Dairy and Sugar Cause Acne

As our sugar and dairy consumption has increased over the last 100 years so has the number of people with acne.  Now there are over 17 million acne sufferers, costing our health care system $1 billion a year.  Eighty to ninety percent of teenagers suffer acne to varying degrees.  But new research proves it’s not what we put on our skin but what we put in our mouth.

The culprits are dairy and sugar, (which raise blood sugar) and cause spikes in certain acne producing hormones. Dairy boosts male sex hormones (various forms of testosterone or androgens) and increases insulin levels just as foods that quickly raise blood sugar (sugar and starchy carbs) and spike insulin.  Androgens and insulin both stimulate your skin and cause acne. 

Stay Away from Dairy and Avoid Acne

One scientist referred to milk as a “complex aqueous, suspended fat, liposomal, suspended protein emulsion”. What we do know is that milk is designed to grow things, namely, babies - and in the case of cow’s milk, calves. It is naturally full anabolic hormones (the same ones that body builders and A Rod use to grow big muscles, and which cause bad acne). These are mostly androgens (like testosterone) and growth hormones including insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). There is no such thing as hormone-free milk.

Here’s a short list of the 60-some hormones in your average glass of milk, even (organic, raw, and bovine growth hormone free milk):

• 20α-dihydropregnenolone
• progesterone (from pregnenolone)
• 5α-pregnanedione
• 5α-pregnan-3β-ol-20-one, 20α- and 20β-dihydroprogesterone (from progesterone)
• 5α-androstene-3β17β-diol
• 5α-androstanedione
• 5α-androstan-3β-ol-17-one
• androstenedione
• testosterone
• dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate acyl ester
• insulin like growth factors 1 and 2 (IGF-1 and IGF-2)
• insulin

Stay Away from Sugar and Refined Carbs

Recent studies also show that sugar and refined carbs (a high-glycemic diet) cause acne. More importantly, taking kids off sugar and putting them on a healthy, whole foods, low-glycemic load diet resulted in significant improvements in acne compared to a control group eating a regular, high-sugar American diet. In addition to less acne, the participants lost weight, became more sensitive to the effects of insulin (resulting in less pimple-producing insulin circulating around the blood). 


Balance the Hormones that Cause Skin Problems

The link is clear, hormonal imbalances caused by our diet trigger acne. Our diet influences sex hormones like testosterone, IGF-1, and insulin, which promote acne. The biggest factors affecting your hormones is the glycemic load of your diet (which is determined by how quickly the food you eat increases your blood sugar and insulin levels), and the amount of dairy products you eat. The good news is that eating a healthy diet and taking a few supplements can balance those hormones. Exercise also helps improve insulin function.


How To Prevent and Treat Acne

Eight simple steps will help most overcome their acne problems.

1. Stay away from milk.  It is nature’s perfect food - but only if you are a calf!
2. Eat a low glycemic load, low sugar diet. Sugar, liquid calories, and flour products all drive up insulin and cause acne.
3. Eat more fruits and vegetables. People who eat more veggies (containing more antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds) have less acne. Make sure you get your 5–9 servings of colorful fruits and vegetables every day.
4. Get more healthy anti-inflammatory fats. Make sure to get omega-3 fats (fish oil) and anti-inflammatory omega-6 fats (evening primrose oil). You will need supplements to get adequate amounts (more on that in a moment).
5. Include foods that correct acne problems. Certain foods have been linked to improvements in many of the underlying causes of acne and can help correct it. These include fish oil, turmeric, ginger, green tea, nuts, dark purple and red foods such as berries, green foods like dark green leafy vegetables, and omega 3-eggs.
6. Take acne-fighting supplements. Some supplements are critical for skin health. Antioxidant levels have been shown to be low in acne sufferers. And healthy fats can make a big difference. 

• Evening primrose oil: Take 1,000 to 1,500mg twice a day.
• Zinc citrate: Take 30 mg a day.
• Vitamin A: Take 25,000 IU a day. Only do this for three months. Do not do this if you are pregnant.
• Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols, not alpha tocopherol): Take 400 IU a day.

7. Try probiotics. Probiotics also help reduce inflammation in the gut that may be linked to acne. Taking probiotics (lactobacillus, etc.) can improve acne.

8. Avoid foods you are sensitive to. Delayed food allergies are among the most common causes of acne foods like gluten, dairy, yeast, and eggs are common culprits and can be a problem if you have a leaky gut.

To read the full article - visit: http://drhyman.com/do-milk-and-sugar-cause-acne-4079/

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