I have been dealing with moderate to severe acne since I first hit puberty, and I am now 18 years of age. I studied all that I thought was possible about acne and how to deal with it, until I realized something the other day. My diet was overwhelmed with gluten, the protein used to give dough its elasticity and its chewy texture.
My diet consisted of healthy food, such as Total Raisin Bran cereal for breakfast, multiple servings of vegetables and fruits, along with sandwiches using whole grain bread, eating soup on occasion, and snacking on a handful of crackers on occasion. Just about 75% of my diet had gluten in it, but labeled as "wheat flour" on the list of ingredients. I knew that gluten was bad, but I didn't expect it to also be known as wheat, and I didn't know what it was at all for that matter. I always thought that since the food I was eating was generally healthy for the most part, it had to be helping my skin.
I have started a gluten-free diet, hoping that my acne is mostly triggered by a gluten intolerance. So far, after 36 hours of being gluten-free, my skin is already looking a lot better and I can definitely notice the inflammation decreasing.
My skin temporarily cleared when I cut out gluten from my diet. Fast forward to a year later, I was still getting breakouts so I realized that my biggest issue was not gluten although I still enjoy a gluten free diet. A lot of processed gluten free foods are loaded with sugar, and just because something is gluten free doesn't mean it's the healthiest option. Try to go for non-processed, non GMO foods, and add a variety of gluten free foods to your diet to avoid malnutrition. I lost some weight when I was first experimenting with gluten free but then I got the hang of it, and now I hardly crave gluten anymore. Good luck!
That's an exaggeration considering I ate Total Raisin Bran (one of the healthiest of cereals), multiple servings of fruits and vegetables, healthy sandwiches with whole grains, and soup. You seemed to have only caught the part about me eating crackers, unless eating relatively healthy is a bad thing now.
Hiya,
In addition to going gluten-free, please consider eliminating processed foods such as your Rainsin Bran. Take a look at some of the ingredients:
corn syrup (junk food that has no nutritoinal value. Known health risks)
brown sugar (junk food)
trisodium phosphate ("a cleaning agent, lubricant, food additive, stain remover, and degreaser")
annatto extract (a common allergen)
and BHT (a chemical, possibly carcinogenic).
This brand could be healthier than other cereals, but it's not healthy.
Stick to whole foods that contain no additives. Many of us, myself included, have cleared our skins and improved our health by doing this. It's not difficult; in fact, it's very fulfilling. I don't regret it, and you won't either. Best of luck.