Acne is a common occurrence, mostly during adolescence. However, some adults can still suffer from it. In time, it usually dissipates or improves dramatically as one’s age increases. Adapting your eating habits and transforming into a vegan can be advantageous for your skin, yet it can likewise bring about pimple outbreaks that are especially hard to control.
Before turning to medicines, there are some understandable reasons why pimples may be appearing on your face and some established methods that you can use to prevent them from becoming a larger issue.
Can a Vegan Diet Help Acne?
Affecting many people in the West, acne is one of the most common skin conditions. In the United States, more than 50 million people have acne and the incidence rate is increasing, particularly among adults. But this isn’t the case everywhere.
Acne seems to be significantly less common in societies that haven’t been westernized. Sharma states that during the 1970s, a team of investigators visited Papua New Guinea. “They discovered that there were no adolescents with acne.”
In 2002, the same outcome was determined when looking at the Kitavan Islanders of Papua New Guinea. The authors evaluated research from the 1990s. It was stated that none of the 300 Kitavans aged 15 to 25 years had any signs of papules, pustules, or open comedones, thus none of them had any acne at all. In a population of the same group living in the Western hemisphere, a minimum of 120 individuals would have acne.
An examination of a group of Aché hunter-gatherers from Paraguay from 1997 to 2001 revealed the same results. Not one single case of acne.
The obvious difference between these two societies and Westerners? Diet and way of life. In the Western part of the world, meals often include a lot of pre-made items, and people consume a lot of sugar, salt, and animal fat. A study undertaken by the National Cancer Institute in 2010 revealed that the majority of Americans (90%) do not consume the recommended amount of vegetables every day.
In comparison, Paraguay and Papua New Guinea had an extremely low intake of processed and animal-based foods.
For the people of Kitavan Island, the only form of animal protein they would usually eat was freshly caught fish. Tubers and fruits represented their “dietary mainstays,” noted researchers. The majority of the Aché hunter-gatherers’ dietary intake (69%) was derived from growing their own food through agriculture, such as sweet manioc, peanuts, maize, and rice, while they also partook in hunting wild game. Basically, their eating habits centered mostly around whole plant-based foods.
It has been established that the typical American diet has an association with the potential danger of developing internal ailments. The World Health Organization has classified items such as processed meat as a type 1 carcinogen. It appears to be sensible that the same connection would exist between internal health and skin health.
Sharma has observed that despite considering the population, the number of people with acne has increased significantly. We are all beginning to conform to the dietary habits of Western culture. We are taking in large quantities of pre-packaged meals, fatty items, items high in sugar, and dairy products.
Other aspects that may affect the skin disorder could include heredity, atmosphere, and fluctuating hormones. But the 2002 study isn’t standalone.
Results from a 2017 investigation determined that consuming plant-based products and dietary supplements containing a lot of fiber and polyphenols may serve as a safe, natural remedy for acne vulgaris.
If this is your initial trial of a vegan lifestyle, it is critical to have perseverance with your complexion. It could initially become even more challenging, but then you might start to observe enhancements once you’ve accustomed to your new diet.
Dr. Pam Benito, a dermatologist, informed Bustle that it is common for individuals who are shifting to a vegan lifestyle to experience skin problems. If a person does develop acne from excluding animal products from their dietary intake, Benito recommends giving the system a few weeks to settle into the new dietary patterns which can potentially result in the skin clearing up.
She stated in addition: “But if the matter is due to food allergies, hormone inconsistencies, or an unsuitable skin care program, it may not vanish on its own.”
A whole-food, plant-based diet could be beneficial for the skin, but one animal-sourced food needs greater focus: dairy.
Can Dairy Trigger Acne?
A connection between milk and acne is commonly acknowledged. Essentially, this is down to hormones.
Cow’s milk isn’t produced for humans to drink. The only aim of that milk is to give nutrition to baby cows and enable them to grow and mature.
The components of cow’s milk are two proteins, whey and casein. Studies indicate that consuming casein causes the body to produce the hormone insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1).
We already have IGF-1 in our bodies. This important compound is created by the liver and cells of the body, and it aids in the expansion and separation of cells. It is especially necessary during childhood, as it contributes to growth and advancement. Having an excessive amount can be an issue for our complexion.
Sharma states that indulging in more of mammalian milk’s equivalent to the mother’s milk can cause breakouts. IGF-1 concentrations that are elevated can affect the sebaceous glands, resulting in the stimulation of the production of sebum with a high oil content.
She says that not only cow’s milk but goats milk can also activate the hormone.
Sharma states that IGF-1 causes an enlargement of the sebocytes, which are the cells responsible for secreting sebum in sebaceous glands. “So you get the more nodular cystic acne.”
Getting rid of dairy milk from your eating habits might be an effective way to help reduce acne. Milk is not just enjoyed separately, it is included in many different items. It is essential to be aware of what Sharma refers to as “invisible dairy items”.
My patients usually enter and tell me that they don’t eat dairy based products. However, after further investigation, I can usually determine all the dairy-containing items in their diet. Do you consider the protein bar that you ate? And that milk chocolate you consumed? It all counts, even if it’s just a small amount.
The Importance of Reducing Inflammation
Acne is tied to inflammation within the body, like other frequently occurring skin disorders such as psoriasis, rosacea, and eczema.
Sharma suggests that people attempt to reduce inflammation. Many factors can exacerbate the condition, such as smoking, an inability to digest dairy products, ingesting fried items, and having an intake of meat products with large concentrations of choline.
Red meat, fish, eggs, and poultry all contain choline. The gut bacteria break down the choline, generating trimethylamine. Subsequently, the liver changes it into Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO). A harmful molecule, TMAO leads to chronic inflammation.
Sharma pointed out that after fasting for 24 hours and then consuming any animal products, there is a sharp increase in the level of TMAO.
Sharma noted that inflammation on the exterior of a patient with psoriasis can be a sign of internal issues taking place.
She states that not only is the skin irritated, but it is believed that other parts of the body, such as the arteries and others, may also be affected. We observe more heart attacks among individuals who have not successfully managed their psoriasis than in others. These patients need to take measures to decrease the inflammation in their bodies, which is extremely crucial.
One excellent strategy to reduce inflammation is to adjust one’s diet.
Reasons Why You Could Be Breaking Out With Acne After Going On A Vegan Diet
1. Zinc deficiency.
Studies have shown that vegans are vulnerable to zinc deficiency in comparison to vegetarians and those who eat meat. In a study, it was determined that almost half of vegans had insufficient levels of zinc.
Studies have revealed a powerful correlation between zinc and acne. Research has been conducted since 1997 showing that people who suffer from acne and were given zinc supplements saw their affliction downgrade drastically within a period of 12 weeks, with a score of 100% changing to 15%.
A further study of acne sufferers which was conducted with a blind and placebo-controlled format saw a decrease of 70% in acne score when zinc was used, a result comparable to the scores obtained with tetracycline.
Given that vegans consume lots of food sources that contain copper and not much that contain zinc, the possibility of developing a zinc deficiency secondary to that could be greater than what the study cited showed.
2. Vitamin D deficiency.
It is well-known that acne can get better when exposed to sunlight or blue-light therapy, but this can lead to a heightened chance of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
Studies propose that higher amounts of vitamin D aid in tempering the immune system and bettering the body’s capacity in combating the germs that bring about acne, in addition to the positive effects generated by exposure to sunlight.
Results of a 2016 research paper showed that approximately half of the people with acne lacked vitamin D while roughly a quarter of people without acne were vitamin D deficient.
The amount of 25-hydroxyvitamin-D in the blood of acne sufferers was found to be inversely linked to the gravity of the condition.
If you find that your skin is breaking out more during the winter months, this might explain why.
In a subsequent investigation, 39 people exhibiting a lack of vitamin D had a considerable enhancement of inflammatory areas when given 1000 IU of vitamin D on a daily basis.
#3. Vitamin supplements that can cause acne breakouts.
Some supplements, such as zinc, can be beneficial in treating acne but others can be detrimental if taken in too great of a quantity. Some of the main culprits are listed below!
Vitamin B12
It is essential for all vegans to use a B12 supplement since inadequate consumption of this vitamin can lead to life-threatening ailments that are impossible to reverse.
It is worth noting that overdosing on vitamin B12 has been associated with aggravating skin issues in people. When the B12 supplements were no longer used, the acne disappeared.
It has been advantageous for those on acne treatment therapies such as isotretinoin to take B12 and Folate supplements in order to forestall a deficiency in Folate and an elevation in homocysteine levels.
If you are currently taking B12 supplements, it would be a wise decision to lessen the dose you take daily, or try taking them every other day and keep a track on the blood levels of vitamin B12 this way.
Vitamin B6
Though the supporting data isn’t as comprehensive for B6 having a role in acne as for B12, there are signs that taking too much B6 may result in a type of acne that conventional treatments are incapable of remedying.
Ceasing to take B6 has been related to a speedy enhancement of acne issues.
Biotin
Biotin is a crucial vitamin in the human body that facilitates the transformation of the food consumed into energy. Some vegans take biotin to assist with the expansion of their hair.
Multivitamin supplements or vegan hair supplements which contain biotin could contain up to 5000 mcg of the vitamin, which might lead to cystic acne in certain individuals due to the fact that it can raise sebum production.
It’s wise to begin with a minimal quantity of zinc and to take it along with biotin as a precaution against skin breakouts.
Eventually, some individuals develop a tolerance for the problem, and the acne will clear up naturally. Having a zinc deficiency is likely to considerably enhance the probability that you get acne.
#4. New foods you’ve added to your diet are causing you to break out.
This may be hard to recognize due to the fact that it can take some time before visible signs of acne appear, however, some people report particular foods as exacerbating their skin condition.
Certain meals have been found to aggravate or spark breakouts in individuals who are already at risk of experiencing acne.
Dark chocolate
A lot of people in the raw food and vegan world were enthusiastic about chocolate because of its positive health effects, and they tended to eat a lot of it. It is beneficial to have dark chocolate in small amounts as part of a balanced diet, yet one should keep in mind that excess consumption of anything may be detrimental to health.
A research study published in 2016 observed the effect of dark chocolate consumption on acne in 25 men. Each male was given a daily intake of 25 grams of 99% cocoa chocolate for a period of 4 weeks and their acne levels were then assessed.
After an examination of two weeks, there was a major worsening of acne, and this pattern went on up until the last day of the four-week study.
In a clinical trial published in 2014, patients with minor acne symptoms were given 100% cocoa in an experiment that involved neither the patients nor the administrators knowing who received the placebo and who received the substance.
The individuals who indulged in an isolated chocolate binge experienced a rise in papules, comedones, pustules, and nodules after four days, rising from 3.9 to 10.5.
The amount of non-inflammatory blemishes rose from 3.3 at the start to 7.9 on the fourth day and 8.6 by the seventh.
If you have a natural tendency to get acne, it would be wise to reduce your intake of chocolate.
Fruit smoothies and high-sugar drinks
Sugar has a negative effect on acne due to its influence on insulin and IGF-1, as well as its ability to weaken the immune system.
For those vegans who don’t have a lot of time, a pre-packaged fruit smoothie may seem like an appealing choice, but the reality is that many of these varieties have a lot of sugar and should not be consumed too often.
Consider including a sizable amount of green vegetables such as spinach or kale (around 30-40%) when preparing these dishes, as this will aid in stabilizing blood sugar levels. Including blueberries in smoothies can significantly decrease the impact of the drink on blood sugar levels.
