Is It True?, High Sugar Level can Cause Acne

       One thing to know is that sugar is a very dangerous to our health, if taken in the wrong way. It can rob your body of minerals, lower your immune system and can be very addictive. Acne as you may well know has different causes.

        But sugar effects on acne is indirect, sugar by itself do not have a direct major effect on acne. It combines with different kinds of fats increasing the acne inflammation.

       Acne blemishes as a result of clogged pores. Sometimes the clogged pores may not be inflamed. The clogged pores that are inflamed happen with pimples, pustules, papules, nodules and cysts.

      Pimples are small skin lesions or inflammations of the skin, they develop when sebaceous glands (oil glands) become clogged and infected, leading to swollen red lesions filled with pus. The clogged pores usually contain dead cells that encourage growth of undesirable bacteria including Propionibacterium acnes this slow growing bacterium are linked to acne.

How does sugar cause acne?  

        Since all acne is hormonal to some extent and because of genetics acne prone skin is sensitive to androgens, thereby increasing sebum production and skin cell growth.

     

When you eat something sugary or skip a meal, your blood sugar will spike when sugars get digested then can cause the pancreas to produce more insulin and insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) which maintains the blood glucose level but excess of it will in turn, trigger a release of androgen hormones.

      The excess of androgens means that our skin will produce too much sebum, which will then lead to clogged pores, blackheads and white heads which can then lead to further acne inflammation.

     “Sugar is bad for inflammation very bad”. This Study Published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows just how bad. In this study they took 29 young healthy men and gave them either 1 or 2 12 oz cans of soda. After 3 weeks here’s what happened to their C reactive protein (CRP) levels, where CRP is one of the best measures of inflammation.

• ·        1 can per day, inflammation levels went up by 87%
• ·        2 cans per day, up to 105%

           And this is shocking since people drink much more than 2 cups per day.

     

         To decrease the presence of acne – is to make some changes to your meal. Studies from the American Journal of Nutrition suggests you may have fewer breakouts if you add more whole grain and beans and veggies and cut back on pasta, white rice, white beard and sugar.