A healthy skin diet can definitely improve both the function and appearance of the skin (1).
For a very long time, I ignored the possibility that what I ate might affect my skin because I didn’t want to stop eating a SAD diet (Standard American Diet).
The Western diet is considered a high glycemic load diet. A high glycemic load diet consists of foods that have a high glycemic index (GI), which is a measure of how quickly a food raises blood glucose levels after eating. Foods with a high GI cause a rapid spike in blood glucose. A high glycemic load diet can increase the risk of obesity, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. Some studies have suggested that this type of diet may also be linked to Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. (2)
This kind of diet can reduce the body’s production of collagen, which is important for healthy skin, and may worsen acne by increasing inflammation and sebum production in the skin. Some studies have shown that following a low glycemic load diet (see below), can reduce acne severity. (3)
When health issues forced me to start watching what I put in my body, I found that eating a low-inflammation, hormone-balancing diet led to healthier, clearer skin.
Here’s a summary of my research into a healthy skin diet and the changes I made to my dietary routine to help repair a damaged skin barrier. It definitely made a difference – increasing nutrient density, improving gut health, regulating hormones, and regulating the immune system.
