Back in December 2010, I started getting really depressed about my acne. I started having acne problems the previous year, and it was only getting worse. I noticed I was also having notable issues with headaches, muscle aches, and digestion.
In 2009, I also worked at a health department and was began doing research on nutrition. During this time, I stumbled upon some sources about food intolerances and how they might contribute to acne. I started keeping a food journal and taking pulse tests before and after meals. I found it interesting that my pulse would race up to 50 beats/minute within 15 minutes of consuming a good number of foods... and this is while at rest! At one point, I limited my dinners to steamed carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower and noticed that my pulse remained unchanged after consuming these. Because keeping a food journal, doing pulse tests, and taking the elimination approach was so taxing (and also since acne was a delayed effect, so it was a little difficult to pin-point certain foods without eating the same food for a week), my progress came to a halt.
Things got busy, and I started a new job and classes in a new city. During this time, I was trying out new, healthy recipes using ingredients like tomatoes, lentils, beets, avocados, garlic, citrus fruits, almonds, etc. I ate VERY healthily during this time. But then, I noticed my face started getting significantly worse, and by December 2010, I was in tears many nights due to acne. Finally, I thought back to my research on food intolerances and decided to take action. I made appointments to get blood tests and have those samples sent to a lab for a 200+ food panel.
I found out that I had HIGH REACTIONS to the following foods: TOMATO, AVOCADO, GRAPEFRUIT, PUMPKIN, cola, wax beans, safflower oil.
I also had mild reactions to egg whites.
Immediately, I eliminated these foods from my diet. It was recommended I eliminate the mild foods completely for 3 months and the high foods for 6 months, and then start reintroducing the foods little by little.
I also started taking birth control during this time to address cystic acne that I was getting along my jawline.
Within a couple of months, my skin changed drastically. Additionally (this is VERY important), my headaches, muscle aches, and digestive issues improved and eventually went away.
Until this day, I am grateful for stumbling upon this information. I wanted to share this in hopes that this may be the answer for many of you!
Here is my gallery documenting my progression of acne starting in December 2009:
http://www.acne.org/messageboard/index.php/gallery/album/11482-face-the-facts
If you have any questions for me, please feel free to ask! Best of luck to you all.
How do you know it was only the birth control and the foo that clear you up? it would make more sense that it was the birth control that cleared you up and the food had nothing to do with it, since those foods are pretty random and seemingly innocuous. I mean, if you cut out whole food groups like gluten, dairy, and/or sugar, then I would say the food probably did affect your acne. However, many people get completely cleared up from birth control, and thats probably what happened with you...though I could be 100% wrong...lol, it just makes the most sense to me.
How do you know it was only the birth control and the foo that clear you up? it would make more sense that it was the birth control that cleared you up and the food had nothing to do with it, since those foods are pretty random and seemingly innocuous. I mean, if you cut out whole food groups like gluten, dairy, and/or sugar, then I would say the food probably did affect your acne. However, many people get completely cleared up from birth control, and thats probably what happened with you...though I could be 100% wrong...lol, it just makes the most sense to me.
Good question. Here's a response I made earlier to the same question:
"I am using Caziant and have been using it since January 2010. I noticed that the birth control helps with certain types of acne (e.g. cystic, along jawline). Even so, I know that food plays a role, because even when I was on birth control for a few months prior to starting food elimination, I would still get major outbreaks. Even now, when I eat a lot of foods I shouldn't be eating, I not only have stomach issues, headaches, and muscle tension, but I will also get occasional outbreaks to go along with those symptoms. I noticed that when I do rarely have outbreaks now, they heal VERY quickly (usually within a day) unlike previously, when it would take weeks for acne to heal. I think this speaks to the fact that I have been avoiding offending foods, which has allowed my body to heal and my immune system to function more effectively. Also, when I would get sick in the past, before I even started using birth control, I noticed my skin would clear up when I was sick. I think this largely is related to the fact that I wouldn't eat anything for days during this time. Something interesting to note about the type of acne that occurs when it is food-related--usually, this acne is relatively more superficial, inflammatory, and itchy with pustules. Cystic acne, on the other hand, is usually deeply-rooted in the skin, hard, and very painful. So yeah, I think there are two factors at play here--hormones + immune response."
It's important to note that during the time my breakouts were at their worst, I had been trying new healthy recipes that were heavy in fresh fruits, including tomatoes, avocados, and grapefruits. Even apart from these recipes, I would eat fresh tomatoes a lot (nearly every day), and I would consume avocados multiple times a weak, even straight out of the "shell." At that, many of those foods that showed up as highly reactive on my panel tests were not at all random. Not in the least bit! Also, to claim that all of those foods on my panel results are innocuous across the board for very person is a bit assumptive. I mean, I can eat an entire can of peanuts and be fine, while other people could die from eating them. Another example: everyone I know who likes and eats mangoes is fine when they consume the fruit, whereas when I eat mangoes, my eyes swell up and I get hives on my lips from the rind juice. Everyone's different, so what could be considered innocuous for one person may not be for another.
I just want to say thank you for posting this!!! I have been in series of bad breakouts bc I got lazy and stopped using proactiv but once I started using it it didn't seem to work! I started looking into acne and diet and I'm a vegetarian but i cut out dairy and soy and most sugar but I was still getting breakouts on my chin. However recently Ive been eating a TON of tomato(for the vitamin A) and avocado and almonds and now it makes sense! I was getting inflammed white heads but they itched soooo bad and my throat would swell up in the mornings but I just figured I was getting sick. Now I know it could be from food intolerance!
Also where did you go take the blood tests with the food panel bc I would like to go get that done so I can know for sure.
Thanks!!
I totally forgot about the 3 months 6 months method! Thanks girl, and ur doing just fine! I'm so proud
P.S.
I'm about to do some anti candida stuff. I'm getting my candida killers: Ginger, and some other foods
summer time, hop out them cleansers
come around, and you'll see that ginger
on my nipple, that Cider Vinegar
They goin, they go man
whenever, i eat they cleanse
tuck tail when the meal begins
they die with they're fungi friends
no more stress on my intestines
all my cleansers active
some my cleansers acid
none of my cleansers pass it
and they kill em for me, let's get it!
On 10/6/2012 at 6:45 PM, clambak3 said:I have a question, may be a stupid one at that but where did you take that 200+ food panel test? An allergist or?
Not stupid at all. What's stupid is that I can't remember, lol! And also that I am just now reading your comment over 4 years later. But, I'd recommend reading this first before deciding to get an ELISA food intolerance test:
http://autoimmunewellness.com/why-food-intolerance-testing-doesnt-work/
It doesn't necessarily mean there are no accurate results, but there could be false positives (or actually positive results that indicate immunity) or false negatives (or more specifically, foods that aren't noted because they are not detectable in our system for whatever reason.)