Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2007 Aug;57(2):247-56.
doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2007.01.046. Epub 2007 Apr 19.

The effect of a high-protein, low glycemic-load diet versus a conventional, high glycemic-load diet on biochemical parameters associated with acne vulgaris: a randomized, investigator-masked, controlled trial

Robyn N Smith  1 , Neil J Mann, Anna Braue, Henna Mäkeläinen, George A Varigos
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

The effect of a high-protein, low glycemic-load diet versus a conventional, high glycemic-load diet on biochemical parameters associated with acne vulgaris: a randomized, investigator-masked, controlled trial

Robyn N Smith et al. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2007 Aug.

Abstract

Background: No previous study has sought to examine the influence of dietary composition on acne vulgaris.

Objective: We sought to compare the effect of an experimental low glycemic-load diet with a conventional high glycemic-load diet on clinical and endocrine aspects of acne vulgaris.

Methods: A total of 43 male patients with acne completed a 12-week, parallel, dietary intervention study with investigator-masked dermatology assessments. Primary outcomes measures were changes in lesion counts, sex hormone binding globulin, free androgen index, insulin-like growth factor-I, and insulin-like growth factor binding proteins.

Results: At 12 weeks, total lesion counts had decreased more in the experimental group (-21.9 [95% confidence interval, -26.8 to -19.0]) compared with the control group (-13.8 [-19.1 to -8.5], P = .01). The experimental diet also reduced weight (P = .001), reduced the free androgen index (P = .04), and increased insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (P = .001) when compared with a high glycemic-load diet.

Limitations: We could not preclude the role of weight loss in the overall treatment effect.

Conclusion: This suggests nutrition-related lifestyle factors play a role in acne pathogenesis. However, these preliminary findings should be confirmed by similar studies.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

  • Dietary fat, fiber, and acne vulgaris.
    Logan AC. Logan AC. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2007 Dec;57(6):1092-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2007.06.046. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2007. PMID: 18021854 No abstract available.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

Publication types