The acne detox diet notion has been around for a while now, and has created more than it’s share of contention. Is an acne detox diet an effective acne cure, or just another “idea” that is yet to be proven? I thought a bit of fact-finding was in order, and you’ll never guess what I found.
The acne detox diet theory resulted from contemporary clinical studies that reviewed the findings of two other landmark studies conducted in 1969 and 1971. These studies determined that acne was caused by a genetic deficiency that causes your body to produce 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 come together 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 average numbers, the P-acne bacteria is actually valuable, controlling other, more threatening, bacteria that come our way.
Unfortunately, excess sebum oil lets the bacteria multiply to abnormal numbers, resulting in skin over sensitivity. 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 presence 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 findings reached in the 1968 and 1971 studies were not only problematic, but that the studies, themselves, were fundamentally flawed. Apparently, once they found the DNA-sebum oil connection, they stopped looking for other causes.
Researchers in the later studies didn’t stop, and finally found that there is a traceable link between diet and acne. What they didn’t expect was to find that the link wasn’t so much what you were eating, but much more about how what you’re eating is made.
A large percentage of the foods we eat, both at home and in restaurants, are made with chemicals that act as preservatives. This keeps the food safe and fresh for a longer period of time, which, in itself, is not an undesired 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 build up inside your body until they reach a dangerous level, causing your body’s natural defenses to attempt to eliminate the poisons.
They also uncovered the fact that, in people prone to acne, the body expels of these chemicals by surrounding them in sebum oil (remember that from earlier?) and secreting it out through your skin. This replicates the exact same conditions as those created by faulty DNA, and results in outbreaks of acne.
So, you can see how an acne detox diet that rids your body of these chemicals before they reach a toxic 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.
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