in Lifestyle, Nutrition

Check Out Our Guide To The Perfect Hormonal Diet To Reduce Your Acne

by TK Sanders October 3, 2022, 6:07 pmupdated October 3, 2022, 6:08 pm 28 Comments

The skincare business is massive, but as we learn more about the hormonal response to certain foods, it’s becoming clearer that acne is best treated with proper diet.

Despite acne’s reputation for only tormenting teenagers with unsightly pimples, many adults deal with ongoing skin issues way past puberty. Women, especially, deal with prolonged acne issues: 50 percent of women in their 20s, 35 percent of women in their 30s, and 26 percent of women in their 40s surveyed as acne sufferers.

Adult men report adult acne at about half that clip, which suggests that the issue has something to do with biology, not just bad luck. And since women must navigate more pronounced hormonal changes throughout their lives in order to prep the body for pregnancy each month, it follows that acne is most likely related to hormones, as well.

Much of the scientific evidence in favor of, or in opposition to, certain foods as related to acne is anecdotal at best. But without a doubt, some foods cause more stress on the body than others, and are thus more likely to disrupt the endocrine system.

To find your perfect hormonal acne diet, it’s best to eliminate foods individually and then measure the effects on the body

Most folks think elimination diets are only good for measuring allergic reactions or food sensitivities — not necessarily true! Every body is different, so not every “healthy” food agrees with every person equally. It should go without saying that processed foods have no place in your life in heavy quantities, but sometimes completely benign whole foods eaten in too high of quantities can replicate the negative side effects of processed foods.

If you’re dealing with adult acne, start by eliminating the foods you eat the most of first. Have a daily hankering for peanut butter or chocolate? Eliminate them for a couple weeks entirely and measure the results. You may simply be “overeating” some foods you’ve never thought of as “unhealthy,” which can cause inflammation — the body’s number one enemy.

Next up in the hormonal acne diet is to eliminate dairy. Everyone these days seems to have a different opinion on milk, cheese, and cream products; and for good reason — the space is hard to navigate thanks to factory farming practices which often include growth hormones or remove vital fatty acids during pasteurization. But the simple fact of the matter is that many modern stomachs do not process dairy easily, and therefore acne can easily develop as a result of the inflammation. (If you simply cannot kick dairy, try to drink fermented whole milk or coconut milk, instead).

Lastly, try ditching gluten, and then replace those starchy carbs with foods that provide specific anti-inflammatory micronutrients zinc, chromium, and selenium. Asparagus, pine nuts, Brazil nuts, eggs, mushrooms, spinach, oysters, dates, pears, and sunflower seeds will all treat the body better than bread made with white flour.

With a little patience and self-control, chances are good that you’ll find the food that’s potentially disrupting your hormones levels. Once the hormones are more balanced, common pimples should subside, as well.