Yes, sugar is a factor in acne in that it is inflammatory, but the cause also goes a little further than that. Dr Cate (Cornell trained MD in molecular biology) in her book "Deep Nutrition" has a section on acne in Chapter 11 entitled "How Inflammation Causes Scarring Acne" and it goes like this -

"Acne is a problem of oil oxidation. When we eat easily oxidizable, unnatural oils, they wind up everywhere - our arteries, our nervous system, our face. White blood cells mistake oxidized oil for the fatty acids that coat the surface of invasive bacteria, and squads of white blood cells race to the scene. And as you know, they show up swinging and strike at everything within reach. The acne lesion swells and reddens. Once the battle is over, the site is commemorated with a permanent pit. This is called cystic-nodular acne, an example of an inflammatory false alarm generated not by infection, but by oxidized oils. So if you or your teen are fighting acne, step one is getting off of vegetable oil. And while we're at it, get off sugar too. Sugar suppresses the immune system and feeds the bacteria living in acne pustules.

When I see a person with acne, it suggests they've been eating pro-inflammatory foods full of sugar and vegetable oil. Pro-inflammatory foods send powerful disruptive signals that will override signals for less urgent metabolic needs (like muscle development, as we saw in the last chapter). So people with bad acne are prone to hormone imbalances, reproductive challenges, and a variety of other problems."

So there you have it. And if you're into muscle development, sugar and vegetable oils will also divert nutrients away from muscle growth.

Vegetable oils are pro-inflammatory and animal fats are anti-inflammatory. And vegetable oils are in just about any processed food including so-called natural whole grain breads and in some protein mixes. You have to read everything you buy.

Ed

Your acne....like everyone's acne.....is caused by too much sugar in the diet. Simple carb, complex carb....it all turns to sugar in the end. Sugar is responsible for causing systemic oxidative damage that causes Sebaceous gland in the skin to secrete more oils (sebum) than they should. This causes blockages in the pores of you skin, and then it becomes inflamed. The inflammation is made worse again by the same sugar that caused the issue.....and so the cycle goes on. Acne is also affected by high levels of Testosterone.....but unless you're on the "roids" that shouldn't be the cause.

Leangains is great.....the Intermittent fasting portion of it is anyway. Martin isn't exactly Paleo.

If you're wanting to lean-out and lose your acne, you need to kill all grains, sugars, legumes, nightshades, and dairy from your diet....maybe nuts and most berries too. Eat meat, eggs, and green veggies. If you're Paleo, you should already be grain, legume and dairy free for the most part. To get 200grams of protein each day, you're either eating a crap ton of meat and eggs, or you're using protein powder. Either way, don't use protein powder, and don't eat so much! just eat all of your meals within a 8 hour time frame, don't snack and don't stuff yourself. Save the over-eating for a bulking phase. 200grams a day for a 180lb person is fine if you're wanting to bulk, and it's fine if you're getting all that protein from real food (within reason).....but you simply don't need that much.

follow the leangains intermittent fasting regimen, eat very-low-carb Paleo, and lift hard....you'll be zit free. Unless you're on the Roids that is. :-)

Hi there,

I'm in a similar position - at 27 my acne is as bad as ever!

As per edrice's quote from Deep Nutrition - Is olive oil to be avoided??

Many Thanks