Role of therapeutic fasting along with other Naturopathy and Yoga Modalities in addressing acne vulgaris – A single case report

A 23 year old female diagnosed as acne vulgaris underwent Therapeutic fasting (TF) and other naturopathy and yoga modalities for 30 days. She presented with eruptions all over her face and the face was edematous. She was given a modified diet for initial 3 days which included fresh fruits and juices along with cooked vegetables and sorghum roti. Additionally Naturopathy treatments like Swedish massage, steam bath, warm water enema and hip bath were given along with some yogic postures, pranayam and kriyas (Cleansing procedures). The patient responded well to the therapeutic fasting. By the end of 30 days there were no eruptions in her face and her skin also was clear. All the treatments were based on the principle of naturopathic medicine that the body has its own power to heal itself. TF has shown to attenuate inflammatory status of the body by suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokine expression and decreasing body fat and circulating levels of leukocytes. This is the first study to report the non pharmacological approach towards treating acne. To conclude fasting along with other naturopathy and yoga modalities has shown noteworthy changes in reducing the inflammatory response in acne vulgaris. However large scale studies are warranted.