September 26, 2007 -- Study Finds Diet Indeed Influences Acne

For decades, dermatologists have said there’s not connection between diet and acne. But many patients have insisted they do see a link.  Slowly, information has been accumulating that shows the acne sufferers might be right. The latest study was recently published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. Australian researchers split 54 young men with moderate acne into two groups. Half followed a typical Western diet, full of sugar and refined flour, that’s known as a high-glycemic diet. The other half ate a low-glycemic diet: whole grains, fruits and vegetables, fish and lean meat. After three months, those on the low-glycemic diet had significantly fewer bright red bumps.

Researchers say it’s a complex connection. Sugar and white flour lead to insulin spikes. We know that insulin spikes affect levels of different hormones, and that hormones affect the development of acne. This hormonal link might be enough to convince any teenager, but scientists say the diet-acne connection needs further research. Still, it’s one study in favor of diet influencing acne and another against the typical American diet.