Dermatologists have been claiming for years that sugar doesn't cause acne.
Research shows they now have to eat their words - without sugar coating.
Researches studied the effect of glycemic index (GI) on acne.
Glycemic index shows how quickly the sugar from a food enters the bloodstream.
Higher the glycemic index the faster the sugar is absorbed.
The study, reported at the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, compared the effect of normal (high GI) diet to a low GI diet.
The findings? People on the low GI diet had far fewer pimples than the control group eating the high GI diet.
Conclusion: sugar and other high glycemic index foods affect acne.
How sugar causes acne? How is it that by indulging on your sweet tooth you can wake up with more acne the next morning? It comes down to the delicate system your body has for maintaining stable blood sugar levels.
Sugar for your body is like fuel for your car.
In order for your body to run properly it needs the right amount of sugar in the bloodstream; not too much or too little.
Because blood sugar levels are so critical the human body has elaborate mechanisms for keeping them under control.
After eating blood sugar levels start rising.
Your body responds by releasing insulin, which is a hormone that escorts sugar from your blood (actually glucose) into the cells and thus brings down blood sugar levels.
Along with insulin the body also releases other hormones.
The problem is that insulin and the other hormones also affect your skin.
In a nutshell they increase sebum production and lead to blocked skin pores.
This is explained in more detail at diet and acne section of my website (see the about the author box below).
In essence the more your blood sugar levels fluctuate the more of these acne causing hormones your body releases and the more likely you are to wake up with more pimples.
And what causes your blood sugar levels to fluctuate? Eating sugar, refined carbohydrates and other foods with high glycemic index is perhaps the biggest factor.
But the effect is not limited to diet.
Sedentary lifestyle, being overweight and lack of sleep can make it harder for your body to maintain stable blood sugar levels.
So what this comes down to is, yes, sugar causes acne, but simply avoiding sugar may not by enough to cure acne.
If you are past your teen years and have suffered from acne for several years, curing acne probably requires holistic effort to improve your overall health.
Research shows they now have to eat their words - without sugar coating.
Researches studied the effect of glycemic index (GI) on acne.
Glycemic index shows how quickly the sugar from a food enters the bloodstream.
Higher the glycemic index the faster the sugar is absorbed.
The study, reported at the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, compared the effect of normal (high GI) diet to a low GI diet.
The findings? People on the low GI diet had far fewer pimples than the control group eating the high GI diet.
Conclusion: sugar and other high glycemic index foods affect acne.
How sugar causes acne? How is it that by indulging on your sweet tooth you can wake up with more acne the next morning? It comes down to the delicate system your body has for maintaining stable blood sugar levels.
Sugar for your body is like fuel for your car.
In order for your body to run properly it needs the right amount of sugar in the bloodstream; not too much or too little.
Because blood sugar levels are so critical the human body has elaborate mechanisms for keeping them under control.
After eating blood sugar levels start rising.
Your body responds by releasing insulin, which is a hormone that escorts sugar from your blood (actually glucose) into the cells and thus brings down blood sugar levels.
Along with insulin the body also releases other hormones.
The problem is that insulin and the other hormones also affect your skin.
In a nutshell they increase sebum production and lead to blocked skin pores.
This is explained in more detail at diet and acne section of my website (see the about the author box below).
In essence the more your blood sugar levels fluctuate the more of these acne causing hormones your body releases and the more likely you are to wake up with more pimples.
And what causes your blood sugar levels to fluctuate? Eating sugar, refined carbohydrates and other foods with high glycemic index is perhaps the biggest factor.
But the effect is not limited to diet.
Sedentary lifestyle, being overweight and lack of sleep can make it harder for your body to maintain stable blood sugar levels.
So what this comes down to is, yes, sugar causes acne, but simply avoiding sugar may not by enough to cure acne.
If you are past your teen years and have suffered from acne for several years, curing acne probably requires holistic effort to improve your overall health.
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