If you grew up in the 20's, 40's, 50's, 60's, or 70's, chances are you were told constantly that eating chocolate and eating fatty foods in general caused acne. Surprisingly, over the decades scientists have adduced little or no evidence that high-fat foods, in and of themselves, cause acne.
Cholesterol is a building block for testosterone, but the body's supply of cholesterol is mostly made by the liver. Eliminating fatty foods generally has very little effect on either the amount of cholesterol in circulation or the progress of acne. Among high-fat foods, chocolate and nuts are frequently singled out as causes of acne. They are not. The tyrosine in chocolate, gelatin, and nuts can aggravate herpes, but does not affect acne.
Another recommendation that people used to make that you do not hear as often nowadays is to take fiber (not that Metamucil was ever all that popular among teenagers). In addition to the evidence from some comprehensive research from Holland it is also known that fiber absorbs waste estrogen in the intestines, which prevents the hormone from being absorbed through the intestinal wall back into the bloodstream, where it can be converted into testosterone. While taking fiber does not hurt, there is no evidence that it produces specific improvements in acne. Nonetheless, if you choose to use fiber, always take fiber supplements separately from other supplements and medications. Fiber keeps medicine from being fully absorbed.
One old favorite, however, has met the test of time.
High-chromium yeast enhances the ability of insulin to carry sugar out of the bloodstream and into cells. Yeast beta-D-glucan stimulates the activity of macro phages, the white blood cells that are responsible for eliminating bacterial infections.
Yeast is also thought to enhance the elasticity of the skin, and is used in many cosmetics. There are no reports of side effects from using yeast. Yeast may even increase the effectiveness of antibiotic treatments for acne.
