Waking up to a big red zit in the morning - the most dreadful thing ever! With some people, it happens more than often if they have acne-prone skin. Acne can be persistent and sometimes, no amount of medications can make them vanish for good. It keeps coming back. But do you know what can actually make it stop in its tracks? Your diet! What we eat feeds our skin too and reflects on it. A bad diet can aggravate the problem of acne and a good diet can help prevent it. Dietitian Kanupreet Arora Narang has suggested some dos and don'ts for skin diet that can help prevent the recurrence of acne.
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What Causes Acne? How Does Acne Happen?
Acne occurs when skin pores, connected to oil glands beneath the skin, become blocked. This blockage leads to the buildup of oil, dead skin cells, and bacteria, resulting in inflammation and the formation of acne lesions. Factors like hormones, genetics, and stress contribute to acne development.
Types Of Acne:
There are two main types of acne:
Whiteheads (Pimples): These are clogged pores that close up but protrude from the skin. They appear as hard, whitish bumps.
Blackheads: These are clogged pores that remain open. They appear as small dark spots on the skin's surface.
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Acne can be caused due to many factors, including bad diet.
Here Are 5 Diet Mistakes To Avoid For Skin Health:
1. Stay Away From Foods With High Glycemic Index
High GI index foods tend to raise blood sugar levels faster, which leads to inflammation that produces acne on the skin. Avoid refined carbs and highly processed foods like white bread, pasta, macaroni and cheese.
2. Cut Down On Fried Foods
Unhealthy saturated and trans fats in fried foods are known to trigger inflammation, which is a leading cause of skin problems. Limit your intake of fried foods and even processed baked goods to once in a while.
3. Stop Having Too Much Milk
Milk and milk products have been shown to raise insulin levels, which may propel the production of pimples. Some studies also claim that the growth hormones already present in milk may throw off the body's hormone balance and increase oil production.
4. Say No To Sweets
Refined sugar can also be the culprit, so try to avoid it as much as possible. Sugar can trigger the two major causes of acne - hormones and inflammation. While natural sugars found in fruits may not be the problem, refined sugar in desserts, cookies, chocolates etc. is.
5. Don't Upset Your Tummy
A bad stomach means bad skin. You would have noticed that whenever you have diarrhoea or constipation, acne erupts on your face. This says it all. So avoid foods that your stomach can't take. Check our list of foods that you should avoid.
Fresh foods are good for skin health.
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Here Are 5 Diet Tips To Follow For Skin Health
1. Switch To Whole Grains
Instead of consuming absurd amounts of refined carbs, have foods made with whole grains, like whole wheat roti, brown bread, ragi cheela etc. These foods are lower in glycemic index and are better for your skin.
2. Have Fresh Fruits And Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are packed with antioxidants, which build overall skin health and immunity and prevent inflammation. Try to consume fresh and seasonal fruits and vegetables.
3. Feed Healthy Fats To Your Skin
Healthy fats found in foods like ghee, nuts and seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and also micro minerals like zinc magnesium and selenium, which are known to boost healthy and glowing skin. Check our list of foods with healthy fats you should be eating. Make sure to soak nuts and seeds before consumption to make them lighter for your stomach.
4. Hydrate Your Skin
Water is the elixir for the skin. It flushes out toxins and acne-causing bacteria. So drinks lots of water throughout the day. Hydrating drinks like coconut water and lemonade are also good options. Here are some more hydrating drinks you can have for good skin.
5. Focus On Gut Health
Gut health has a direct impact on skin health. Prebiotics and probiotics like curd, kefir, sour pickles, sauerkraut and kombucha produce good bacteria in the gut, keeping it healthy.
Skin problems like acne can be controlled to a great extent by following a healthy diet. These expert diet tips might help you.