Effect of Diet on Skin

Science Report

Question

My research question is does your diet affect your skin.

Introduction

“Bad skin” is a really common phrase said by 13-22 year olds. People deal with a variety of skin issues and genetics also has a lot to do with that. One major way we can help manage our own skin health is by considering how our diet affects our skin. Excessive greasy meals are believed to lead to breakouts and other skin ailments but there are many arguments that contradict this. There are several unsuspecting foods that can make your skin have a negative reaction ie breakout. Keep in mind that some people are more sensitive to some foods than others but in this paper I will be discussing the foods that affect the majority but may be unknown and what the affects of these foods are.

(Elitedaily.com)

why I chose this topic

I chose this topic as I struggle with skin issues myself and I am on a diet to suit my skin. I am really interested in dermatology and feel this could be an option for a career in the future.

linking question with science in society

This topic is related to nutrition, human health and dermatology. This could also relate to mental health as people who struggle with skin issues may have anxiety or sometimes depression. I feel that skin has a huge impact on teens and young adults globally.  In science we learn about human health and the food pyramid but we don’t learn about how each affects our skin and I am deeply interested in finding out if what I eat is damaging my skin.

foods that are believed to be bad for your skin

Refined carbohydrates

“Refined carbs” refers to processed sugar and processed flour, which break down into sugar.

Reason : Refined Carbs Increase Oil Production in Your Skin and Clogs Your Pores

When you eat refined sugar, your body releases a hormone called insulin, which regulates your blood sugar by transporting sugar into your cells. Then because refined sugar digests very quickly, your body must release lots of insulin to “keep up” with bringing sugar into your cells just as quickly as it’s being digested. Research shows that rapid insulin spikes can trigger production of sebum or oil which clogs pores and causes breakouts and blackheads.

Dairy

Why it’s Bad For Your Skin

Dairy is a common food that causes skin aggravations. ”It’s estimated that 75%of the world population are intolerant to lactose, the sugar found in dairy— and most people aren’t aware that they are sensitive”(kettleandfire.com)

Reason one : It’s a pro-inflammatory food.

Pro-inflammatory foods can make the skin conditions you already have worse , such as acne, rashes, and eczema.

Reason two : Growth hormones are found in conventional dairy products.

These hormones may tamper with your body’s natural hormone level. Specifically, excess estrogen which is the female growth hormone in your system. Estrogen is believed to contribute to hormonal cystic acne— however, there’s a lack of research to confirm the link between acne and estrogen.

Fast Food

Why it’s Bad For Your Skin

Reason one: oils are full of the pro-inflammatory nutrient omega 6s

Nearly all fast food items are deep-fried in refined vegetable oils, such as canola oil  and peanut oil, and a lot of trans-fats. Even though vegetable oils may sound healthy they can cause skin conditions to flare up because they’re extremely high in omega-6 essential fatty acids. Omega-6s are necessary to our health and wellbeing. We need a certain amount of them for growth, development and brain function. But they are also a pro-inflammatory nutrient, health problems can arise when we eat too much of them and not enough omega 3s

We should be beginning to see the pattern, inflammation is a major cause of skin conditions.

Reason two: oils are sensitive to heat

Many vegetable oils in fast-foods are sensitive to light and heat and turn rancid when they are exposed to high temperatures. Putting these fats in a deep-fryer will oxidize them (turn them rancid), which creates free radicals. Free radicals have been shown to destroy our cells— including healthy skin cells— and causes premature aging.

Processed Meats

 Why They are Bad For your Skin

Processed meats such as bacon, and cured meats, are loaded with sodium, this causes water retention and can cause swelling and puffiness in your face.

Studies also conclude that sodium nitrates, which is a preservative added to many processed foods, can cause the breakdown of collagen and elastin and causes premature aging.

Spicy Food

Why it’s Bad For Your Skin

It’s not really clear why, but spicy food can trigger aggravations in existing skin conditions, especially acne.

One belief is Inflammatory skin conditions are a sign of excess heat in your body — and consuming spicy foods, which have warming properties should be avoided as it can lead to breakouts.

Caffeine

Why it’s Bad For Your Skin

There’s a definite link between stress and skin breakouts…but what does caffeine have to do with it?

Studies have shown regular caffeine intake increases your cortisol levels, which can cause inflammation in your skin, and throwing the rest of your hormones out of control. High intake of caffeine in the diet can cause symptoms that mimic stress reactions and affect sleep.

(Kettleandfire.com)

advantages

•with some investigation or getting a test for allergies or intolerance you can get the best diet for you to improve your skin

•In my experience of changing my diet the advantages were:

1.my meals digested better

2.I have more energy

3.my skin has got a bit better

disadvantages

•you may not be able to eat your favourite food

•You may eat less and therefore not get the correct amount of nutrients and your energy will drop.

•you may be left with scars from acne if not aware that your diet affects your skin and may be the cause of your skin issues.

so does your diet really affect your skin?

According to my research and my report on above foods I can only conclude that your diet does affect your skin. I have outlined  in detail  just some of the foods that affect your skin.  I feel that the research completed is reliable (see in reference list) and that this gives you sufficient information on what food is doing to your skin. However it is also fair to say that there is an abundance of research on this topic and that a more in depth study would lead to a greater understanding of the links between diet and its affect on skin health. My hypothesis of my study that I thought that my diet affected my skin but I was unsure how and why I feel my paper has explained this effectively.

 Reference list

Elitedaily.com

I believe this website is factual and reliable because the article was written by a qualified dermatologist and they have studied my topic in detail.

kettleandfire.com

I believe this website is reliable as it is approved by others on the and cannot be edited publicly, kettleandfire.com also sell skin treatments based on research.

Although two reference sources were quoted in this piece during the research process many were visited and the information was consistent throughout each website.

  other references that were not quoted but were considered in evaluating information

Lookfantastic.com

This source was written by a skincare specialist and therefore I feel it is reliable.

Shape.com

This website gave me information on the foods that are believed to be bad for your skin and therefore “backed up” my quoted information.

Nbcnews.com

This is a news article, I feel this article has completed there research through interview and further information online and therefore is reliable.

Healthline.com

This source told me what was believed to be good for your skin , I did not include this in my research but it again confirmed that the foods believed to be bad were not on their list

Essential science textbook

I evaluated the food Pyramid to research the affect that the food on it had. It was really just to further my knowledge on what you need in a day and what is believed to be bad for you.