The Clear Skin Diet

"Although we'd all like to think our acne days are behind us, breakouts affect 54 percent of women and 40 percent of men older than 25, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. What's more, the number of adult acne sufferers continues to rise. "I have seen an uptick in adult acne in my practice over the past 18 years," says Valori Treloar, MD, dermatologist and coauthor of The Clear Skin Diet."

"High-glycemic fare such as French fries, breakfast cereal, white bread, and soda boost blood sugar too quickly- and the pancreas responds by making extra insulin to bring those sugar levels down. As an unintended consequence, the insulin also signals the sebaceous glands to manufacture and secrete sebum, an oil-like substance carried to our pores via hair follicles. In proper quantities, sebum is a good thing; it flushes out dead cells and keeps your skin lubricated."

Breakouts affect a majority of adults, with 54 percent of women and 40 percent of men over 25 experiencing acne, and prevalence is rising. Possible contributors to adult acne include pollution, high stress, and newer prescription medications, but dietary patterns are increasingly implicated. High-glycemic foods common in Western diets cause rapid blood sugar spikes and elevated insulin, which stimulates sebaceous glands to overproduce sebum. Excess sebum promotes Propionibacterium acnes proliferation and clogs hair follicles, producing whiteheads and blackheads. Earlier research that dismissed food-acne links may have led to premature conclusions about dietary impact on skin health.

Read at Alternative Medicine Magazine