Blemished skin often affects not only adolescents but also adults of all ages. The fact that blackheads, pimples and acne are often caused by the wrong diet is mostly ignored in medical circles or declared as wrong. However, it has been proven that the diet has to do with intestinal health and this in turn has to do with skin health. Many dermatologists prescribe drugs that have an enormous number of harmful side effects. Stress and a disturbed hormonal balance can also be the cause of skin problems.
Cause No.1: Nutrition and skin
If one reads studies to the topic “acne and impure skin” of the last years, above all 3 food components as well as a psychological problem can be exposed as the causers. Foods with quickly digestible carbohydrates such as white flour products, sugar and sweets, as well as foods that contain a lot of fat and little fibre, such as classic fast food, can cause pimples.
But dairy products also play a central role here. Especially unfermented milk products such as low-fat milk or whole milk can cause acne and blemished skin. A 2015 study shows that milk should be used with caution for acne. Study participants who drank milk at least twice a day suffered significantly more from acne than subjects who showed reduced milk consumption. Here, a certain messenger substance called IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1) could be blamed. IGF-1 is produced in the body and controls cell growth. Several studies have shown that people who drink a glass of milk more often have a higher IGF-1 level. IGF-1 increases the male hormone level and can directly stimulate the production of skin fat in the sebaceous glands via certain receptors. This usually leads to a worsening of existing acne.
Cause No. 2: Intestine and skin
Studies have shown that these foods have an effect not only on the appearance of the skin but also on digestion, because the health of the skin is closely related to that of the intestines. When fast food is consumed, the variety of intestinal bacteria decreases by a third after only a few days.
Unwanted bacteria, which live on sugar and fat, have a good chance of spreading and can trigger inflammations of the skin. A survey of 13,000 acne patients showed that people suffering from skin impurities also suffer much more frequently from intestinal problems such as flatulence, constipation, heartburn or bad breath. Furthermore, scientific studies show how intestinal health and stress factors correlate. It has been shown that students have fewer healthy lactic acid bacteria in their stools during the examination period than at more relaxed times, e.g. at the beginning of the semester.
Cause No. 3: Stress and skin
Many affected people know from painful experience that not only nutrition, but also stress, such as agitation, time pressure and psychological stress, can cause pimples to sprout. Especially women who are under permanent stress due to their work suffer from blemished skin. An experiment shows that impurities are indeed caused by stress. In this experiment, drug stress hormone blockers were administered to test subjects. Despite continuing stress, skin irritations and pimples did not occur. According to this, stress is a factor for impure skin and promotes susceptibility to external influences.
Cause no. 4: Hormones and skin
Scientists also suspect that various messenger substances and hormones, which are produced in our body during chronic tension, promote the formation of acne. In case of constant stress not only stress hormones but also male hormones (androgens) are produced, which are declared as a cause of impure skin. Their effect is further intensified in the skin by the stress hormone adrenaline. Furthermore, there are several suspicions that under tension and pressure certain secondary messengers are released, which not only stimulate the formation of sebum and thus make the skin more oily, but also cause inflammation. The stress hormone cortisol weakens the skin barrier and additionally the immune system, whereby the body’s own protective factors can no longer be sufficiently formed and bacteria multiply.
Thus, a combination of stress and wrong nutrition, which in turn confuses the hormonal balance and the intestinal flora, is usually the cause of pimples, acne and blackheads.
What can you do about it in a natural way?
In order to counteract the symptoms of blemished skin, the causes should first be combated. Above all, stress should be avoided and the diet changed. It is best to have your vitamin status checked and take care of a balanced intestinal flora. Micronutrients can help here. With an additional supply of zinc and omega-3 fatty acids, sebum production can be reduced and inflammations contained. Vitamin A, vitamin B6 and magnesium promote skin renewal and the health of the upper cell layer of the skin. Vitamin E, vitamin C and coenzyme Q10 increase the antioxidant capacity, i.e. they protect the skin from harmful environmental influences such as damage by UV rays.
