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Eat this to help control your acne 


By AGENCY

Be patient if you are changing your diet to fix your acne – managing this common skin condition is a marathon, not a sprint, according to doctors. — dpa

Acne is the most widespread skin disease, affecting more than 231 million people worldwide, according to the Global Burden of Disease study.

Some three-quarters of all adolescents and many adults struggle at least temporarily with the inflammatory skin changes.

Diet can help, alongside medication, according to a German study that echoes earlier findings suggesting that reducing potentially inflammatory foods can help your skin.

Blackheads, pimples and papules are typical signs of acne, the most common form of which is called acne vulgaris.

Sufferers often struggle greatly with the skin blemishes, and are further frustrated by the fact that it is unclear what causes them.

There may be a connection between acne and a deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids, says a research team led by dermatologist Dr Anne Gürtler.

These fatty acids are found in foods such as legumes, algae, nuts, seeds and fish like wild salmon and sardines.

The study authors looked at the nutritional parameters in the blood of 100 participants suffering from acne and found that 94% of them had omega-3 fatty acid levels below the recommended value.

These low levels were accompanied by an increased IGF-1 level, a growth factor long recognised as playing a key role in the development of acne, say the researchers from the Department of Dermatology and Allergology at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich in Germany.

“Diet plays a central role in the prevention, onset and course of many diseases, including dermatological conditions like acne vulgaris,” Dr Gürtler says.

For University Hospital Tübingen senior consultant dermatologist Prof Dr Martin Schaller, the study’s result is no surprise.

Several studies have already shown the anti-inflammatory effects of omega-3 fatty acids, suggesting that appropriate nutrient intake could be a useful supportive therapy.

Acne patients should generally pay more attention to their eating habits.

“For about 15 years, evidence has been accumulating that the Western diet promotes acne,” says Prof Schaller.

Major epidemiological studies have shown that milk consumption, in particular, the hormones and growth factors contained in milk, could influence the skin problem.

Protein-rich drinks that help build muscles may also promote acne.

Doctors agree that a hyperglycaemic diet, meaning one that causes your blood sugar to rise quickly, is unfavourable for those affected by acne – a connection described in a 2013 study by New York University scientists in the United States.

Prof Schaller says that alongside diet, genetic factors also play an important role in the development of acne.

Often, the parents of patients with severe acne struggled too.

Hormones also represent a central factor, especially during puberty.

Recent studies also suggest that the gut microbiome could influence the development and course of acne.

A Chinese study in 2018 reported that microorganisms in stool samples from people with and without acne differed noticeably.

A recently-published study by Belgian researchers showed that probiotics encapsulated in a cream could at least alleviate inflammation in mild to moderate acne and alter the skin’s microbiome.

But more studies are needed.

Until then, according to Prof Schaller, both systemic therapies, where the medication is distributed throughout the body, and locally-applied medicines are available to treat acne.

Beyond medicinal treatment, he recommends a basic therapy with regular mild cleansing and a moisturising cream, alongside a healthy diet.

If you need more help than what you have at home, seek a dermatological practice, depending on your level of distress, he says.

Another factor in consulting a dermatologist is the development of scars.

But mainly, be patient – the treatment takes at least six months to show effect.

As Prof Schaller says: “Patients should know that acne therapy is a marathon, not a sprint.” – By Alice Lanzke/dpa

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Acne , diet

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