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Clear skin diet: Foods that bring acne relief

To eliminate blemishes, you'll want to drink more water, eat more vegetables, stay away from fried foods and alcohol and opt for foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids.

By Judd HandlerWed, May 04 2011 at 1:58 PM EST
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Woman looking at skin in mirror. Photo: iStockphoto
Pimples, pustules, blackheads and rosacea … oh my! What to do if you have acne and want your skin to get clearer? Try eating a clear skin diet.
 
Thanks to the book, "The Clear Skin Diet" by Alan C. Logan and Valori Treloar, and other tomes on the subject, there are now some studies that demonstrate how certain foods can help improve your skin.
 
Some of the foods and nutrients that the "Clear Skin Diet" authors suggest to combat problematic skin include:
  • whole grains
  • fiber
  • antioxidants
  • Omega-3 fish oils
  • green tea
  • zinc
  • selenium
Although genetics may play a factor in the appearance of your skin, watching what you eat may improve skin quality tremendously.
 
What’s the most critical nutrient for clear skin?
Acne has a reputation of attacking soda-drinking teenagers’ faces. But adults can suffer from acne, as well. One way to flush out toxins is to make sure you’re drinking enough water. Drinking at least 8-10 cups a day — and eliminating sugary drinks, both soda and juices — may help reduce acne. [Related on MNN.com: Healthy beverages]
 
Boy drinking water.Most teenagers — and adults — do not drink enough water. Dehydration leads to older-looking skin and possibly skin conditions like acne.
 
If you drink milk and suffer from unclear skin, you may need to eliminate milk and dairy from your diet. You might have a food allergy, which could manifest as skin problems.
 
Foods that spike your blood sugar, such as white bread, pastries and soda cause your pancreas to make extra insulin in an attempt to regulate blood sugar levels. But insulin also signals the sebaceous glands to manufacture and secrete an oily substance called sebum, which in elevated amounts causes the bacterium P. acnes to proliferate and clog up the hair follicles. 
 
OK, I’ll drink more water. But what else should I eat?
Eat foods that don’t promote inflammation. Inflammation can manifest in many different ways from heart disease to unhealthy-looking skin. Foods like vegetable oils (especially cooked ones, which are prevalent in fast food) and refined grains are all high in Omega 6 fatty acids.Fish
 
Opt instead for foods rich in Omega 3 fatty acids. Although it may seem counter-intuitive to some people with bad skin that fatty foods can clear skin, cold-water oily fish like salmon have anti-inflammatory properties. Does fish gross you out? No problem, there are other sources of Omega 3-rich foods including walnuts, beans and flaxseed oil.
 
Squirting a teaspoon’s worth of cold-pressed seed oils like flaxseed in a low-sugar, high-protein smoothie will reduce inflammation.
 
Be honest with yourself: are you eating enough vegetables? You don’t have to eat plain, raw broccoli, but do boost your intake of fresh vegetables as they contain several compounds like antioxidants, which can help clear up skin.
 
Besides the obvious like more water and vegetables, what else can help my skin?
Some people who suffer from acne and other skin disorders have poor digestion, especially with dietary fats, which may cause skin pores to clog. Taking dietary supplements like digestive enzymes and apple cider vinegar may help. Aloe vera juice also helps with digestion as does supplementing with zinc and B vitamins.
 
Also, azealaic acid cream is well-known in alternative medicine circles for being a highly effective antimicrobial.
 
I don’t eat fried foods, which I know are bad for my skin. What else should I avoid?
Alcohol should be severely restricted (and obviously avoided if you’re under age 21). After all, alcohol is a sugar. As mentioned above, sugar can spike insulin levels, possibly leading to an acne-producing domino effect.
 
For overall health and wellness, including skin quality, eat a diet that is overwhelmingly comprised of all-natural and unprocessed foods. Your skin is your largest organ. Eating lots of junk food will ultimately lead to less than optimum health — and unclear skin. 
 
Judd Handler is a health and lifestyle coach in Encinitas, Calif. He can be reached at CoachJudd@gmail.com.
 
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Related Topics: Food, Natural Beauty, Whole Foods

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anonymous
Erin 04/12/2012 03:05 AM

Great practical advice. Due to having a slim build and 'fast metabolism', I am lulled into a relaxed attitude about what I eat. One can always do better! I have a basically 'vegaquarian' and gluten free diet but eat so much white rice and a lot of gluten free products(I have discovered recently) have a high GI rating(information obtained from a dietitian). I have been inspired by your guidelines and practical info. Cheers.

anonymous
03/27/2012 15:21 PM

Junk food causes acne. Wrong! Pizza, chocolate, coke or any other junk food has never been proven to cause this. That does not mean to say you should carry on eating all this junk food. A sensible diet is good for everyone, and helps you feel better

anonymous
Anonymous 04/12/2012 16:02 PM

actually...junk food can cause acne. Sugar is the most common culprit. Although not thoroughly explained in this article, if you read Dr Perricone's "The Clear Skin Diet" he provides clear evidence for this theory. It's worth checking out!

anonymous
Leah 03/21/2012 12:32 PM

I have adult acne, which I thought would clear up as I reached my 30's but didn't. I tried every product under the sun but still had problems with cystic acne. I've always been a Diet Coke drinker which I finally gave up all together about 6 months ago when I started working out. My acne cleared up right away, I will still get a small pimple once in a while but my skin is 90% better then it was before. Diet really does make a difference. I stick to Crystal Light energy packets now, 10 calories.... More

anonymous
Enter your name 01/18/2012 17:43 PM

i have tried prescription creams that just make my face peel and be red and uncomfortable. the best way i cleared my skin was to drink LOTS of water (which means bathroom breaks every 30 min, but its for a good cause!), adding cucumbers to my salads, more yogurt and fruit, and NO MAKEUP! my face has cleared up so much thanks to not putting harsh makeup on my face. I simply wash with a mild salicylic acid face wash, Burt's Bees citrus face scrub, and moisturize with jojoba oil and tea tree oil..... More

anonymous
"Happy" 12/06/2011 11:11 AM

Neither me. No matter how many products I had put on my face and how many times i had tomato masker, the pimples still growing! Unsuccessfully all the clear skin diet that i had practiced were useless. I had lost my confidence to treat my face plus to see the public.

anonymous
jane rike 11/19/2011 18:10 PM

i have tried so many things to clear my skin, from medications to strict diets. No matter how much water I drink, an how many fruits and vegetables i eat, no results! So i guess im just screwed with bad skin forever.

anonymous
Anonymous 01/18/2012 18:30 PM

I had the same issues and I found out that exercise helps a lot. My skin improves significantly when I started running so I guess you should try exercise

anonymous
Anonymous 12/28/2011 15:19 PM

eliminate sugar completely(no fruits) until your skin clears completely, then slowly reintroduce fruit ever week for the first month and then once every other day. Don't eat lots of fruit during the reintroduction period, go light. Use stevia in your favorite dessert recipes instead. Fat is not the problem, it's SUGAR. You probably have unresolved yeast issues. Remember, SUGAR IS THE ENEMY. Stay away from breads for about 6 months and carefully reintroduce them, again, like the fruit, in.... More

anonymous
Anonymous 04/05/2012 00:18 AM

sugar is the enemy of clear skin!when I stopped drinking my sweet tea everyday my acne became 70% better. But stopping was not easy, I think I was addicted to my sugary caffeinated drink. It had 36 grams of sugar and I would have about 2 of those a day=72 grams of sugar.

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