Glycemic Index and the Prevention of Acne
An article in the March-April 2009 issue of Clinical Dermatology discusses the possible effect of the glycemic index on the prevention of disease, with a particular emphasis on acne. The glycemic index (GI) is a way of ranking the effect of carbohydrates on blood glucose and insulin levels. Although its underlying scientific premise remains controversial, the GI diet has drawn the interest of researchers as well as the public in recent years.
This article points out that although acne is common in Western populations, it is rare in non-Western societies (for example, among the Inuit, Okinawan Islanders, and Kitaven Islanders)—until those societies adopt Western lifestyles. The article then discusses in detail the biological rationale for a possible connection between diet, hyperinsulinemia and acne.
“Recent evidence has demonstrated that the hormonal cascade triggered by diet-induced hyperinsulinemia elicits an endocrine response that simultaneously promotes unregulated tissue growth and enhanced androgen synthesis,” note the article’s authors. “Hence, hyperinsulinemic diets may represent a previously unrecognized environmental factor in the development of acne.”
Source: Berra B, Rizzo AM. Glycemic index, glycemic load, wellness and beauty: the state of the art. Clinics in Dermatology. 2009:27:230-235.
