Role of diet in acne: a descriptive study

Background A large body of evidence now exists showing how certain foods and food substances may directly or indirectly influence follicular keratinocyte proliferation, differentiation, inflammation, and the balance of steroid hormones, and hence the development of acne. A wide variety of food items have been postulated to be associated with acne, including milk and other dairy products, chocolate, and others. Objective To assess the relationship between the dietary intake of acne patients and acne severity. Patients and methods A food frequency sheet containing 32 food items was administered to 100 acnepatients. The patients were asked whether or not these types of food were consumedand how frequently they consumed a typical portion size of these foods on average. Acommonly used portion size was specified for each food. Correlation between thedietary intake of most of these food items and the degree of acne was made.Results A statistically significant positive correlation between the frequency of consumption of nuts, chocolate, candy, and red tea, and the severity of acne lesions was established. A statistically significant negative correlation between the frequency of consumption of fresh vegetables and the severity of acne was detected in our patients. However, unexpectedly, we did not find any correlation between the frequency of consumption of milk and other dairy products and the severity of acne lesions in our patients. Conclusion Certain foods may be implicated in acne flares in certain acne patients. The consumption of nuts, chocolate candy, and red tea could be associated with more severe forms of acne, whereas the consumption of fresh vegetables is associated with milder forms of acne.