(27-10-06) Low GI diet clears up acne in boy

Eating slowly-digested carbs won't just help shed weight - it could clear up your pimples too, nutritionists claim.
Carbohydrate foods with a low glycaemic index (GI) have been proven to help weight loss by making the dieter feel fuller for longer.
Now researchers have discovered that the popular diet can also improve acne by 50 per cent when trialled on a group of teenagers for three months.
Nutritionists at RMIT University enlisted 50 boys with moderate to severe acne and randomly assigned half a typical adolescent boy's diet high in processed foods and refined grain products.
The other half were put on a diet high in low-GI foods like wholegrain bread, pasta and legumes.
These foods are slowly digested and absorbed producing only gentle rises and falls in blood glucose and insulin levels.
Other carbs removed from their diet were replaced with high levels of protein like lean red meat and seafood.
"The acne of the boys on the higher protein-low GI diet improved dramatically, by more than half," said Dr Neil Mann, lead researcher of the study to be presented at a European dermatology conference in Greece on Thursday.
"This new evidence suggests that a more natural diet, comprised of minimally processed foods, may serve as a defence against acne."
He said the finding was significant because it challenged the belief held by many health professionals that there is no link between diet and acne.
Dr Mann said the diet was successful because it reined in high insulin levels he believes could be responsible for acne.
"When you go through puberty you produce a lot of growth hormone that actually makes you insulin resistant temporarily," he said.
"With chronically high levels of insulin you're going to get blockages in the pores and extra oil building up under the skin."
A diet high in processed foods pushes glucose and insulin levels higher, exacerbating the problem, but low GI foods do the opposite.
"It's as clear as day," Dr Mann said.
"We're convinced the results show that if people do suffer from acne badly this sort of dietary change is going to help them a great deal."
Sydney-based dermatologist Phillip Artemi said the results provided food for thought and proved the area should be studied in more depth.
However, he warned there was no evidence that acne was caused by food, so dietary changes could never cure the condition.
"Diet may be an adjunct in therapies for acne but it's not going to be a stand-alone treatment," Dr Artemi said.

Fonte: www.theage.com

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