Researchers in Norway have made associations between acne, high intake of chocolate and chips and low intake of vegetables.
Jon Anders Halvorsen of the University of Oslo and colleagues in Tibet and the United States studied 3,775 adolescents to explore the possible causes of acne. The 18- and 19-year olds were given questionnaires to monitor their diets, lifestyle variables and mental conditions.
Study participants reported on their own acne. The researchers acquired the sociodemographic status of the young people from Statistics Norway.
The study, published in the journal BMC Public Health, found in girls, there was a significant link between acne and a diet low in raw and fresh vegetables.
“Our study shows a possible link between diet and acne. However, when we introduced symptoms of depression and anxiety in our statistical model, the role of diet became less clear,” Halvorsen said in a statement.
“On the other hand the association between acne and mental health problems was still strong when diet was introduced.”
It is too early to give evidence based diet advice to teenagers with acne, further studies are needed, Halvorsen said.
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