The anti acne diet idea is the result of a lot of acne myths that have persisted through the years. You've heard them all..."Chocolate causes acne" or "Greasy foods cause acne", and the like. Let's take a serious look at the anti acne diet idea and try to find some truth.

Two landmark studies that were done in 1969 and 1971 were designed to look at the effect, if any, that a person's diet had on acne formation and severity. Both studies concluded that acne was the result of a genetic defect in the sufferer's DNA that caused the sebacious glands to produce excessive sebum oil, which clogged pores and became a perfect breeding ground for the P-acne bacteria. They also concluded that diet had absolutely no effect on acne formation or the severity of acne outbreaks, so, an anti acne diet would be worthless for acne treatment.

These two studies convinced the medical community that, since acne was a genetic problem, it was only possible to treat the symptoms of acne (pimples, blackheads, etc.), and that they should forgo any attempt to cure the disease. The anti acne diet was relegated to the realm of myth.

But, the myth persisted, mostly fueled by anecdotal evidence. People continued to notice that when they ate certain foods, acne breakouts would occur. They also noticed that not eating these same foods would keep acne at bay. So, the anti acne diet idea stayed alive.

And, that is fortunate, because more recent studies have re-examined the findings of those earlier studies and found that, not only were their conclusions wrong, but that the studies, themselves, were seriously flawed. It seems that, once the link between faulty DNA and sebum oil production was found, the researchers stopped looking for further evidence of other possible causes.

Well, the researchers in these more recent studies didn't stop, and eventually found that there is, in fact, a definite link between diet and acne, and that a proper anti acne diet could have a profound effect on acne outbreaks. This led to the current belief that a bad diet is one of the largest contributing factors to abnormal hormone production and increased body toxification, both major causes of acne.

Okay...What, then, would be considered an "anti acne diet"?

Well, researchers have found that it's not so much what you eat, but, more about how what you eat is prepared.

Highly processed foods, both in the grocery store and in restaurants, contain chemicals and preservatives that didn't even exist when the 1969 and 1971 studies were completed. They do a tremendous job of keeping our food safe, but, when taken over a long period of time, can build up inside your body to a point of being toxic. And, of course, your body's natural reaction is to eliminate these chemicals and regain it's natural "balance".

In some people, the body emulsifys the chemicals in fat cells and stores them. That's why you see very few fat people with acne.

In others, the body increases it's production of sebum oil in an attempt to expel the chemicals through the skin. The oil tends to pool in the hair follicles and skin pores, which attracts the P-acne bacteria. The bacteria begins to breed and multiply, forcing your body to rush white blood cells to the site to fight the bacteria, resulting in inflammation, white heads, blackheads, and...acne.

An anti acne diet low in processed foods will go a long way in preventing all of this from happening.

I'll admit that it's a bit more complicated than this simple overview, but, space here is limited. If you want to learn more about anti acne diets and what one can do for you, I suggest you look at the work done by Mike Walden, a certified nutritionist and researcher. He makes an excellent case for using an anti acne diet and making some small lifestyle changes to become acne-free for life.

You will find a link to Mike's "Acne No More" website in the "links" list below.

Only you can answer that. I know for a fact that it's helped a great number of people to stay acne-free.

I will admit, however, that although a diet like the one mentioned above is pretty simple, it's not easy. You'll need to give up on some foods that you may really love (like milk and white bread), but, this type of diet is not nearly as hard as some weight loss diets that I've seen.

I guess the question becomes "Do you want to be acne free more than you want to eat these foods?"

If you can honestly answer "YES!", then adopting an anti acne diet can be an effective alternative acne treatment for you, too.