Hi alternativista, I drank green tea for a while but it caused me lower back pain which of course, was unusual for most people. I stopped drinking coffee for more than a year but it did not make a difference so I was back on a few months ago since I figure that it helps my memory.

I was cleared for a while when I stopped eating meat (mainly pork), but my acne began to metastasizing after I reintroduced it back into my diet. I am unsure if it is a coincidence or that meat really gives me acne.

If you do not mind, could you tell me what you eat and drink everyday?

This is a great thread but how am I supposed to manage to avoid high GI foods and high GL meals when I'm trying to bulk and put on weight?

This is a great thread but how am I supposed to manage to avoid high GI foods and high GL meals when I'm trying to bulk and put on weight?

 

By eating plenty of real, nutrient dense low to moderate GI food.

You are absolutely incredible! This is the most helpful thread I think on this entire site, and I can't believe I didn't start reading this until a couple of days ago. Everything is really straight-forward and informative, and it has really helped guide me through changing my lifestyle. I will definitely check out your blog. Thanks for all the help!

Very informative list regarding health. Came across such an informative post for the first time. I was craving to find information like these on the internet but in vain. Anyways, thank you for sharing these online. Would love to see more like these.

Natural alternatives that do the same thing as side effect causing drugs. Nutrients that cause cancer cell suicide by inhibiting an enzyme used for Glycolysis -- anerobic energy production from sugar perferred by cancer cells:

• Co-Q10/Ubiquinol
• Curcumin (the active agent in the spice turmeric)
• Capsaicin (the compound that makes hot peppers hot)
• Se-methylselenocysteine aka methylselenocysteine (found in garlic and broccoli)
• Ellagic acid (from pomegranates and other fruits)

First of all i want to thanks you alternativista, about your spectacular outstanding and good information to help the people with this illness call acne, you are amazing!!

My question is! How can i get rid or control my oily skin with some tiny spots but horrible oily skin! Like things to eat! Vitamins and suplements only focusing in the oily skin! ?!

And a particular question is good vitamin A for oil control?! Is like accutane?!

And what you know about lactoferrin?!

Thanks!! Alternativista!! Good luck!

I am a male! 20 years old!

Alternavista i think you need to write a book! With all the contributions that you made!

Congratulations!!

Wow, this is awesome information!

Mercola article about why/how media reports on nutrition and medical studies are usually wrong/stupid. And the inherent flaws in medical research.

http://articles.merc...nformation.aspx

Also, I would add that the media just tends to focus on the stupid, trivial or simple studies such as those that evaluate when a drug or nutrient helps such and such when it's already well known the various reasons why such things would benefit whatever condition. Because that research has already been done by the real scientists.

Such as today's announcement that the Diabetes II drug Metformin has been shown to help recovery outcome from ovarian cancer. Someone, I'm sure the drug company, surveyed ovarian cancer sufferers and found that those with diabetes on metformin had a better outcome. But they claim they don't know why because they didn't study that. But it's fairly obvious why--it improves blood sugar/insulin which promotes cancer growth. But now they can sell metformin to cancer patients and they don't have to bother improving their diets.

A couple of days ago there was an announcement of a study on the negative effects of soft drinks on some kind of knee pain. They claimed not to know why. Hello! Try the phosphoric acid that weakens your bones.

Saw buckthorn slashes sebum production by 45%

The first study was done by researchers at the Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan. They studied the effect of 1% sea buckthorn cream extract cream on sebum production. In this study they used 10 male volunteers aged between 20 and 35 years, and gave each participant either the treatment cream or a placebo cream that didnt contain the plant extract.

Basically they made the treatment cream by first making a vehicle base (that takes the active ingredients into the skin) and mixing the plant extract into the base. The placebo cream was just the base.

They asked the participants to apply the treatment cream to one side of the face and the placebo cream to the other side. This is known as split-face study design.

This chart shows the results, % reduction in sebum production over 8 weeks.

Source:Formulation and evaluation of antisebum secretion effects of sea buckthorn w/o emulsion

There was a steady decline in sebum production in the side treated with sea buckthorn cream. After 8 weeks sebum production had dropped by 45%. This is more or less in line with results from green tea and saw palmetto/sesame seed/argan oil studies.

Interestingly the side treated with base-only cream showed increase in sebum production. The researchers note that this change was not statistically significant, so its possible it was just due to the inherent randomness of measurements like these.

Capparis decidua extract reduces sebum production by about 20%

The other study also comes from the same university. This time they studied fruits from a desert plant Capparis decidua, commonly known as kerda or kair.

They made a cream with 5% extract of kair plant, I presume with plant they mean the fruit this bush produces. This study was very similar with the above study, a split-face design with treatment cream applied to one side of the face and base cream on the other side.

This graph shows the results, change in sebum production over time.

Source:Development of a sebum control cream from a local desert plant Capparis decidua. (PDF)

As you can see the treatment cream reduced sebum production by 18% after 12 weeks. This graph also shows what Ive been saying over and over. It takes time for these creams to work. Notice the big drop in sebum production from week 4 to week 6, from about 5% to 12%.

As with the previous study the side treated with placebo cream showed an increase in sebum production (not statistically significant). Researchers speculate this could be because of the oils used in the base cream. Though Im not sure how applying oil on the skin could increase sebum production.

Information from acneeinstein

Blog many might like by a Med student with an interest in evolution. In other words how things we are supposed to do/eat help maintain health while all these unnatural lifestyle and diet habits cause disease. It's called Principle Into Practice.

This article is about how Saturated fat benefits both leaky gut and liver health: http://principleinto...saturated-fats/

Cells from the small intestine of mice maintained on a diet high in SAFA, in comparison to those maintained on a diet high in PUFA, have significantly higher levels of mRNA coding for a number of the proteins that are important for intestinal integrity such as Tight Junction Protein ZO-1, Intestine Claudin 1, and Intestine Occludin. Furthermore, alcohol consumption further decreases the mRNA levels of most of these genes in animals fed a high-PUFA containing diet, while alcohol has no effect on levels in SAFA-fed animals. Changes in mRNA level do not necessarily mean changes in protein levels, however the same study showed an increase in intestinal permeability in mice fed PUFA and ethanol in comparison to control when measured by an ex-vivo fluorescent assay. This shows that PUFA alone can disturb the expression of proteins that maintain gut integrity, and that alcohol further diminishes integrity. In combination with a SAFA diet, however, alcohol does not affect intestinal permeability [4].

 

Cells from the small intestine of mice maintained on a diet high in SAFA, in comparison to those maintained on a diet high in PUFA, have significantly higher levels of mRNA coding for a number of the proteins that are important for intestinal integrity such as Tight Junction Protein ZO-1, Intestine Claudin 1, and Intestine Occludin. Furthermore, alcohol consumption further decreases the mRNA levels of most of these genes in animals fed a high-PUFA containing diet, while alcohol has no effect on levels in SAFA-fed animals. Changes in mRNA level do not necessarily mean changes in protein levels, however the same study showed an increase in intestinal permeability in mice fed PUFA and ethanol in comparison to control when measured by an ex-vivo fluorescent assay. This shows that PUFA alone can disturb the expression of proteins that maintain gut integrity, and that alcohol further diminishes integrity. In combination with a SAFA diet, however, alcohol does not affect intestinal permeability [4].

Improved gut integrity is no doubt a key aspect of the protective effects of SAFA. Increased gut integrity leads to decreased inflammatory compounds in the blood, which in turn means there will be decreased inflammatory interactions in the liver. Indeed, in comparison to animals fed alcohol and PUFA, animals fed alcohol with a SAFA diet had significantly lower levels of the inflammatory cytokine TNF-a and the marker of macrophage infiltration MCP-1 [4]. Decreased inflammation, both systemically and in the liver, is undoubtedly a key element of the protective effects of dietary SAFA.

4. Kirpich, I.A., W. Feng, Y. Wang, Y. Liu, D.F. Barker, S.S. Barve, and C.J. McClain, The type of dietary fat modulates intestinal tight junction integrity, gut permeability, and hepatic toll-like receptor expression in a mouse model of alcoholic liver disease. Alcohol Clin Exp Res, 2012. 36(5): p. 835-46.

The famous Cordain Kitavaan Islander study:

http://archderm.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=479093

Excerpt about the other acne free group studied in Paraguay:

The Ache diet contains wild, foraged foods, locally cultivated foods, and Western foods obtained from external sources. By energy, their diet consists of 69% cultigens, 17% wild game, 8% Western foods, 3% domestic meat, and 3% collected forest products.^{25- 26}The cultigens consist mainly of sweet manioc, followed by peanuts, maize, and rice, whereas the Western goods are mainly pasta, flour, sugar, yerba tea, and bread.²³

Note how a large part of their diet is made up of problematic foods such as maize and peanuts, plus some wheat products. Cordain doesn't want any of us to eat any grains really, but sites studies on a few being particularly gut penetrating and that includes peanuts. Yet he uses this study as support for his recommendations. When obviously it's all about the combination of things you do to yourself. And their active lifestyle with natural circadian rhythms and lack of exposure to antibiotics clearly counter the high glycemic grain and tuber based diet that also includes damaging foods.

After all this time this is the first time I've seen this post. They should highlight this post in bright red or blue, alot of answered questions and would save repeating post from occurring. If you would write a book I would buy it.

I don't know if I posted it here before, but Ted Grossbart's Skin Deep has a bunch of good exercises to help deal with stress as it relates to skin disorders. It has some pretty interesting information as far as how powerful the mind is when it comes to health in general! it's a long read, but worth it to really shift your mindset.

On 2/1/2013 at 3:09 AM, Sum1killme said:

After all this time this is the first time I've seen this post. They should highlight this post in bright red or blue, alot of answered questions and would save repeating post from occurring. If you would write a book I would buy it.

I'm blogging instead. Its my understanding that few books/authors earn any money anyway. With a blog I can post random ideas that come accross and suggestions for meals and activities that are timely or seasonal in amongst the research. [Removed possible promotional content]

So, I see they unpinned the food and recipe thread for some reason. I'll find and put a link at h top of this thread.

This is a beautifully comprehensive post, and I'm going to be studying it. It still kills me though... because my lifestyle should be the last to have to deal with acne. My son is on the austism spectrum, so I cleaned my diet years ago. Gluten-free,casein-free, chemical-free, sugar-free. Lots of organic fruits and veggies, some free-range chicken, eggs from my own free-ranged hens. Skincare that's entirely organic and natural. Why am I the one to have dreadful cystic acne?? It started 8 months ago and is constant.

I'm going to spend some more time on this thread tomorrow and make a list of what I think could help. But it depresses me that our diets and lives are this green and yet I'm the one who can't show her face in public.

This is a beautifully comprehensive post, and I'm going to be studying it. It still kills me though... because my lifestyle should be the last to have to deal with acne. My son is on the austism spectrum, so I cleaned my diet years ago. Gluten-free,casein-free, chemical-free, sugar-free. Lots of organic fruits and veggies, some free-range chicken, eggs from my own free-ranged hens. Skincare that's entirely organic and natural. Why am I the one to have dreadful cystic acne?? It started 8 months ago and is constant.

I'm going to spend some more time on this thread tomorrow and make a list of what I think could help. But it depresses me that our diets and lives are this green and yet I'm the one who can't show her face in public.

Have you tried an elimination diet to determine if you have any delayed type food hypersensitivities? I really think that cysts and nodules tend to be some kind of reaction. Mine were caused by most types of citrus, btw.

Have you tried an elimination diet to determine if you have any delayed type food hypersensitivities? I really think that cysts and nodules tend to be some kind of reaction. Mine were caused by most types of citrus, btw.

I did read that you had results cutting the citrus. No, I haven't done an elimination diet. My chin is covered in closed comedomal acne as well as cysts though... which typically indicates hormonal acne, no? I just think it's strange that all of this started last June with no change in my diet whatsoever. I've never had perfect skin, but just the occasional breakouts. Now it's waking up every morning to see a another mess starting on my chin, on top of hundreds of scars.

Is it possible to suddenly develop food sensitivities?

My chiropractor thinks it's my thyroid and has started me on a regiment of Standard Process supplements. I wish I was more hopeful.

 

Have you tried an elimination diet to determine if you have any delayed type food hypersensitivities? I really think that cysts and nodules tend to be some kind of reaction. Mine were caused by most types of citrus, btw.

I did read that you had results cutting the citrus. No, I haven't done an elimination diet. My chin is covered in closed comedomal acne as well as cysts though... which typically indicates hormonal acne, no? I just think it's strange that all of this started last June with no change in my diet whatsoever. I've never had perfect skin, but just the occasional breakouts. Now it's waking up every morning to see a another mess starting on my chin, on top of hundreds of scars.

Is it possible to suddenly develop food sensitivities?

My chiropractor thinks it's my thyroid and has started me on a regiment of Standard Process supplements. I wish I was more hopeful.

Yes, you can develop a food sensitivity at any time. Often in times of stress. And no, acne on the chin doesn't mean it's any more hormonal than the acne you get elsewhere. In fact, I figured out my citrus allergy from a coworker who got big cysts or nodules on her chin but otherwise had perfect skin. So she was able to make the connection. I had all kinds of acne, plus the way cysts take so long to come and go and oranges and juice are such a frequent part of many people's diet. So I always had it and could never notice a connection. But once she said something, I realized that I had been having an orange everyday as an afternoon snack and my skin had gotten worse, but before that it had actually been a lot better, so much so I was starting to consider dermabrasion.

 

but before that it had actually been a lot better, so much so I was starting to consider dermabrasion.

Sorry, could you clarify? Why were you considering dermabrasion if your skin was better? (I'm actually unfamiliar with how dermabrasion works, but I thought it smoothed out the skin somehow.)

Interesting that a food sensitivity can start at any time. Could that could be why my hair started falling out at the same time? I figured that was hormonal as well.

I wasn't stressed out last June... but after years of not sleeping because of my special needs son's nighttime habits, I had just started to relearn how to stay asleep. You'd think that would give me *clearer* skin, but maybe my body had just had enough and the stress was catching up.

I will try to start eliminating common allergen foods one at a time, to see if it makes a difference. Regarding the citrus... after the breakouts became constant, I started using fresh lemon juice as a toner. I was trying to go as natural as possible, but that would be problematic if citrus was causing this!

 

 

but before that it had actually been a lot better, so much so I was starting to consider dermabrasion.

Sorry, could you clarify? Why were you considering dermabrasion if your skin was better? (I'm actually unfamiliar with how dermabrasion works, but I thought it smoothed out the skin somehow.)

For scar removal or minimizing. There's no point in doing it if you are just going to get more, so when my skin was better for a bit, I considered it. I really don't remember exactly, I just know that it had been good enough to make me want to try to do something about the scars. But then, January came, oranges were on sale...

 

Sorry, could you clarify? Why were you considering dermabrasion if your skin was better? (I'm actually unfamiliar with how dermabrasion works, but I thought it smoothed out the skin somehow.)

For scar removal or minimizing. There's no point in doing it if you are just going to get more, so when my skin was better for a bit, I considered it. I really don't remember exactly, I just know that it had been good enough to make me want to try to do something about the scars. But then, January came, oranges were on sale...

Ah got ya. Did you ever wind up doing it once you cleared up your acne? Just curious.

My acne is fairly mild and well-controlled with The Regimen, but I'd like my skin to clear up completely so I'm looking to add some supplements. My diet is pretty good in my opinion, lots of variety, lots of greens, lots of protein, etc so I don't think I'm missing too much but I figure it couldn't hurt to try to add some more nutrients.

However, this thread is a little...overwhelming lol. Could someone suggest some simple supplements that might help me get all the way clear? I've heard good things about zinc, but I'm on doxycycline right now and I've heard that they don't work well together.

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