The relationship between Acne and sugar
Acne is one of the most famous and common skin disease. And possibly that there is a relationship between acne and sugar. Acne is described by de Groot (2012) as a multifactorial disease of the sebaceous follicles. It is characterized by blackheads (comedones), papules, papulopus and cysts. In addition to being a cosmetically disturbing problem, most forms of acne can also lead to scarring. The longer the acne has existed, the greater the chance of permanent tissue damage.
Severe forms of acne can, according to Hosthota (2016), entail a heavy psychological burden. People with acne are more prone to some mental health conditions such as anxiety and social phobias than people without acne. The result is that they have depressed feelings, are no longer among people and go outside.
What dermatologists also see is that the use of make-up / foundation is more frequent, which clogs the skin more. The right treatment and skin care is therefore very important.
People with acne are more prone to anxiety disorders and social phobias.
Figures show that acne occurs in 85% of people between the ages of 12 and 24. However, 12% of women and 3% of men at the age of 44 still show symptoms of acne, this form of acne is also called acne tarda (postadolescent acne).
Origin of acne
Multiple factors cause acne. What happens is that the sebaceous follicle in acne becomes inflamed. This is because the sebaceous glands start to produce more sebum or sebum under the influence of hormones. This causes sebum to accumulate and clog the sebaceous gland (pore). These sebum deposits are called blackheads or comedones. The superficial blackheads can be recognized by the black color and the more subcutaneous blackheads are white in color. Due to the increased keratinization of the output duct of the sebaceous gland, sebum accumulation is aggravated. In addition, there are a lot of bacteria in the sebaceous glands.
The propionbacterum acnes is one of them. These bacteria multiply quickly and the sebum is converted into fatty acids. Due to all the accumulated sebum in combination with the irritating free fatty acids, causes the follicle to tears open. The irritants get into the adjacent skin and cause the inflammation. This causes pimples and pimples.
More about acne and its different forms
Acne and diet
The literature on acne and nutrition has shown a mixed picture over the last 100 years. Around the year 1900, a diet was often used as an assisted treatment for acne. After that, the interest in it declined again. More is now known about the causes of acne. Nutrition could certainly play a role. However, researchers conclude that it is still a very controversial topic.
Nutrition and acne is always a very controversial topic
“Sugar or carbohydrates give you pimples” is a popular saying. A carbohydrate consists of one or more sugar molecules. Foods with a high glycemic index (GI) cause a rapid rise in blood sugar. Another concept is the Glycemic Load (GL) that says something about the rate of carbohydrate conversion of a food. The GL also takes portion size into account and therefore provides a more complete picture.
Be careful with quickly digestible sugars
A diet based on products with a high glycemic index (white bread, white rice, plain pasta, biscuits and sweets, etc.) leads to increased insulin production (hyperinsulinaemia). An elevated insulin level stimulates the secretion of androgens (male hormones). The result is increased sebum production, which plays a fundamental role in causing acne vulgaris.
According to Kucharska and colleagues (2016) and de Groot, Toonstra and Lorist (2012), there are indications that foods with a high GI can have a negative effect on acne.
The influence of chocolate has not been proven
So far chocolate is not on the acne stimulating food list.
Literature
De Groot, A., Toonstra, J., & Lorits, M. (2012) Dermatologie voor huidtherapeuten. Den Haag: Boom Lemma.
Emiroglu, N., Cengiz, F. P., & Kemeriz, F. (2015). Insulin resistance in severe acne vulgaris. Postepy Dermatologi, 4, 281-285.
Hosthota, A., Bondade, S., & Basavaraja, V. (2016). Impact of acne vulgaris on quality of life and self-esteem. Cutis, 2, 121-4.
Stephen, E. (2014). Treatment for Acne: An Historical Nutritional Perspective. Journal of the Australian Traditional-Medicine Society, 3, 194-196.
