Monday, April 16, 2007

What is the relationship between diet, hygiene and acne ?

Is there a relationship between diet, hygiene and acne? This debate has been going on for many years now and because of the fact that millions across the world are affected by acne, this is a very popular debate. Though there is no scientific proof to show that there is indeed a relationship, but many still continue to believe in the contrary.

One common misconception is that a diet that is rich in potato chips, french fries, sugar and even chocolate can make acne worse. Conversely, a diet that is low in GI does not also cure acne. Both these conditions have been proved to be wrong by scientists and researchers through various studies conducted on thousands of subjects. If anything, a relationship between milk and acne has been found, but about the exact nature of this relationship there is still a lot of doubt.

Another popular misconception is that dirt causes acne or pimples. This means that if someone is exposed to increased dirt, that person is more prone to getting acne. Does this mean that more people who stay in polluted cities suffer from acne compared to others in cleaner places? There is no data to prove this. No, dirt cannot cause acne.

The American Academy of Dermatology as also the Journal of the American Medical Association are of the opinion that no diet can promote acne, and also, there is no food that can prevent a person from getting the pimples. But the guys out there do agree that a healthy diet will help. That is because with the proper diet the natural immunity remains strong, and this itself can be a fighting mechanism to ward off ailments. On the other hand, common nutrients that are absorbed from the foods people eat can aid in acne treatment.

Diet rich in the following are beneficial…

Vitamin A (but mind it – high doses can become toxic), Vitamin B-2 (keeps the body and mind fresh by removing stress and rejuvenating), Vitamin B-3 (apart from lowering cholesterol levels, it also leads to healthy skin), Vitamin E (protects the metabolism of the human body) and Zinc (improves the immunity).

Though no direct relationship has been found between hygiene and diet, but can anyone say anything against staying clean, or hygienic living? But this doesn’t mean that cleaning the face seven times a day using a soap will make the person cleaner and prevent him or her from getting acne. If anything, over washing may cause more harm than good, as soaps may dry up the skin and make it irritable. Use the soap no more than twice daily.

Though it may be itch and be extremely tempting, picking the acne pimples is never a good idea. They can bleed and the bacteria may even go deeper into the skin, worsening the situation. Plus, of course, it can lead to scars.

Jen Carter is team member and writes regularily about acne treatment, skin tag and other common conditions for Amoils.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jen_Carter

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