Pimples are one of the most common skin problems. Not only is teen acne a problem, but acne faced by adults is also a very common problem. Pimples are caused when the pores in the skin get clogged, by oil, sweat, or sebum. Acne does not only occur on the face but also on the neck, back, and shoulders.
Acne in teenagers is mostly caused due to hormonal changes in the body. Acne is mostly not serious but sometimes they are deep-rooted and do not come to the surface. These are called cystic acne and these sometimes stay years under the skin. There are several pimple treatments available that can help heal cystic acne.
When the sebaceous gland under the skin produces extra oil these pores get clogged. Now there are several reasons why sebaceous glands produce extra oil;
- Hormonal changes
- Humid Weather
- Oily Food
- Salty Food
- Less Water Intake
As you can see, pimples and acne are triggered by dietary factors. Only small changes in your diet can reduce the appearance of pimples to great extent. Let us look at a few things you should avoid or eat so as to reduce the appearance of pimples.
- Low Glycemic Foods
Glycemic Index is the scale that indicates how quickly a food item can increase blood sugar with sugar being the highest and fibrous foods being the lowest. When the blood sugar increases the pancreas secretes a hormone called insulin. When the amount of insulin in your blood increases it triggers oil production in the sebaceous gland.
High glycemic food includes white sugar, wheat flour, chocolate, cheese, etc. Avoiding these foods can dramatically reduce the pimples on the skin. In case you happen to eat foods that have a high glycemic index, you should balance it with eating fibrous foods like sprouts, fruits, leafy vegetables, etc.
- Dairy
Many people are allergic to dairy. Their gut health is affected because of which in turn affects the skin on your body. The allergies trigger the sebaceous gland that leads to more oil secretion.
Another reason why dairy causes acne is because of the hormones that dairy products tend to stimulate in the body. These hormones can cause breakouts on the skin.
Cutting dairy can seem a little difficult as a lot of our food consists of dairy-based foods. The best way to accommodate dairy into your diet is by starting small potions initially. And then gradually increasing the portion size as per your appetite.
Dairy is the only food that along with pimple treatment can help keep acne in check even if you are sensitive to it.
- High Vitamin Diet
Vitamins and minerals in your food help assimilate the food better into your body. The food that has high vitamins helps improve the quality of the skin to a great extent. A diet that has high vitamin can dramatically reduce acne on the skin. You can always include dietary vitamins. But you can also take supplements of vitamins of A and E.
The foods that include Omega 3 fatty acid can also reduce the appearance of acne on the skin. Including fish oil as a supplement can also be helpful for your health. It will be beneficial if you consult your doctor before taking any supplements.
- Oily Food
This goes without saying that eating too much oily food can increase oil production in your body. Eating fried food like chips, nachos, noodles, etc can increase the appearance of pimples on your face. Fried stuff absorbs a lot of oil and it also has high amounts of salts in them.
If you end consuming oily food, make sure you consume a lot of water along with it, so that the extra oiliness gets flushed off due to extra water.
- High Anti-Oxidants
Foods such as berries, citrus foods, nuts, beans, etc are high in antioxidants. Including these foods in your diet can visibly improve your skin. Anti-oxidants are naturally found in the body. But taking extra supplements and through foods will always have an added benefit.
Anti-oxidants help our body recover from free radical damage. Hence Anti-oxidants not only help reduce pimples they can also help recover the damage caused by the sun.
- Water
This is probably something all of us know. For a healthy gut, body, and skin, drinking a lot of water can help flush out the toxins out of the system. Drinking at least 3 -4 L of water can help in better digestion. A good digestion results in good sleep and also better functioning of other systems in the body.
But the tip to remember is not to gulp water. It is important that we drink water sip by sip. Drinking too much water at the same time can create pressure on the gall bladder which may create other kinds of problems.