Is What You're Eating Causing Your Acne??

A healthy diet is extremely beneficial for the entire body, including the skin. Although it has been studied that foods blamed for causing acne actually do not, such as chocolate or greasy foods, it is possible that a bad diet can aggravate acne. So keeping a healthy diet is going to be especially important for acne prone skin.

Studies have recently been performed in Australia where the results proved that diets which had higher protein content showed an improvement in acne. Such foods are milk, cheese, breads, chicken, nuts, fruits and vegetables. Diets that were high in processed foods increased the blood sugar and insulin levels causing more acne.

The best diet to maintain healthy, acne-free skin should contain the following:

Vitamin A which is the main substance of Retin A (a popular acne medication) is found naturally in carrots, spinach, apricots and cantaloupes. A diet of too much Vitamin A can cause joint pain and birth defects so it is important not to have too much Vitamin A in your diet.

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) can alleviate the stress known to cause acne. Foods with high B2 include wheat germ, milk, eggs, fish and meat. A deficiency of this vitamin can cause skin inflammation and poor hair and nails.

Vitamin B3 (Niacin) improves circulation and naturally protects the skin from sun damage. This vitamin is found in peanuts, brown rice, eggs, chicken, tuna and broccoli. A deficiency of this vitamin can cause fatigue and depression.

Vitamin B6 is found in chicken, beef and bananas. It is important to have this vitamin in your diet because a deficiency can cause excess sebum production, causing more acne breakouts.

Vitamin C is beneficial in producing collagen in the skin thus producing an overall clearer complexion. This vitamin is found in fruits and vegetables.

Zinc is very important to acne skin. A deficiency of zinc in your diet can result in acne or eczema. Zinc also helps boost the immune system which improves the body's overall health including the skin. Zinc can be found in eggs, cheese, chicken, nuts and mushrooms.

It is also very important to drink a lot of water. Mineral water being the best.
Water helps reduce acne by flushing out the toxins. Water also helps to keep your organs working properly. Problems in the digestive system can cause acne breakouts. Also water keeps the skin hydrated - if the skin is dehydrated the skin's natural exfoliation process can slow down causing pores to block adding to more acne.