Many dermatologists and acne sufferers believe that excessive sugar consumption aggravates acne conditions. Many other dermatologists, however, do not believe that there is enough evidence to link sugar consumption and acne.
Many people who suffer from acne can detect a pattern having to do with their diet and their acne breakouts. These people have noticed over time that particular foods will instigate the appearance of pimples and blemishes. For many people, chocolate and other sugary snacks are obvious irritants to a pre-existing acne condition.
Other acne sufferers, however, do not detect any relationship between sugary foods and their acne condition. And of course there are all those people who seem to be able to eat all the sugar they want without having to worry about ever developing a pimple or a blemish.
The truth is that sugar reacts differently in different bodies. While the consumption of sugar has no ill effects on one person, it can cause all sorts of trouble for another person. The way sugar reacts within a person's body has to do with that person's hormonal make up.
When a person consumes sugary foods, the person's blood sugar rises sharply and rapidly. This spike in blood sugar is directly related to how much sugar is ingested. In response to this spike in the level of blood sugar, the body excretes hormones such as insulin and other hormones. The sugar is then allowed to enter the cells of the liver and the cells that comprise muscular tissue. Any sugar that is left over when this process is complete is stored as fat.
The consumption of sugar triggers a process in which hormones must surge and fat is created quickly. The body then contains an excess of androgenic hormones. It is the job of the liver to rid the body of excess hormones - but the liver's capacity to do this changes from liver to liver. Some people have very strong livers that can process and deactivate large amounts of excess hormones, while other people have livers that become easily overwhelmed. When the liver is unable to process and deactivate excess hormones, these hormones cause the sebum glands to produce too much oil in the skin. This skin oil, combined with the fat in the blood, can cause aggravation of acne.
It is difficult for some people to envision a diet that does not include sugar. But if you believe that your acne condition is worsened when you ingest large amounts of sugar, then it may be time to start taking measures to correct this problem.
If you do not believe that your acne condition is aggravated by sugar consumption, you may be right. But it may not hurt to experiment with some changes in diet to see if there might be foods that are particular irritants to your acne. If you can detect which foods make your acne worse through trial and error experimentation, then you can avoid those foods in the future.
If you choose to experiment with a diet that is low in sugar, you should avoid candy, chocolate, and any other foods that contain processed sugars. You should also avoid fruit juices except those that are low in sugar. High sugar fruits should be eaten sparingly. Natural sugars such as honey, maple syrup, and molasses, can be used in small quantities.
