<Previous page
Further research strengthens the link between diet and acne
June 2008
Once considered to be a myth, the link between diet and acne was recently demonstrated by a team of researchers at RMIT University and the Royal Melbourne Hospital, when a higher protein low GI diet was found to reduce acne by 50 percent in just 12 weeks. What caused the changes was unclear but a new analysis of the same study has found some possible answers.
Further analysis of the research, conducted by a team led by Professor Neil Mann, has now confirmed the improvements in acne may be the result of a decrease in the production of acne causing fatty acids in oils produced in the skin, known as sebum. The new analysis found that less acne related sebum fats were found to be produced when subjects consumed a diet high in protein rich foods like lean red meat and low GI carbohydrate foods like whole grains, fruits and vegetables over a 12-week period.
“Acne is a problem that affects so many people and the results of our study provide further support for the potential role of diet in its reduction. The real significance of these findings is that we now have some understanding of the changes caused by diet, that is, a decrease in the skin fats that may contribute to acne as a result of the type of food consumed,” explained Professor Mann.
In 2002 US researchers observed that acne was rare or non-existent in the hunter gatherer societies of Papua New Guinea and Paraguay. It was also observed that the diet of these communities was natural and minimally processed and things like white bread, sugary ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, pre-packaged snacks, soft drinks, cakes and biscuits did not exist. This inspired Professor Mann and PhD researcher Robyn Smith to explore the link between diet and acne further.
The diet used in the study was based on the simple principles of hunter-gather diets which contain minimally processed foods such as lean red meat, seafood, fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grains compared to traditional Western diets which contain more processed and refined foods. The energy composition was 25 percent high protein foods and 45 percent from low GI foods.
“Successfully following the higher protein, low GI diet isn’t hard, you just need to make sure you’re aware of which foods you’re getting your energy from. In practical terms, this means making sure that you eat lean red meat 3 to 4 times a week, have 3 serves of low GI fruit and 3 serves of low GI breads or cereals and at least 2 ½ cups of vegetables every day,” noted Professor Mann.