Acne is one of the most common skin conditions, affecting nearly 85% of people between the ages of 12 and 24. If you’re one of the lucky ones — cough, cough — you may still be dealing with acne in your adult life. Not only does acne leave physical marks such as blackheads, whiteheads, inflammation and scars, but it can also create psychological wounds in the form of anxiety, depression and low self-image — especially when it’s still plaguing you well after your young adult years, when you can’t help but think, “Why am I still dealing with this? I should’ve grown out of it by now!”
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While your dermatologist may prescribe topical treatments, oral antibiotics or even a prescription drug like Accutane in severe acne cases, the truth is these medications can end up doing more harm than good. Accutane has been linked to depression, suicide, inflammatory bowel disease, seizures, brain swelling and more, and every time you take an antibiotic, you kill your beneficial bacteria along with the problematic ones. This can set the stage for yeast infections, as well as resistant bacterial strains.
So what’s the best way to treat adult acne? Naturally. Take a look at your diet and other lifestyle habits to try to narrow down what may be causing the inflammation. Just like other chronic diseases running rampant in Western society (like diabetes, heart disease and obesity), acne is primarily a disease of the Western world. Acne is much less of a problem in non-Westernized societies, where refined carbohydrates and sugar are consumed in much lower amounts. Solid evidence exists that diets high in sugar and refined carbohydrates are the primary cause of acne.
Along with drinking plenty of water, staying physically active, using clean cosmetic products, managing stress levels and eating a diet full of fresh, whole foods, a promising change that may help clear up your acne for good is a grain-free diet.
Your body "prefers" the complex carbs found in vegetables to the complex carbs found in grains, because your body handles their digestion differently. Vegetable-carbs are slow to break down into simple sugars, with minimal insulin impact, whereas digestion of grain-carbs raises your insulin and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1).
Higher IGF-1 levels can lead to increased male hormones, which cause your pores to secrete more sebum, a greasy substance that traps acne-promoting bacteria. IGF-1 also causes skin cells (known as keratinocytes) to multiply, a process associated with acne.
Bottom line: if you suffer from acne, consider a diet overhaul and ditch the sugars and grains.