Q: I am a baby boomer and I still have acne! I thought the one thing that I could look forward to with aging would be clear skin. What can I do to get rid of this?
A: I completely empathize with you! One of the things that got me involved with nutrition was the exact same problem! I suffered from acne starting in my early teen years, all the way up to my mid-thirties. I went to countless dermatologists and was consistently informed that diet had nothing to do with it! I couldn’t believe it but I also couldn’t find anything to support my theories until fairly recently.
Your skin is your major detoxifying organ. You not only “are what you eat” but you also wear what you eat all over your face! It turns out that there are specific things that can absolutely exacerbate acne and increase the inflammatory response.
First of all, you have to make sure that you have good digestion. Low levels of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, a condition known as hypochlorhydria, can increase your risk of Rosecea. After the age of 35, our endogenous production of HCL starts to decline. It can also be reduced due to stress, poor diet, caffeine, alcohol and OTC drugs. It can get diluted if you consume excess fluids with your meals-I limit clients to 4 ounces with meals and ensure that they consume their 8-12 glasses of pure spring water in between meals. Besides helping with digestion, HCL also helps kill off bad bacteria to prevent it from overgrowing in the small intestine. Bacteria can exacerbate acne as well which is why probiotics can be of help here too. Probiotics help raise the numbers of good bacteria while killing off the bad ones.
If you suffer from excessive oil production, (if you are a menstruating woman you will especially notice this the week before your period) you may benefit from taking high dose Pantethine(vitamin B5). This has a similar mechanism of action to the drug Accutane, a drug so potent that you must go through counseling and multiple pregnancy tests before you are allowed to take it. Pantethine, taken in doses of 10 grams a day can have similar benefits but without the toxicity. I have clients use it for 3 months at this dose and then gradually decrease it down to a maintenance dose of 5 grams per day.
There is a specific compound in dairy that can cause acne. Additionally high glycemic carbohydrates and lectin rich grains can also exacerbate acne. This has been researched thoroughly by Dr. Loren Cordain, a savvy physiologist and author of a new book, The Dietary Cure for Acne. He details the role of diet in acne and explains the biochemistry of how dairy products cause acne.
Another important dietary shift is to reduce your intake of pro-inflammatory fats and to increase your intake of the anti-inflammatory fatty acids EPA, DHA and GLA. Acne and Rosecea are inflammatory conditions and one of the quickest ways to reduce inflammation at a cellular level is by making an oil change. Trade your pro-inflammatory vegetable oils for heart healthy, skin rejuvenating anti-inflammatory choices from extra virgin olive oil, cold water wild fish, raw nuts, seeds and avocados. I also have clients supplement daily with a professional brand of EPA, DHA and GLA. GLA has been found to help in several inflammatory skin disorders and also helps improve skin hydration.
