The hypoglycemic index measures how quickly a food item raises the blood sugar levels. It is believed that food items that are high in this index have a connection with acne problem – this is the relationship between hypoglycemic index and acne. The hypoglycemic index is an indicator that helps us understand the way our blood sugar responds to certain food items.
Food
items that raise the glucose levels in the blood can
worsen the acne condition. Let us study how high sugar
levels can aggravate acne.
Sugar
is stored in the muscles and our liver to be used as
energy later on. When we take food that is high on the
hypoglycemic index, we end up loading our body with
excess sugar. And when the body has excess sugar, it
deals with it in two different ways. It expels this
excess sugar through urine. It converts this excess
sugar into lard or “long-chain triglycerides” that is
stored in the body as fat.
The
blood sugar levels in the body can create a problem and
to counter this insulin and the other androgens need to
be eliminated. The level of the bodily hormones comes in
the way of the liver to naturally throw them out of the
system.
The
food that turn to sugar (according to the hypoglycemic
index of a food) is less important here. What is more
relevant here is to know whether the body has too much
sugar or not. And thus, the hypoglycemic index may not
be appropriate because it is rather a simplistic
view.
The
blood and lymph that supplies the skin also starts
supplying this lard up to the skin and thus giving it
that oily look. Also, as the body has to look after the
expelling of this excess sugar, the liver might get
overwhelmed with much work and this leads to hormonal
misbalance. All these factors together can aggravate an
already existing acne condition.
But
you have to bear in mind that though there might be a
relationship between the hypoglycemic index and
acne, food items high on the hypoglycemic index do
not definitely cause acne. Acne is basically caused by
three definite reasons –
1) Hormonal
Imbalance – The sebum glands starts overworking and
produces more natural oil which can lead to acne.
2) Toxic
Buildup – A toxic buildup can occur when the organs like
the liver etc which are responsible for ridding the body
of the toxins fail to function properly.
3)
Combination
of the two factors mentioned above – Sebum that is
produced by the gland sometimes mixes with the toxic
materials and this promotes the growth of bacteria,
which ultimately leads to the formation of
acne.
Food
items that are high on the hypoglycemic index can only
worsen an already existing condition but not cause it.
Hence cutting down on such food items won’t help you get
rid of your acne completely though it might somewhat
make the situation better.
To
completely get rid of your acne, you have to deal with
the root causes. And the only way to do so is by
adopting the holistic approach. Over the counter
medicines or just a controlled diet cannot help in
curing acne. The actual causes of acne are complex and
they require a thorough understanding and cure. The
holistic approach addresses not the symptoms but the
root cause. Adopting a healthy lifestyle also fixes the
internal problems. The holistic approach combines a
healthy diet and mindset, detoxification of the body,
the right hormonal balance etc in order to not only cure
the existing acne but to prevent them from recurring
again.
