxins into the blood stream, all of which ramps up systemic inflammation.
Hormones and Liver Clearance
For more resistant and long lasting acne cases (or those with 'cyclic' flares of acne), it is important to evaluate endocrine function. Imbalances in Androgen, Progesterone, Estrogen, Steroid Hormones (Glucocorticoids) and Pituitary Hormones can cause acne that doesn’t respond to diet and gut therapies.
But in general, enhancing liver function will ensure that hormones are adequately cleared from the body via normal pathways once broken down for removal supporting skin health. And addressing any imbalances such as Estrogen Dominance, Progesterone deficiency, Androgen excess, will resolve those hormone driven skin issues.
Growth & Repair
Enjoy a diet high in:
Vitamin A to support skin immunity, skin cell growth and repair, skin hydration
Vitamin C for formation of collagen & reduce histamine
Vitamin E to reduce oxidants & inflammation
Selenium for detoxification
Zinc to reduce inflammation & assist healing
Probiotics to balance immune & inflammation
Omega 3 to reduce inflammation & help repair - Quercetin reduces histamine & inflammation
Antioxidants to decrease toxins & oxidative stress which can aggravate skin
Fibre to decrease blood glucose & toxins
Nutrient Food Sources
Vitamin A Carrots, sweet potato, kale, spinach, pumpkin, capsicum, rockmelon
Vitamin C Berries, broccoli, kiwi fruit, pawpaw, oranges, capsicum, cherries
Vitamin D Cod liver oil, egg, sprouted seeds Vitamin E Avocado, almonds, safflower, egg, corn, nuts & seeds
Selenium Shrimp, tuna, beef, turkey, sunflower seeds, shiitaki mushrooms, brazil nuts, lentils, pulses
Zinc Scallops,shrimp,greenpeas,pumpkin& sesame seeds, oats, cashews, egg Omega 3 Fish, walnuts, pecans, flaxseed & chia seed oil, pumpkin, chia, flax, sesame seeds