Beliefs about the association between diet and acne has changed several times. More recently, there has been a shift toward thinking that an association does exist, according to Linda Stein Gold, M.D., director, Dermatology Clinical Research, Henry Ford Health System.
Some studies have demonstrated that high glycemic diets—diets that raise the insulin level in the blood quickly—can exacerbate acne. Still other studies implicate milk and possibly skim milk in exacerbating acne, according to Dr. Stein Gold, who is among the authors of “Guidelines of care for the management of acne vulgaris.”
Current guidelines published in the Journal of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD) make these recommendations about the role of diet in acne1:
• Given the current data, no specific dietary changes are recommended in the management of acne.
• Emerging data suggest that high glycemic index diets may be associated with acne.
• Limited evidence suggests that some dairy, particularly skim milk, may influence acne.
“The guidelines take these new studies into consideration; however, we do not have the large, reproducible controlled clinical trials to make a firm recommendation,” Dr. Stein Gold says.
Credit: Lisette Hilton, Dermatologytimes.com