A spot of bother

Acne is often blamed on chocolate, but it's carbohydrates that are the guilty ones, says Dr John Briffa

Acne is generally thought of as an adolescent affliction, although my experience suggests otherwise. In my practice, I see a regular stream of individuals who continue to suffer from 'bad skin' long after puberty. In fact, statistics show that more than one in two women and 40 per cent of men over 25 have some acne, and for a few this problem persists into middle age. Traditional nutritional advice is to avoid fatty food, especially chocolate. However, recent evidence suggests it is not fat but another commonly found ingredient in chockie bars that incites the skin to break out.

Clues to the causes of acne may be found by comparing the nutritional habits of different populations. Researchers looked at the diets and dermatological health of two indigenous populations: the Kitavan islanders from Papua New Guinea and the Aché hunter-gatherers from Paraguay. While the Kitavans subsist mainly on fruit, vegetables, fish and coconut, the Aché diet is comprised almost entirely of wild, foraged-for and locally cultivated foods. Intriguingly, the prevalence of acne in both these groups eating essentially natural foods was found to be nil. This is in stark contrast to the high rates of acne seen in industrialised nations.

Full article: The Observer