The effect of a low glycemic load diet on acne vulgaris and the fatty acid composition of skin surface triglycerides

The relationship of diet and acne

“…It has been reported that people living in the Kitavan Islands (off the coast of Papua New Guinea) and the Aché hunter-gathers of Paraguay do not suffer from acne and this is associated with their lowglycemic diet, consisting mainly of fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins. 45 This conclusion is in agreement with recent studies 5,6 on low-glycemic diets that will be discussed at a later paragraph. In brief, one prospective cohort study 53 found an association between high-glycemic-index foods and longer acne duration, whereas two randomized controlled trials 5,6 associated low-glycemic-index diet with reduced acne risk.…”

“…5,6 More research is needed to determine whether a low-glycemic diet could effectively mediate acne or possibly even prevent it.…”

“…4 On the other hand, recent studies have suggested a rather close relationship between diet and acne. 5,6 But let's start from the very beginning and precisely from the founder of modern medicine, Hippocrates. One pillar of his teachings was "Let food be your medicine and let medicine be your food."…”

An update on the role of the sebaceous gland in the pathogenesis of acne

“…It has recently been hypothesised that low glycemic load diet may influence sebum production based on the beneficial endocrine effects of its components. 13 On the other hand, extreme caloric restriction dramatically decreases the sebum excretion rate and these changes can be reversed when a normal diet is resumed. 14,15 Other studies have demonstrated that increased consumption of dietary fat or carbohydrate increases sebum production and modifications to the type of carbohydrate can also alter sebum composition.…”

“…18 Both lipoperoxides and monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) are capable of inducing alteration in keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation, whereas peroxides are capable of inducing production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR). 13,18 The biological function of sebocytes is further regulated by several factors including ligands of receptors expressed in sebocytes, such as androgens and estrogens, PPAR ligands and neuropeptides (NP), liver-X receptor ligands (LXR), histamines, retinoids and vitamin D. The ligand-receptor complexes activate pathways involving cell proliferation, differentiation, lipogenesis, hormone metabolism and cytokine and chemokine release 19 ( Fig. 2).…”