And after all this hormonal exploration, we can now deduce the causes of the cause of these physiological phenomena.
As mentioned, acne is a multifactorial disease with an environmental component that affects endocrine disruptors, lifestyle and dietary imbalances with insulin resistance as a bonus.
In terms of diet, there are several factors.
1. IGF-1:
It is a peptide hormone with a chemical structure similar to that of insulin.
IGF-1 causes an increase in androgen synthesis in the adrenals and gonads and stimulates 5α-reductase.
It also stimulates androgen receptor signal transduction.
This hormone is present in dairy products and foods with a high glycemic load that results in hyperinsulinemia and a cascade of endocrine responses that can influence the development of acne through IGF-1.
The glycemic index assesses the ability of a carbohydrate to raise blood sugar for two hours after ingestion.
The consumption of carbohydrate-rich foods with a high glycemic load causes an increase in insulin and therefore hyperinsulinemia.
Recall here the relationship between acne and insulin resistance in women with polycystic ovary syndrome and an increase in circulating androgens.
Dairy products influence and aggravate acne and its inflammation.
They are a source of androgenic hormones because they contain testosterone precursors such as androstenedione, which is converted to DHT in the sebocyte.
They represent a supply of IGF-1 which stimulates lipogenesis in sebocytes and increases the bioactivity and bioavailability of androgenic hormones.
2. The acidity of the body
Many health problems are due to an acid-base imbalance.
This acid-base imbalance is caused by excess acid in the body that our body is not able to eliminate.
Our body uses the kidneys, liver, lungs and digestive system to eliminate acids.
If this is not enough, there is an additional outlet for the elimination of waste that is harmful to the body: the skin.
The sweat glands (perspiration) help eliminate these acids.
The body tries to eliminate the residues through the skin, which can lead to the appearance of acne (but also eczema, psoriasis, hives, wrinkles, dryness, various inflammations).
You must restore the acid-base balance of your body. This is mainly done by changing your diet, but also by resting and improving your overall lifestyle.
3. Liver congestion
The term congestion refers to an overloaded and underperforming liver.
Regarding the treatment of the causes of acne, we must take care of our liver for the following reasons:
- The liver removes excess estrogen from the body.
- Estrogen dominance and liver congestion go hand in hand. The estrogen that has been produced and used must not circulate anymore and must be eliminated from the body. Otherwise, estrogen will be reabsorbed, exacerbating estrogen dominance.
- The liver has a huge responsibility in removing toxins from the body.
- Pesticides, chemicals, estrogen and even caffeine pass through a series of detoxification filters located in the liver before being eliminated. When the liver is not functioning, the body becomes more toxic, which causes inflammation in addition to liver congestion. And liver congestion causes acne.
- The liver synthesizes bile, which digests fats.
- The liver also covers the toxins in the bile so that they can be eliminated with the solid waste. With poor quality bile, we are unable to absorb fatty acids, which causes inflammation and acne.
- The liver is primarily responsible for the conversion of thyroid hormone T4 into the active form T3.
- Adequate levels of T3 support overall hormonal balance and a healthy digestive system. To maintain a healthy liver, we must provide our bodies with plenty of good fats and fat-soluble vitamins, while reducing the intake of toxins.
4. Fatty acid imbalance
Although Western countries consume a plethora of processed fats, many people lack fatty acids because they don't get the right kind of fat.
Healthy skin depends on a balanced intake of good fats.
Good fats are a source of cholesterol for the body.
Studies have shown that dietary cholesterol intake is not necessarily related to blood cholesterol levels, as the body is capable of producing cholesterol.
However, since cholesterol is produced in the liver and the liver does not function well when we have chronic acne, we are doing our bodies a favor by providing good cholesterol through good fats.
As a healing agent in the body, cholesterol is needed to repair damaged tissue and synthesize sex hormones.
The presence of good fats in a meal tells the gallbladder to release bile into the digestive tract. When our meal contains only a few grams of fat, the bile is not released and remains in the gallbladder, becoming thick and slimy. This is a vicious cycle because it is harder for the gallbladder to release bile when it is thick, so it gets thicker and thicker in the gallbladder.
Also remember that the liver has just eliminated all those toxins and their former estrogens into the bile. If the bile is not released, the toxins and estrogen are reabsorbed into the body, making the acne worse.
If you suffer from chronic acne, you can bet that you also have an imbalance of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.
While a small amount of omega-6 in the diet is beneficial, too much omega-6 causes widespread inflammation.
Omega-3 is an anti-inflammatory. The problem is that omega-6 and omega-3 compete with each other in the body. If we have too much omega-6, it fills up our tissues and prevents our bodies from using omega-3 fatty acids.
To balance our intake of omega-6 and omega-3, we need to reduce our intake of fats rich in omega-6 and increase fats containing omega-3.
In addition, we need to consume animal-based omega-3s. The plant form of omega-3 is very poorly converted into the usable form of omega-3 by the human body.
5. Industrial and processed foods
Finally, it is also important to point out the responsibility of industrial products in acne.
In modern food, we find preservatives, chemical dyes, pesticide residues, antibiotics, nitrates and other carcinogenic agents.
These products disrupt our hormones and have toxic effects on the hypothalamus-pituitary axis and the endocrine glands: the sex and thyroid hormones are the most disrupted.
They increase the risk of insulin resistance and hormonal acne.