Millions of Americans are suffering from problematic acne that doesn’t seem to go away not matter what is done.  Many will suffer from acne in their teenage years and then become acne free in their adult years.

However, for some, this acne never goes away and the constant breakouts continue all the way into adulthood.  This can become extremely embarrassing and it takes a toll on the individual’s self-confidence.

Acne that happens in the teenage years is typically due to the change in hormones and puberty.   However, when acne continues to occur into the adult years it’s typically due to poor diet, food intolerance, and a dysfunctional gut microbiome.

Gut inflammation or gut dsybosis has actually been shown to cause unwanted side effects such as adult acne, anxiety, and depression (1).  When the gut becomes inflamed due to poor diet and food choices, the body begins to show signs and symptoms to warn the individual that something is wrong internally.

For this reason, anyone suffering from adult acne needs to change their diet.  

Acne and Excessive Amounts of Histamine

When diet is changed and the microbiome is correctly balanced, symptoms such as adult acne tend to clear up.  There are various foods in which you are going want to avoid in the beginning when you start to change your diet. 

Typically, foods high in histamine are usually problematic for individuals suffering from adult acne. This is because when the gut is experiencing a dsybosis, it usually has an overgrowth of histamine producing bacteria.  This excessive histamine can actually cause unwanted side effects in the body such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, rashes, and acne.  It’s for this reason that antihistamine drugs are typically prescribed to those suffering from inflammatory skin conditions and acne (2).

It’s important to understand that the body requires histamine for various processes in the body.  In fact, it’s one of the most important neurotransmitters in the body.  However, when levels become too high due to histamine producing bacteria, the body becomes overwhelmed.

As a result, the following histamine containing foods should be avoided for some time until the gut is restructured and re-balanced:

-Avocado
-Banana
-Chocolate
-Fermented Foods
-Aged Meat
-Alcohol
-Vinegar
-Night Shades

These foods are the highest sources of histamine when compared to any other food.  Fortunately, many will find that these foods can slowly be reintroduced into the diet once the gut is fully healed.

Gut Healing Diet for Acne

When following a gut healing protocol it’s extremely important that you stick to the program faithfully and to the best of your ability.  If you truly want to get rid of the acne, the gut must be properly balanced with the correct foods.

Although, vegan diets have completely taken the natural health world by storm, they’re not recommended for healing the gut.  Many of the foods found on the vegan diet contain high amounts of anti-nutrients which can actually contribute to gut inflammation (3).

Furthermore, these diets do not contain the every so important fat soluble vitamin such as vitamin K2 and vitamin D.  They also do not contain the omega 3s DHA and EPA which have both been shown to help reduce inflammation in the body (4).  Lastly, these diets are completely devoid of vitamin B12 which plays an integral role in gut health (5).

Instead, following a diet rich in healthy animal products such as grass-fed beef, wild caught fish, pastured eggs, and organic organ meats is extremely beneficial for healing and correcting the gut.  These foods provide the necessary amino acids, vitamins, and minerals needed in order to make repairs in the body and correct imbalances within the gut.

Foods such as white sugar and sugary fruit should be avoided as this will actually contribute to more dsybosis in the gut.  Grains should also be avoided since they contain high amounts of anti-nutrients and can cause inflammation in the gut.

Raw salads are excellent for the microbiome and provide the good bacteria with the necessary prebiotics needed to replicate and flourish.  All nuts and seeds should be soaked, boiled, steamed, or roasted before consuming.  This will bring down the anti-nutrient load found within these products (6).

However, the base of diet should consist of leafy greens and high quality animal products.  Also, consuming adequate amounts of fats from both animals and coconut oil helps seal the gut lining and reduce inflammation within the digestive tract tremendously. 

For more information on optimal ways of eating to help heal the gut and get rid of unwanted acne, be sure to visit the Weston A. Price foundation.  This website is a godsend for anyone looking to heal the gut and follow a more traditional way of eating.

Bone Broths for Sealing the Gut Lining

Homemade bone broths are amazing at sealing the gut lining and influencing repairs in the digestive tract.  Making a batch each week from organic bones can be extremely helpful for those dealing with acne due to gut dsybosis.

Unfortunately, bone broth tends to be fairly high in histamine which can become problematic for those dealing with an overgrowth of histamine producing bacteria.  The best way to know if bone broth is right for is to simply try a small amount to see how you react.  If you have no negative reactions, it’s most likely a safe food for you.

However, if you react negatively to bone broth, then it would be best to remove it from the diet until the microbiome has balanced itself out properly.

How Manuka Honey can Help Acne

Once diet is squared away, there are various superfoods that can be included which can have a profound effect on gut health and symptom such as acne.  Raw Manuka honey is an extremely valuable food for anyone suffering from gut dsybosis and unwanted symptoms such as acne.

This superfood can be used topically, orally, or both and has been used for thousands of years for various health aliments.  Research shows that when honey works excellently when applied topically to various skin conditions due to its high antimicrobial activity (7).

Furthermore, Manuka honey is extremely beneficial for ridding the gut of pathogenic overgrowths which produce histamine in the body.  In particular, raw Manuka honey is extremely beneficial at controlling candida and inhibiting its growth (8).

Research has shown that overgrowths of candida in the gut can actually cause the body to release histamine (9).  Luckily, Manuka honey can help control this unwanted house guest by effectively ridding it from the gut.

Conclusion

Acne, especially when experienced in adult years can be extremely frustrating and annoying.  Many who experience this condition usually have a dsybosis in their gut due to poor food choices, overuse of antibiotics, and consumption of inflammatory foods.

Furthermore, excessive amounts of histamine also play a role in those suffering from frequent acne breakouts.  Following a diet such as the one outlined above can be extremely beneficial for anyone suffering from gut inflammation and an overabundance of histamine producing bacteria.

Including superfoods such as a raw Manuka honey is also extremely beneficial for controlling acne.  Research has shown that Manuka honey is able to control and inhibit the growth of several histamine producing bacteria such as candida.