INTERNAL AFFAIRS

What you put into your body ma ers to your skin too

ACNE IS NOT a condition that automatically disappears when you’re out of your teens. Clinical studies indicate that between 40% and 55% of the adult population still experience low grade, persistent acne and oily skin.

Even for those of us who are fortunate enough to escape the scourge of chronic acne and normally exhibit a healthy mien, painful and unsightly breakouts can still occur out of the blue, threatening to cripple our confidence and our social life.

When this happens, what most of us do is wage a war against the ‘enemy’ with an arsenal of topical remedies that include AHAs, BHAs and antimicrobial agents. While these solutions usually do a decent job of fixing the situation, the relief they offer is merely symptomatic. They may zap the zits but they cannot banish them forever.

Food For Thought

Personally, I’d come to accept that there is no winning this war. That is until I decided to switch out my high-fat, high-carb meals for salads. Baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, beets and carrots made their way into my lunches, and although I was simply attempting to adopt a healthier lifestyle overall, with diet being part of the package,

I noticed that my skin was starting to improve as well. So when I had the chance to speak with Dr Naras Lapsys, the nutrition and longevity specialist at The Wellness Clinic, I decided to pick his brains and find out exactly why this happened.

Hell’s Kitchen

“One of the biggest causes of adult acne is diet, especially a junk food diet,” he shared.

“The main components of this diet are processed carbohydrates such as fries, white bread and pasta. These foods have high glycemic indexes and can have a big impact on one’s hormonal profile, triggering an excessive release of testosterone into the bloodstream,” he explained. Testosterone, of course, is one of the hormones that triggers sebum production. And excess sebum in the pores is what traps dirt and bacteria, which spells trouble for the skin. Dr Naras also explained how cutting back on the consumption of meat reduces the synthesis of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in the body, which triggers inflammation including acne.

“When you consume less refined sugars and meat, you are actually reducing your AGEs and blood sugar content, thus dampening testosterone levels and inflammation,” Dr Lapsys said.

Brighter Days Ahead

Replacing processed carbohydrates with fresh produce also has other direct benefits. Dr Lapsys shared that bright and colourful fruits and vegetables contain compounds that help to correct acne in a holistic manner. There are many responsible but the most important is a group of plant-based compounds called phytonutrients.

“Lutein, flavonoids, coumarin and carotenoids are just some of the phytonutrients that can be found in fresh and raw fruits and vegetables. These compounds help in supporting good skin health,” he disclosed.

Dr Kevin Chua, general practitioner and founder of Drs Kevin Chua & Partners, agrees with Dr Lapsys and also emphasised the importance of including antioxidants in your diet.“Common antioxidants include vitamins A, C and E that help to speed up the healing process of inflammation such as acne. Furthermore, they also help in slowing down the process of skin ageing,” he shared.

Dr Chua also suggested looking for bright and colourful plant-based food sources like tomatoes, mangoes and kale to include in your diet for better skin and overall health.

Sweet Note

Who would have thought that a simple lifestyle adjustment was all it took to fix my problematic skin?

I admit that it was hardly a walk through a rose garden when I first started out. I found myself reaching out for small packs of chips and stealing bites of greasy burgers at first.

But it did get easier to stand up to temptation and random cravings over time, as my body adjusted to the diet.

Seeing the results of better skin was a strong motivator at first, but these days, I’ve come to recognise how much better I feel from eating well. And even when I do succumb to a guilty pleasure from time to time in the form of a scoop of ice cream, it is easier to get back on track.

“ONE OF THE BIGGEST CAUSES OF ADULT ACNE IS DIET, ESPECIALLY A JUNK FOOD ONE. THE MAIN COMPONENTS ARE FRIES, WHITE BREAD AND PASTA”