Differential diagnosis
Oily skin does not have to be the result of diet, but can also be caused by hormonal changes, especially during puberty or pregnancy. The use of anabolic steroids and corticosteroids, which are often contained in anti-inflammatory creams, also leads to increased sebum production and thus oily skin. An important distinction from the so-called “ointment face” in people suffering from Parkinson’s disease is important, but is only relevant in combination with other symptoms. Oily skin alone, especially facial skin, is not a reliable indicator of a dopamine deficiency, which is the cause of Parkinson’s disease.
Causes
The cause of oily skin in different types of nutrition is not entirely clear. There is a suspicion that a high insulin release from the pancreas, such as occurs when eating readily available carbohydrates from sweets, has an increasing influence on the sebum production of the skin. Although there is an influence of nutrition on hormone production, it has not been proven whether this changes the hormone balance in such a way that there is a visible effect on sebum production in the skin.
Test for nutrition-dependent oily skin
In order to find out whether the skin is affected by your own diet, it is necessary to skip various foods. It is important to omit one food group. For example, products with quickly available carbohydrates can be omitted.
Also dairy products, alcohol, cigarettes or a high-fat diet can be omitted. A strong reduction in sugar consumption can also be helpful. If the diet is adjusted accordingly, nutritional advice can be helpful under certain circumstances.
As the process towards oily skin is a long one, the reverse is also true: normalization of the skin takes some time. No success can be expected after one week of abstaining from a food group. However, if no success is achieved after a longer period of time, the cause of oily skin is most likely not to be found in one’s own diet and the other reasons for oily skin must be examined and treated more closely.It should be noted that a large proportion of people affected by oily skin will not feel any improvement as a result of a change in diet, as the hormonal component of the skin change is far more prevalent.
Even the permanent renunciation of certain suspected foods cannot help in this case. Food containing iron helps to improve the oxygen supply to the body and thus also to the skin, since iron is significantly involved in the blood‘s ability to bind oxygen. The better the skin can be supplied with oxygen, the higher is its ability to regenerate.
Foods containing iron in particular include pig liver, wheat bran, soybeans and lentils. Taking iron preparations is not recommended – as long as there is no iron deficiency – because an overdose can occur, which is harmful to the body because the iron is deposited in the body. The intake of zinc helps in two ways to improve the appearance of the skin.
On the one hand, zinc has a direct positive effect on sebum production and thus attacks directly at the site of fat overproduction. On the other hand, zinc ensures an improved vitamin A metabolism. Vitamin A in turn is responsible for the growth and differentiation of cells and tissues.
If this system functions well, or is improved by the supply of zinc, the tissues and thus also the skin are stimulated to grow and regenerate. Zinc can be applied locally to the skin in the form of creams or ointments. On the other hand, it can be absorbed as a food supplement, so that it can act in the body’s circulation and thus influence the vitamin A metabolism.
Zinc can also be taken in with food. Oysters, muscle meat and cereal products in particular have a high zinc content. Milk products have a lower zinc content and vegetables contain almost no zinc, so that with a vegetarian and particularly with a vegan nutrition a need for an additional zinc supply can develop.
Vitamin A, which is important for the cell structure, can be found in many vegetables. These include carrots, peppers, chard, sweet potatoes, celery and many other vegetables. However, the absorption of the vitamin A contained in these vegetables is only possible in combination with an intake of fat, whereby the amount of fat does not have to be large.
However, since vitamin A is fat-soluble, it can only be absorbed by the body in this way and is not excreted unused. Another vitamin is involved in the formation of skin, hair and nails. This is biotin, which is also known as vitamin H or vitamin B7.
This vitamin can be found mainly in egg yolk, fish, beef liver, walnuts or rice. In addition, folic acid – also known as vitamin 9, vitamin 11 or vitamin M – which is often taken during pregnancy, is necessary for cell regeneration. The body cannot produce this vitamin itself and is therefore always dependent on a supply of this vitamin.
Since folic acid is involved in the structure of DNA and is thus involved in growth processes, this vitamin is particularly needed and useful for rapidly regenerating organ systems and the skin. Folic acid is contained in yeasts, cereal germs, legumes, calf and poultry liver in large quantities. Some vegetables, fruit, fish and eggs also contain folic acid, but in smaller quantities.
