Diet, though not a direct cause of acne, does have an indirect effect on acne. That is why so many ‘acne cures’ recommend dietary changes in conjunction with whatever else they are advocating.
Because diet has an indirect effect on acne, individuals will get variable results when changing what they eat. This is because we all metabolize foods differently. Some people may be more sensitive to certain foods, and so those foods will have a greater impact on their acne than others that don’t have those metabolic issues.
For example, skin with a tendency for acne has been shown to be insulin resistant. Insulin is a hormone that regulates carbohydrate metabolism, as well as playing a role in protein metabolism and fat metabolism. Insulin regulates the way our cells use the available energy in the bloodstream – so insulin makes the liver and fat cells (adipose tissue) take in some of the glucose in the bloodstream and stores it as fat.
People with insulin resistance don’t respond to the normal amounts of insulin released in the body. Because the regulation of blood glucose levels (which insulin ultimately is responsible for) is so...