Soleliberty
|
Health Issues Linked to Acne
Description:
Acne is inflammation of hair follicles that occurs mostly on the face, upper chest, shoulders, and back. It is caused by an interaction between hormones, skin oils, and bacteria.
Acne results when a collection of dried sebum (oily substance), dead skin cells, and bacteria clog the hair follicles, blocking the sebum from leaving through the pores. A black head develops with an incomplete blockage, and a white head develops with a complete blockage. The blocked sebum-filled hair follicle promotes overgrowth of the bacteria, which are normally present in the hair follicle. The resulting inflammation and infection produce the skin eruptions that are commonly known as acne pimples. If the infection worsens, an abscess may form, which may rupture into the skin, creating even more inflammation.
Acne is considered an inherited disease, and is often considered to be an adolescent problem as the vast majority of teenagers suffer, to some degree, from the condition. Usually, acne has cleared up by a person\'s mid-twenties. This isn\'t always the case, however, and adult acne plagues some people throughout their lives unless they seek treatment.
Hormonal changes affect the occurrence of acne. Acne occurs mainly during puberty, when the sebaceous glands are stimulated by increased hormone levels, especially the androgens, resulting in excessive sebum production. Females tend to have flare-ups prior to menstrual periods. This may continue until menopause.
Low grade, persistent acne is often found in professional women, perhaps because chronic stress leads to enhanced secretion of adrenal androgens, resulting in sebaceous hyperplasia and subsequent production of comedones.
The severest forms of acne are most frequently seen in males, but acne is generally more persistent in females.
The exact cause of acne is unknown, but factors that contribute to the condition include diet, heredity, oily skin and androgens. Other factors are allergies, stress, the use of certain drugs (especially steroids, lithium, oral contraceptives, and certain antiepileptic drugs), over-consumption of junk food, saturated fats, hydrogenated fats, and animal products; nutritional deficiencies, exposure to industrial pollutants (machine oils, coal tar derivatives, chlorinated hydrocarbons), the use of cosmetics, monthly menstrual cycles, and over-washing or repeated rubbig of the skin.
-- Nutritional Approach --
Foods that have been proven to help with acne:
Avoid: All refined and/or concentrated simple sugars, limiting high-fat foods, milk, milk products, margarine, shortening, and other synthetically hydrogenated vegetable oils, or fried oils.
Eat: corn, chicken, shellfish, whole grains, mushrooms, fresh vegetables, sweet potatoes, carrots, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables (especially green vegetables), fish, eggs, cabbage, dried beans, soy beans, radishes, onions, wheat germ, raw flax seeds and oil, raw hulled hemp seeds and oil, and eat a high fiber diet.
Nutrients that have been proven to help with Acne:
Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Chromium, Brewers yeast, nutritional yeast, Sulfur, Zinc.
Posted:
Jun 14, 2009 14:54:32 |