Home Remedies for Pimples
Monday, August 27th, 2007You’ve tried every product under the sun, from Proactiv to Accutane, but your face still resembles a deep dish pizza pie with extra pepperoni, so you’ve resorted to seeking out magical home remedies for pimples. In the world of dermatology, whether or not diet plays a part in the wonderful world of acne is a highly debated topic.
Some say that there is no link between diet and “the dots,” and the only way to get rid of them is through medication and creams; others claim that what you eat is the biggest cause of acne, and you should start there before even considering popping pills. So, who do you trust? Who’s right? You just want to know how to get rid of pimples!
Well, you can start here: A new study suggests that avoiding foods with a high glycemic index may help clear your skin. They had two groups of acne sufferers follow two different diets for 12 weeks. One group followed a low glycemic load plan, while the other stuck to an ordinary American high-processed diet.
After 3 months, the low glycemic load group had gotten rid of nearly twice as many pimples and lesions than the control group. Even better, the group that stuck to the lower end of the glycemic index also lost weight and increased their insulin sensitivity (two benefits that have been repeatedly linked to low glycemic load diets).
What is glycemic index, you ask? Every food is assigned a rating based on how quickly it causes a spike in your blood sugar. For example, if you eat a sugar-laden donut, your blood glucose levels will skyrocket, and your body will be forced to release loads of insulin to deal with all the incoming sugar. Over time, this excessive release of insulin can lead to diabetes.
On the other hand, a complex carbohydrate (one with a low glycemic index), like most fruits and vegetables, only cause a subtle increase in blood glucose levels, thus releasing less insulin. To find the GI of any food, simply type the name of the food along with “glycemic index” into Google.