Getting Rid of Acne Once and For All
The dreaded acne. It affects more than 85 percent of teenagers. But did you know that this skin condition has increased among adults? We spend millions of pounds for prescriptions and over-the-counter products to cure acne and other skin conditions including ezcema, yet at best, these are short-term solutions.
It is an inside out approach. What is going on inside your gut and your body affects your skin tremendously. We recommend clients take a Dutch hormone test as this is the most common cause of acne that we see in clinic. For more information on this see below.
Major Causes of Acne and How to Treat Them
1. Food Allergies, especially dairy. Hormones (including growth hormones) in dairy contribute to acne. Two large controlled trials found that consuming cow’s milk increased both the number of people who got acne and its severity. Other acne-triggering dietary culprits include processed fats like trans fats, which increase arachidonic acid levels and compete with omega-3 fats in the body, leading to more inflammation and acne. It’s important to remove dairy and trans fats from your diet.
2. Sugar. Sugar raises insulin levels, which then promote the production of testosterone in women, as well as inflammation in general, causing acne. Large randomised prospective controlled trials (the gold standard of medical research) found people who had higher sugar intake and high-glycemic load diets (more bread, rice, cereal, pasta, sugar and flour products of all kinds) had significantly more acne.
3. Gut problems. Check for parasites, yeast overgrowth, and bacterial imbalances and treat these things with the help of a nutrition practitioner. Taking anti-microbials, probiotics (such as lactobacillus), prebiotics, and digestive enzymes can improve acne. I have seen serious acne resulting from gut imbalances and parasites that resolve when the gut is fixed.
4. Nutritional Deficiencies. Look for low levels of zinc, omega-3 fats and some anti-inflammatory omega-6 fats (try PCH Krill Oil) – all of which can boost immunity, reduce inflammation and reduce acne.
5. Reducing inflammation. Foods like wild-caught fish, turmeric, ginger, green tea, dark purple and red foods such as berries, green foods like dark leafy vegetables, and organic free-range eggs all help to reduce inflammation that contributes to acne. Try PCH Curcumin.
6. Hormone imbalances. This is the most common cause of acne that we see in clinic. Usually oestrogen dominance (do read the Oestrogen chapter of my book Eat Right, Lose Weight) and/or androgen dominance. These two imbalances require different nutritional support but foods that can help both are cruciferous vegetables. PCH Detox supplement can help to detox both hormones. To establish which hormone/s are imbalanced we do recommend a consultation or ideally a Dutch hormone test.
For a full assessment and bespoke treatment for acne with a practitioner please book a 1 to 1 nutrition consultation.
