Summary
In this article researchers discuss the claim that a diet with sugar can lead to increased amounts of acne. Although the connection between sugar and acne has long been dismissed, scientists are now doing further research. Recent studies have shown that sugar may not be the reason but the food’s glycemic index, or the speed and extent to which it raises blood glucose levels, which causes inflammation. In order to test the sugar theory scientist recruited 50 males between the ages of 15-25 all with acne. They followed their diets and progress for 12 weeks. Some of the subjects followed a typical diet which included high-glycemic foods such as white bread, sweetened cereals and pasta, while the other subjects were given foods higher in protein and lower on the glycemic scale, like fish, whole-grain breads and fruit. At the end of the 12 weeks the study showed that the subjects with the low-glycemic diet had a greater reduction in skin lesions and other various acne symptoms then the control subjects. Scientists also tested the levels of free circulating androgens, male hormones, which are also known to cause acne, which also turned up at a lower amount. Still more research is needed to prove this theory.
O'Connor, Anahad. "The Claim: Sugar in the Diet Can Lead to Acne". The New York Times. 2/24/09
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