Hauser Diet Tips - Here come the Holidays - Part 5
I'm Breaking Out!
There are many reasons people breakout with adult acne, especially around the holidays when you want to look your best.
Here are some common causes and some tips on what to do about it.
Food Allergies
Most of the toxins in your body are released through your skin. Acne develops from inside your body because toxins inside are expelling. If you take medication or antibiotics they will only help your acne for a short while. They will not get rid of the underlying cause of the problem.
Food allergies are one of the main causes of acne. Eating a food the body is allergic to can lead to a continuous toxic reaction. In such a case the immune system fights the food as if it were an invading organism. This will cause inflammation in the skin along with many other conditions.
Most people eat dairy, gluten, and other common foods everyday so it is hard to connect your symptoms with your eating habits. The reason why it is so hard to know which foods are causing your acne is because a food allergy can cause symptoms right away or take up to three days or even more. The acne will not appear and go away quickly enough for you to be able to associate it with a certain food.
It is best to be tested with a blood allergy profile in order to figure out what foods are producing the allergic response.
Hormones also could be causing your acne problems.
Adult acne can also come from hormone imbalances. It is best to get your hormone levels tested to find out which hormones might be unbalanced. Acne can be caused by an excess amount of hormones called androgens such as DHEA-S and testosterone. Androgens are considered "male" hormones, but adult women have androgen levels about 1/10th the level found in men.
Your skin has a gland that creates oil called sebum. Androgen hormones stimulate these glands to produce more sebum. Sebum plugs up the pores and traps the oil inside. Bacteria begin to develop in the trapped oil and as the body fights the bacteria, swelling, redness, and fluid build up in the cells. If acne appears when going through menopause and/or during menstrual cycles, it could very well be hormone-related, since androgen levels usually increase during these times.
Essential fatty acids and eliminating toxins in your diet: Help yourself get rid of your acne by clean up your diet and including foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids like fish, seeds, and nuts. The skin needs essential fatty acids to stay healthy. Many of our patients also suffer from dysbiosis of the GI tract. In other words, they have a leaky gut which is releasing toxins that come out through the skin. Many times, these people also complain about digestive difficulties. Sometimes nourishing the GI tract with pro-biotics can get you back on track.
Stay away from sugar
Reduce the amount of refined carbohydrates or sugars, such as sweets. Refined carbohydrates can lead to high levels of insulin which, in turn, can increase production of the androgens affecting oil production in the skin. And, of course, drink plenty of water each day. Stay away from those sodas.
Nutrients that help nourish the skin:
Certain nutrients have been studied and shown to enhance skin function. Here are some of them:
Vitamin A - Many believe this vitamin to be very effective for skin disorders such as acne and psoriasis. As an antioxidant vitamin A may also help enhance immune function.
Vitamin B-12 - An essential nutrient, one of its many functions is it can help build proteins, which is what collagen is made of, which is what your skin is made of!
Vitamin B6-Vitamin B6 may help premenstrual or mid-cycle acne. This vitamin is essential for the proper metabolism of steroid hormones and can reduce the sensitivity of skin to the effects of testosterone.
Zinc-especially in the form of zinc gluconate or zinc sulfate, may be helpful in preventing acne. Zinc has been shown to helps heal blemishes, reduces inflammation, and reduces androgenic hormonal effects on the skin.
Essential Fatty acids- As mentioned above, skin needs essential fatty acids for normal elasticity and function. Often times, we find that our patients are lacking in the good fats but eat plenty of the hydrogenated fried fats. Including fish and fish oil, nuts, and seeds, can help you achieve this goal.
What can you do?
Here at Caring Medical we test for food allergy and utilize hormone testing which determines if you have a deficit or elevation in hormones that may need to be corrected. Don't feel like you have to just suffer with acne. There may be a very correctable reason for it.
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