7 replies to this topic

[Anna]

http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/full/...87.2007.06274.x


Chloracne is a form of acne induced by halogenated aromatic compounds. Best known is dioxin (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin), that caused the environmental catastrophe in Seveso, Italy, in 1976. Dioxin can cause severe acne with abscess formation that is difficult to treat. Beyond provocation by chemical substances, physical irritation can trigger acne, for example by friction or chafing (acne mechanica) of a shirt collar. An iodine-rich diet of algae and vitamin B complex products as nutritional supplements can trigger a worsening or development of acne.

Triggering of acne by food has long been held insignificant, but recently has gained attention. New epidemiological observations suggest that diet can play a role; populations with a natural lifestyle do not develop acne. Various hypotheses correlate acne with western diet (e.g. with dairy products and with the promotion of hyperglycemia, thus increasing production of insulin and other growth factors and thus producing seborrhea and follicular hyperkeratosis).

[ylem]

http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/full/...87.2007.06274.x


Chloracne is a form of acne induced by halogenated aromatic compounds. Best known is dioxin (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin), that caused the environmental catastrophe in Seveso, Italy, in 1976. Dioxin can cause severe acne with abscess formation that is difficult to treat. Beyond provocation by chemical substances, physical irritation can trigger acne, for example by friction or chafing (acne mechanica) of a shirt collar. An iodine-rich diet of algae and vitamin B complex products as nutritional supplements can trigger a worsening or development of acne.

Triggering of acne by food has long been held insignificant, but recently has gained attention. New epidemiological observations suggest that diet can play a role; populations with a natural lifestyle do not develop acne. Various hypotheses correlate acne with western diet (e.g. with dairy products and with the promotion of hyperglycemia, thus increasing production of insulin and other growth factors and thus producing seborrhea and follicular hyperkeratosis).

It's true. Since I have curbed dairy, my acne has permanently improved. I still get a very small pustule every once in a while, but far less than I used to. I attirbute that to some products I forget contain milk or are manufactured in facilities that process milk.bAlso, I slipped and had a milk chocolate bar. I can start to feel my back getting tiny little acne bumps. I also take fish oil capsules and use retin A. But the latter two would never be as effective if I were still consuming dairy. Dairy is my enemy- It will give me more permanent scars if I let it. Before a blanketed statment about this is made, we all should keep in mind that this applies to those who are acne prone. People who don't go to this board and have never had acne due to genetics can more than likely eat what they want and never break out and scar.

[Smokeyjay]

Wait so a vitamin B-complex can trigger acne? I thought it was suppose to be good for acne from the nutrition holistic health thingy.

[Anna]

I know! The vitamin B link surprised me too! I hadn't heard that before. I HAD heard of the iodine link of course...

[medic]

If all I needed was to cut no diary and sugary products, I would have been clear by now.

[Anna]

Sometimes it isn't enough to simply change your dietary habits. Hormonal impacts are long lasting and often permanent. A good example of this is individuals who undergo gender reassignment therapy. A man who has lived under the influence of testosterone will always have some aftereffects of that. Examples are an Adam's apple, masculine facial bone structure such as thickened supra-orbital rims, and jaw widening. Just taking away the testosterone won’t necessarily change that. The oily skin which stereotypically occurs in men can be softened with estrogen but for some there will always be a coarser skin quality. I believe the same is true for hormone exposure and dioxins in food.

[willow569]

Notice though, that they list dietary factors as an acne "trigger" not an original cause (so you already need to have acne prone skin for these things to trigger or worsen the acne).

Also note that this is not an original research study; it is a review of the exisiting literature on acne. This article is just summarizing some of the research that is currently out there.

[temp123]

The evidence that food causes acne is only epidemiological.

The thing is; there's an epidemiological correlation between the price of whiskey and teachers salaries, but there's no sense that high whiskey prices raise teachers salaries (both are caused by tax- the price of whiskey goes up when the government wants to raise money to pay teachers more).

So epidemiological evidence can suggest links between things, but it can't prove the direction; and it can't untangle causal links from common causes.

For example, there's a particularly strong correlation between acne and skimmed milk, but perhaps people with acne drink skimmed milk to try to improve their health and their acne (I know that's what I did). The other explanation might be that skimmed milk *causes* acne.

Quite honestly, we don't know. This research doesn't show which explanation is right; for these kinds of reasons, epidemiological evidence is often the weakest form of scientific evidence we have.