An alarming  80% to 95% of all teenagers in the U.S. have acne.

Recent studies have shown that a change in diet can eliminate acne. 

A study showed that acne does not exist in societies who eat a hunter gatherer diet. People in these societies eat mostly fish, fruit,  vegetables, tubers,nuts, rice and  wild game and do not eat any western foods such as refined sugars, dairy products, cereal grains, or processed foods.

When these groups move to areas where Western foods are available, they develop acne.

In another study,  subjects who ate a high protein- low sugar diet experienced a 50% reduction in acne in only 12 weeks.

A Harvard study linked acne to dairy consumption.

You may ask, what is the link between eating a western diet and acne?

Let’s begin by looking at the link between acne and eating refined carbohydrates like white breads, white rice, sweets and junk food. Eating foods high in sugars raises insulin levels in the blood.  Increased insulin levels raises male hormone levels.  Increased male hormone levels are well known for their effect on stimulating oil production in the skin and clogging pores.

Inflammation plays a role in the development of acne.  Eating junk foods and foods high in sugar increases inflammation in the body and contributes to acne.

Many people who suffer from acne have taken antibiotics.  Antibiotics kill the probiotic, healthy bacteria that are necessary for balance in the digestive tract.  Maintaining balance between the healthy bacteria and the Candida yeast in the digestive tract is very important because if this balance becomes unbalanced, the Candida yeast flourish and grow out of control.  Candida yeast produce waste products that are toxins.  When too many toxins accumulate in the body, the skin is used as a way to expel these toxins (in the form of acne).

Recommendations to eliminate acne:

1. Eat a hunter-gatherer, yeast free diet consisting of chicken, fish, turkey, lamb, eggs, grass-fed meats, beans, vegetables, berries,fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, coconut oil and olive oil.

2. Avoid processed, refined white flour products, sweets, non organic dairy products, fried and junk foods.

3. Take a probiotic supplement that contains acidophilus bacteria.

4. Reduce inflammation by taking EPA/DHA omega 3 fish oil.

We have helped hundreds of patients with this program over the past 30 years. Feel free to email me at drgaila@drgaila.com with any questions or comments.

Dr. Gaila

Study suggests diet affects acne

By Linda Shrieves

The Orlando Sentinel

ORLANDO, Fla. — Here’s a question to ponder: Why is acne common in the Western, industrialized world, while the pimples that plague American kids are rare in developing countries?

It’s a puzzler — and one that prompted Australian researchers to ask whether changing the diet of teenagers would have any effect on acne.

The results could change the way dermatologists think about diet.

To test their theory, the Australian researchers recruited 50 young men between the ages of 15 and 25 with mild-to-moderate acne. They split the volunteers into two groups: One group was instructed to eat a diet of lean meat, poultry and fish, along with fruits and vegetables. They replaced foods such as white bread and highly processed breakfast cereals with whole grains. Meanwhile, the other group ate a typical Western diet.

After 12 weeks, researchers found that the group eating more protein and whole grains experienced dramatic results, according to the researchers.

“The acne of the boys on the higher-protein, low-glycemic index diet improved dramatically, by more than 50 percent, which is more than what you see with topical acne solutions,” wrote senior author Neil Mann, an associate professor at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia.

The typical teenager’s diet — rich with things like doughnuts and cheeseburgers — appears to raise hormone levels, and surging hormones have long been linked to acne.

“A diet high in processed foods pushes glucose and insulin levels higher, exacerbating the problem, but low-glycemic foods do the opposite,” Mann said. “The mechanism and the results are clear as day.”

Although the study was small — and even the study’s authors agree that more research is needed — Altamonte Springs, Fla., dermatologist Jerri Johnson thinks the study’s authors may be on to something — even though the Web site for the American Academy of Dermatology explicitly says there’s no link between diet and acne.

“It’s worth telling patients about because it shows that diet is important,” says Johnson. “We do know that acne is a more severe disease in Westerners … so there’s got to be some connection there.”

Indeed, says Dr. Barbara Reed, a Denver dermatologist and spokeswoman for the AAD, “I happen to agree that our diet is so full of fats and refined sugar that it can’t be so good for us, probably in more ways than just causing acne. Every diet for health — colon cancer prevention, breast cancer prevention, heart disease prevention — is the same: more fresh fruits and vegetables, less fat, red meat, sugar.”

But Johnson also thinks it’s too soon to conclusively link acne to diet. Dermatologists have long believed that acne depends on many factors, including heredity, hormonal changes and use of greasy cosmetics or creams.

“Years ago, we used to think that chocolate and Cokes cause acne,” says Johnson, but the dermatology community moved away from that.

Today, patients with mild-to-moderate acne are typically given a retinoid such as Retin-A and topical antibiotics. But Johnson usually advises her patients to drink lots of water and avoid greasy, high-fat foods.

“I think diet does play a role,” Johnson says, but she believes some people inherit genes that predispose them to acne.

“I see people come into my office who have perfect diets,” she says. “They eat healthy, they’re drinking lots of water, but I don’t care what they do, they are still experiencing acne.”

The Australian researchers began looking at the link between Western diets and acne because there’s more and more evidence that eating a Western-style of diet is linked to acne, noted researcher Robyn Smith.

For instance, recent surveys of skin diseases in developing countries have found that acne is more prevalent in schoolchildren from higher socioeconomic areas, she notes. That seems to echo what researchers observed in Inuits, or Eskimos, when they began adopting a more Western lifestyle.

“Along with acne, the Inuits also developed higher rates of obesity, diabetes, dental (cavities) and heart disease,” says Smith. “It’s interesting that the other maladies are commonly associated with diet, yet acne isn’t.”

Still, the more critical question may be this: Will an American teenager give up junk food in hopes of getting rid of acne?

It’s possible, says Johnson.

“It all depends on the kid. The same kid who will use his topical medication every day would probably be willing to stick to the diet,” she says. “The ones who won’t bother are the ones who won’t put on their topical medication either.”

Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company