By David Liu, PHD

Thursday March 22, 2012 (foodconsumer.org) -- Many people don't know what's going on when they develop acne. So they rush to see doctors for a cure.  But in reality, acne is likely caused by eating dairy products or drinking milk or a high glycaemic diet and if they modify their diet, the condition can be eliminatedwithout using dangerous medications, according to a study report published in the March 15, 2012 issue of Acta Dermato-venereologica.

B. Melnik of University of Osnabrück in Osnabrück, Germany reported in the journal that recent evidence suggests Western diet plays a role in the pathogenesis of acne.  To be specific, acne is caused by using high glycaemic food or milk or dairy products.  Much less or no acne is found in people who eat palaeolithic diet with low glycaemic load and have no milk or dairy products in their diets.

The author said at least two randomized controlled studies, one of which was reported in the same journal, offered evidence that low glycaemic load diets may have a therapeutic effect against acne.  On the other hand, epidemiological studies have confirmed that milk consumption promotes the developments or aggravation of acne.

Melnik said "Recent progress in understanding the nutrient-sensitive kinase mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) allows a new view of nutrient signalling in acne by both high glycaemic load and increased insulin-, IGF-1-, and leucine signalling due to milk protein consumption."

The author said acne should be viewed as an mTORC1-driven disease of civilization like obesity, diabetes and cancer all of which can be induced by Western diet.

The report suggests that teenage acne patients should be advised to avoid drinking milk or using other dairy products, or a high glycaemic load diet.  A diet that helps improve acne should also be able to reduce the long-term adverse effects of Western diet on more serious mTORC1-driven diseases.