Probiotic Skin Solutions for Hormonal Acne

Skin Nutrition for Hormone Induced Acne

It's no overstatement to say that the laws of physics govern our daily lives; think of gravity's "what goes up must come down" principle; there's simply no avoiding it! Then there's the law of nutritional physics. If you're ever heard the expression "you are what you eat," you've been introduced to the concept.

Simply put, nutritional physics is the sum total of your dietary choices, whether good or bad, which will be paralleled in your overall health and ultimately, mirrored by your skin. For anyone struggling with the anxiety of hormone induced acne, or other hormonally challenged skin conditions, those dietary choices become more critical than ever.

Why is the food you eat so significant? Because low nutrition foods - like highly processed grains, sugar, saturated fats, dairy and fatty meat - all raise testosterone and overall androgen levels (the spectrum of male hormones). This in turn prompts the androgen receptors attached to your skin's oil glands, to produce even more oil, which ramps up acne outbreaks. Adding to the problem is the fact that elevated insulin levels have been linked to elevated androgen levels, so maintaining stable blood sugar levels also becomes critical to keeping acne-prone skin under control.

Studies repeatedly show that a nutritionally dense diet - one that includes lots of dark leafy greens, fruits, colorful vegetables, plant-based proteins like legumes and the healthy Omega 3 fats found in avocados, nuts and seeds - combine to lower testosterone and overall androgen levels. This nutritional lifestyle avoids highly processed and sugar-laden foods, which keeps blood sugar levels steady and ultimately provides significant reductions in acne flare-ups.

Further complicating the food-affecting-hormones process, is DHT (dihydrotestosterone), another of the male hormones. This hormone actually turns on the switch that tells those androgen receptors to increase oil production. Fortunately, there are foods you can include daily that help reduce DHT levels; choosing high-fiber, plant-based foods like legumes, artichokes, broccoli, brussel sprouts and blackberries helps to reduce DHT. Conversely, there are foods you'll want to significantly reduce or avoid, like dairy. Though milk and dairy products do provide valuable calcium, they also deliver an abundance of the DHT hormone.

It's not just what you eat that you'll want to reconsider - it's also what you drink that can help or hinder your health and skin. Avoiding sugary beverages filled with chemicals, is stating the obvious. Not so obvious is increasing those liquids that reduce inflammation, like green tea.

That said, many are put off by the harsh, grassy taste of the low-quality green teas often found on grocery store shelves, so be sure to search out a high quality, whole leaf green tea, like that offered by Revolution Tea. For added enjoyment, sip on Revolution's flavored varieties, like Orange Chocolate Green Tea, or Earl Grey Green Tea. They're so delicious you'll feel like you've just indulged in a lavish dessert - while giving your body and your skin a boost.

Take heart, none of this is rocket science - it's simply the law of nutritional physics. The best part is, you hold the power through your food choices, to put that law to work for you - and for your skin's well-being!