Acne Free with an Acne Detox Diet
The acne detox diet concept has been around for a while now, and has formed more than it’s share of flack. Is an acne detox diet an effective acne cure, or just another “concept” that is yet to be proven? I thought a bit of investigation was in order, and you’ll never guess what I found.
The acne detox diet idea resulted from the latest clinical studies that examined the findings of two other landmark studies conducted in 1969 and 1971. These studies determined that acne was caused by a genetic flaw that causes your body to develop an excessive amount of sebum oil, a natural substance that your body uses to keep your skin comfy and flexible.
Excess sebum oil tends to pool in hair follicles and skin pores, plugging the pores and supplying a perfect breeding ground for the P-acne bacteria (Propionibacterium Acnes), which is present on everyone’s skin. In customary numbers, the P-acne bacteria is actually beneficial, controlling other, more dangerous, bacteria that come our way.
Unfortunately, excess sebum oil allows the bacteria to multiply to abnormal levels, resulting in skin irritation. Your body’s natural defenses then send white blood cells to the area to control the bacteria. The resulting conflict causes more inflammation and the formation of white heads, blackheads (once exposed to the air), pimples, and, well…acne.
But…What does that have to do with an acne detox diet?
Quite a bit, actually. The more up-to-date studies have found that the conclusions reached in the 1968 and 1971 studies were not only wrong, but that the studies, themselves, were inherently flawed. Apparently, once they found the DNA-sebum oil link, they stopped looking for other causes.
Researchers in the recent studies didn’t stop, and finally found that there is a absolute link between diet and acne. What they didn’t anticipate was to find that the link wasn’t so much what you were eating, but much more about how what you’re eating is processed.
A large amount of the foods we eat, both at home and in restaurants, have chemicals that act as preservatives. This keeps the food safe and fresh for much longer, which, in itself, is not a bad thing.
What is a an undesired thing (and the reason for using an acne detox diet) as a natural remedy for acne is that these recent studies also uncovered the fact that, over a period of time, these chemicals tend to collect inside your body until they reach a toxic level, causing your body’s natural defenses to attempt to eliminate the poisons.
They also found that, in people prone to acne, the body rids itself of these chemicals by surrounding them in sebum oil (remember that from earlier?) and secreting it out through your skin. This creates the exact same conditions as those created by faulty DNA, and results in outbreaks of acne.
So, apparently an acne detox diet that rids your body of these chemicals before they reach a dangerous level, can be not just an acne cure, but the acne cure.
Disclaimer: This posting is based on information freely available in the popular press and medical journals that deal with acne and diet. Nothing herein is intended to be or should be construed to be any sort of medical advice. For medical advice the reader should consult with his or her physician or other medical specialist.