Age-old Debate: Acne and Diet

Acne affects between 40 million and 50 million people in the United States, with 79 percent to 95 percent of adolescents being affected. In the Western world, it is a very common skin condition. However, few studies have traced acne to nonwesternized societies. One previous researcher wrote acne was nonexistent in Inuit (Eskimo) people until they began living and eating in Western societies.

In an article published in the Archives of Dermatology, researchers from Colorado State University report they observed no cases of acne among 1,200 Islanders from Papua New Guinea or 115 hunter-gatherers from Paraguay, all between the ages of 15 and 25. They say while genetics may be partly responsible, environmental factors are likely to play a role, too. For one, they say, the Western diet may induce hyperinsulinemia, which results in a hormonal cascade causing tissue growth and excess androgen production.

In an accompanying editorial in the journal, two physicians say if this is the result, then one would expect to see obese individuals, who are insulin resistant, with acne.

The editorial also says while there could be a link between hyperinsulinemia and acne, you also must take into account genetic factors for these two study populations. It is possible that genes play a larger role in acne than diet does. However, the researchers and the editorial writers agree it is unknown as this point as to whether eating a diet lower in sugar can alter acne in Western civilization.

SOURCE: Archives of Dermatology, 2002;138:1584-1590

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