Scientists have linked following the Mediterranean diet with a lower risk of acne
A Mediterranean diet has been linked to a lower chance of acne in adults, especially in women. Researchers from King's College London came to this conclusion after analyzing the data of 228,757 participants. At the same time, in men, the nature of nutrition was associated with acne in a different way. The information about which products were associated with the condition of the skin is in the Izvestia article.
The Mediterranean diet has been linked to skin purity.
The study included 228,757 participants aged 37 to 73 years. The researchers identified current acne in 1,603 people based on medical records and information provided by the participants themselves in the questionnaires. The results of the work are published in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (JEADV).
The scientists assessed the quality of the diet, including the degree of compliance with the Mediterranean diet. This type of diet involves a large amount of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and healthy fats.
A higher commitment to the Mediterranean diet was found to be associated with a lower likelihood of current acne. The association was relatively small, but statistically significant. Among women, it turned out to be more pronounced: an increase in compliance with the Mediterranean diet was associated with a decrease in the likelihood of acne.
Stephen Lee, the first author of the paper from King's College London:
The purpose of our study was to investigate whether the overall quality of nutrition and specific food groups are associated with the appearance of acne in adults. We hope that the results obtained will help in the further development of dietary recommendations for people with this disease.
Nutrition was found to be associated with acne in different ways in women and men.
A separate analysis showed differences between women and men. In women, a higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a lower likelihood of current acne. In men, on the contrary, a lower carbohydrate content and a higher amount of animal products were associated with a higher chance of acne. At the same time, the authors emphasize that this result is of a research nature and requires additional verification.
The researchers admit that the differences may be related to biological factors, including hormones. However, other explanations are possible, such as dietary patterns, differences in reporting symptoms, and seeking medical help.
Is it safe:
Our preliminary results show that diet can have different effects on acne in women and men. We consider this to be a particularly interesting discovery, as it may be an important step towards more targeted dietary recommendations in the future.
Yogurt and vegetables were in the same group with a lower chance of acne.
The researchers also examined the relationship between individual products and skin conditions. Higher consumption of cooked vegetables and yogurt was associated with a lower chance of acne. In some analyses, a similar relationship was observed for cheese. At the same time, dairy products as a whole did not show a single result. Skimmed milk and dairy desserts, on the other hand, were associated with a higher chance of acne.
A positive association with acne has also been found for pork consumption. At the same time, we are talking specifically about statistical associations between diet and the presence of acne, and not about the proven effect of specific foods on the appearance of the disease.
The author of the study separately drew attention to the differences between dairy products. According to him, the results show that when studying the relationship between nutrition and acne, dairy products should not be considered as a single category.
Scientists are looking for a link between diet and skin condition
Acne is considered a common inflammatory skin disease that often begins in adolescence, but can persist into adulthood. Its development can be influenced by genetic and external factors, and the role of nutrition in adults is still much less well understood.
The authors of the new work suggest that it may not be a single product that matters, but the general nature of nutrition. The Mediterranean diet includes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats at the same time, so its association with acne may reflect broader dietary patterns.
Wendy Hall, co-author of the study:
Our results show that diet and acne in adults are interrelated, and it's not just about avoiding dairy products or sweets.
The researchers note that the data obtained can help formulate questions for future work, in which scientists will be able to separately test the effect of different types of nutrition on skin condition.
The study did not prove the effect of diet on acne
The authors emphasize that the work does not allow us to assert that the Mediterranean diet prevents acne or that changing the diet itself leads to an improvement in skin condition. The study was cross-sectional in nature: scientists simultaneously analyzed information about nutrition and the presence of acne.
In addition, the size of the identified links was relatively small. The researchers also pointed out the possibility of errors in identifying acne from medical records — in particular, some cases may have been misclassified due to their similarity to rosacea.
Another limitation is related to the age of the participants: the analysis was mainly of middle-aged and older people, so the results cannot be automatically extended to teenagers and young adults. According to Hall, the following studies should verify the discovered patterns in clinical trials. Only such work will help to understand whether a change in diet is directly related to a change in skin condition.
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