Avoiding high glycemic load foods could help acne sufferers clear up their skin, the results of a new small study suggest. High glycemic load foods refer to foods that cause a sharp increase in blood glucose, or sugar, such as low-fiber carbohydrates.
Low glycemic load foods cause an more gradual and sustained increase in glucose, and include foods such as high-fiber, complex carbohydrates.
After 12 weeks on a low glycemic load diet, men with acne had a significant reduction in pimples, whiteheads and other lesions compared with their peers who stuck to a conventional diet, Dr Robyn N. Smith of RMIT University in Melbourne, Victoria and colleagues found.
Low glycemic load diets have been promoted for weight loss and diabetes control. Given that high levels of insulin may contribute to acne, Smith and her team note, it's possible that reducing dietary glycemic load could reduce acne severity.