Diet & Acne

Redlands Daily Facts Health Section, Diet & Acne
Staff Writer
Posted: 04/01/2009 09:29:39 PM PDT

Q: Does what I eat affect my skin?

Mimi: The skin is the largest organ of your body. Everything that you do to any part of the body affects the rest of the body. So of course what you eat makes a difference in your skin. Saying that diet doesn't make any difference is like saying that drinking alcohol doesn't affect the liver.

Q: Does chocolate cause acne?

Mimi: Eating chocolate does not cause acne. HOWEVER, many people are sensitive to chocolate in a way that may cause breakouts. Chocolate may cause the oil in the skin to become stickier and not flow from the pores as readily. This can contribute to having pimples. My sister eats a pound bag of M&Ms every day. She has never had a pimple in her life. When I eat chocolate, I get pimples. My advice: if you have acne, stop eating chocolate for a month and see if there is any improvement.

Q: Does eating sugar cause acne?

Mimi: P. Acnes bacterium causes acne. In your body are white blood cells that are designed to "eat" bad bacteria. This is the body’s natural defense system. White blood cells like to "eat" sugar. I would prefer eating sugar to eating bacteria, wouldn’t you? So if you eat sugar, the white blood cells may "eat" the sugar instead of "eating" the bad bacteria. This could allow P.Acnes to flourish and make pimples.

Q: Does drinking soda cause acne?

Mimi: My question back to you is, "Does drinking soda cause you to be healthy?" NO. So just cut out soda. Drink water. If you make just ONE diet change for beautiful skin it would be to substitute water for soda. Diet soda is even worse.

Q: I want beautiful skin, what should I eat?

Mimi: Vibrant health will give you lovely skin. Stuff your beautiful face with fresh, uncooked fruits and veggies! Next add cooked and frozen fruits and veggies without a lot of salt and sauces. Raw or dry roasted nuts, tofu, beans, legumes, and eggs are good for protein. If you have red pimples, go easy on milk from cows that have been given antibiotics or hormones. This might pass on to you through the milk and could cause hormonal upset that irritates the skin. Chicken might be a better choice than beef, for the same reasons. Fresh water fish is superior to seafood because of the iodine in seafood, especially lobster and crab. Iodine causes flare ups in cystic acne. In the grocery store, look for Plain Salt. It will say, "Does not contain Iodine." This is what you will cook with. At home make popcorn for snacks and sprinkle on Non Iodized salt. Then stay away from other salty snack food, prepared food, and fast foods. They are all heavily salted with Iodized Salt. Cheese is high in salt. Drink water.

Have a grocery store treasure hunt to find whole grains that you can add into your diet. Oatmeal is awesome. Puffed brown rice is fun. Popcorn is whole grain. Read labels.

The reason that you want to drink LOTS of water is to urinate a lot. Eating lots of fruits and veggies, beans, whole grains, seeds and nuts makes you use the bathroom often. By keeping your "system" clean and moving along well, you will flush waste matter out of your body quickly. If the waste is allowed to sit in the colon, it could be reabsorbed into your blood stream. So keep your outsides clean with washing, and your insides clean with frequent bathroom visits.

Mimi Barre is the owner of International Day Spa, 325 Cajon St., Redlands. Send your skin care questions to her at MimiB@INTLdayspa.com. She and her estheticians are available for personal consultations, (909) 793-9080.