Whilst acne is a condition which is commonly associated with teenagers, it can appear at any stage of our lives and unfortunately it frequently does. Contrary to popular belief, acne isn't caused by having dirty skin or not cleansing your face enough – acne sufferers probably clean their face more often than the lucky people who don’t have to put up with this awful condition. Instead, acne and blackheads are often caused by other factors such as hormones, stress, amount of sleep and even what you eat.This article discusses the last factor – what you eat – and talks about some food items that may help prevent acne. It is worth bearing in mind that simply eating these foods will not completely eliminate the darn spots, but if you are not already eating a healthy diet, including foods that fight acne in your meals should greatly help in preventing acne from developing. Without further ado, let's jump in to the 10 foods that prevent acne.
#1 Fatty fish for clear skin
No, I am not referring to a fish that eats too much. Fatty fish or oily fish are fish such as salmon, sardines, anchovies, and mackerel that contain high amounts of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are known for reducing inflammation and research suggests that it may help with acne and other skin conditions.
When I learnt about the benefits of having oily fish in my diet, I could not help but wonder if that’s the reason Japanese women have such beautiful skin. The Japanese have a diet that contains plenty of seafood and fish (think sashimi and sushi) and that might be why you hardly see any Japanese women with an acne problem.
#2 Oysters and shellfish to prevent acne
Oysters and shellfish contain large amounts of the trace mineral zinc. Zinc is an important trace mineral required by the human body. There is some evidence to suggest that a lack of zinc may play a part in causing acne. Eating just six medium-sized oysters a day can allow you to meet the daily requirement for zinc. Not only that, oysters and shellfish are also another source of omega-3 fatty acids so they are definitely good additions to a diet to for acne prevention.
#3 Sesame seeds for better skin
Besides oysters and shellfish, seasame seeds are also a good source of zinc. You can easily sprinkle sesame seeds on almost any other food. Smoothies, salads, and even main dishes can all have a little sesame added to it without affecting its flavor (or even enhancing it!) It is so easy to include this acne preventing food in your diet there's no reason not to do it.
Of course, this doesn't give you an excuse to chomp on a burger because there are sesame seeds on it.
#4 Yogurt for a glowing complexion
Yogurt is a fermented dairy product that contains plenty of probiotics or good bacteria. Although dairy has been linked to acne, fermented dairy products do not cause acne like their non-fermented counterparts. Yogurt and other fermented food such as kefir are a good source of probiotics which can improve gut health and consequently help fight against acne.
It is important, however, to get yogurt that contains live cultures. Some manufacturers produce yogurt that is pasteurized, meaning they heat it up to a high temperature, killing all the bacteria (good or bad) in it. These pasteurized yogurt do not contain the beneficial bacteria that can help with acne.
You will also want unsweetened yogurt, preferably plain ones because fruit yogurts usually come with a lot of added sugar.
Besides eating the yogurt, you could also apply it as a cream to your face. Although it sounds like an untested home remedy for acne, applying yogurt to your face may actually be a scientifically sound method of acne prevention. Although yogurt itself was not used, applying a type of bacteria found in yogurts as a cream for seven days has been suggested by researchers to be useful for acne.
Now, don't go buying skin care products that claim to have yogurt in them -- the bacteria in such products are probably dead and useless. Using a home-made yogurt mask might be effective though.
Yogurt is one of the best foods to prevent acne. Eating it with lots of fresh fruit like in the photo above would be even better. Yogurt can also be used as a home-made facial mask.