Acne outbreaks can be traced to processed foods

• An interesting discussion is now underway over at the Freakonomics' authors' blog about the connection beteween one's diet and developing acne.
• All the chit-chat was generated by a guest blogging post from UC Berkeley psychology professor Seth Roberts.
• As stated here previously, I emphatically disagree with two key components of Seth's self-experimented diet -- he drank fructose water and canola oil concoctions at intervals throughout the day -- however I heartily agree with his personal discoveries regarding diet and acne.
• While you're over at the Freakonomics blog, check out my comment there, in which I specifically single out Dr. Loren Cordain's groundbreaking work on this subject.
• "Within the dermatology community, a general consensus has emerged that diet is unrelated to the etiology of acne.
• Except for 2 poorly designed studies, now more than 30 years old, there are few objective data to support this notion.
• In contrast, a large body of evidence now exists showing how diet may directly or indirectly influence the following 5 proximate causes of acne: (1) increased proliferation of basal keratinocytes within the pilosebaceous duct, (2) incomplete separation of ductal corneocytes from one another via impairment of apoptosis and subsequent obstruction of the pilosebaceous duct, (3) androgen-mediated increases in sebum production, (4) colonization of the comedo by Propionibacterium acnes, and (5) inflammation both within and adjacent to the comedo.
• This article will provide a review of the currently available literature on the association between diet and acne vulgaris as well as a discussion of the physiologic principles that may underlie this association."
• Sure enough, the indigenous people who Dr. Cordain has studied eat veggies, fruits, lean meats and fish and almost no processed foods and have no (or almost no) acne.That's pretty compelling evidence pointing to the benefits of a wholesome diet!