One of the subjects in O'Connell's article, Julianne, had never suffered from spots as a teenager, but by the time she was 28 she had terrible cystic acne along her jawline and across her neck. An American, she had travelled to Europe to learn to do a cookery course.
Julianne had decided to open a restaurant and deli back in the States, so before she returned home she toured around Europe, sampling every cheese she came across. As she told her story to the dermatologist Bill Danby, something clicked: "Oh my God, it's the cheese," she said. For six months, she stopped eating all dairy products. During that time she became 85 per cent free of acne, and her skin cleared up.
According to Danby, a skin expert, "The ability to develop acne is partly genetic and partly the result of hormone exposure [e.g. hormones from dairy milk]. I tell my female patients that genetics are the key to the fact that Paris Hilton has lots of money and no zits and my patients have lots of zits and no money."
Although acne can affect people at any age, it usually peaks at between 16 and 18, when up to 98 per cent of the population of developed countries are affected. A link between dairy milk and acne has been observed because acne is significantly less common in parts of the world that consume less dairy milk. As well as being socially embarrassing, acne is costly - up to five $billion is spent worldwide each year treating the affliction.
This is how milk causes acne: hormones in dairy milk stimulate the glands of hair follicles, making them secrete more sebum than they normally would. As a consequence, hair follicles stick together and form a plug in the pore of the skin - the first visible sign of acne. As the plug 'pinches' the sebum canal it prevents the free-flow of sebum to the skin. The result is acne.
Milk is full of hormones: not only ones intended to help the calf grow, but also those produced by the placenta to aid the cow's pregnancy. Another worrying hormone, as far as acne is concerned, is IGF-1. Both humans and cows make IGF-1 in their bodies. This hormone peaks at age 15 in girls and 18 in boys, coinciding with peak acne levels.
IGF-1 is known to work with testosterone and DHT to cause acne. IGF-1 is found in all types of dairy milk: raw, pasteurized, organic and nonorganic. So when you consume any type of dairy milk it will significantly increase your levels of IGF-1 and be likely to cause acne.
There is plenty of evidence showing that milk is a major cause of acne. In a major study, Dr Walter Willett and his colleagues at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston looked at the diets of 47,000 women who were part of a research project called the 'Nurses Health Study II'.
As part of the study, 47,000 women were required to complete questionnaires concerning their diet as teenagers, and to indicate whether they ever had severe acne. The study found no links between foods such as potato chips or chocolate and acne, but they did find a strong link between women who had acne and those who had regularly consumed milk.
This is confirmed by other research:
* IGF-1 [in cow's milk] contributes to the increase in sebum production during puberty. (Endocrinology, 1999 Sep, 140:9).
* About 80% of [dairy] cows are throwing off hormones continuously [milk is] implicated as a factor in the development of acne teenage acne patients improved as soon as milk drinking stopped. (Frank Oski, M.D., Don't Drink Your Milk, Teach Services, Inc).
* About 80% of cows that are giving milk are pregnant and are throwing off hormones continuouslyDr. Jerome has found that acne improved as soon as the teenagers stopped consuming milk. (Dr. George J. Georgiou, Ph.D., Clinical Nutritionist, Milk - A Recipe for Disease, Nov. 2002, worldwidehealthcenter.net).
There is, of course, a simple solution to help prevent acne: switch to non-dairy milk. You can buy commercial non-dairy milk such as soy and rice milk in some supermarkets. Better still, make your own non-dairy milk. When made correctly home made milk is super-nutritious and truly delicious, and of course, it does not cause acne.
Does Milk Cause Acne
The Acne Problem Lies Way Below The Skin.
Practitioners of conventional medicine describe acne as a skin inflammation. This condition is caused largely by factors on the skin surface, the principal one being an excess of sebum and keratin being produced by the oil glands.
The excessive oil blocks the pores of the hair follicle and this leads to the growth of bacteria. As the growth of bacteria increases, small pimples appear, both on the surface of the skin and directly underneath. The ones above the surface are called blackheads and the ones below the surface are called whiteheads.
In reality, the cause of acne lies way below the surface of the skin. It`s not the immediate signs that you have to tackle, not the inflamed skin, not the investigations of the skin type, not the excessive production of oil, nor the clogged hair follicles or the bacteria on your skin; none of these. Acne is formed because deep rooted factors develop an environment which is conducive to its formation and growth.
Acne is a condition, NOT a disease.
Whatever else acne might be, it is certainly not a disease, just as many of the medical conditions found in the western world are not really diseases. Acne RESULTS from a disease and the acne condition is the body`s way of telling you that all is not well. Don`t ignore this message as the balance of your body is at stake.
I wish to warn you that you should not take the words of conventional practitioners of medicine as the whole truth and start treating your acne as a skin ailment and nothing else. The problem can only be found in the deeper recesses of the body.
If you are afflicted with acne, please understand that the real cause of it is an imbalance that has occurred in your body`s system. The rashes and pimples are the outward manifestations of a much deeper problem which you MUST tackle if you want to be rid of your acne and lead a healthier life.
You will obviously wonder why doctors insist on labeling acne as a malfunction of the skin. The reason is that they can make more money by making you buy the worthless antibiotics and lotions.
The truth about acne bacteria:
Acne bacteria or propionibacterium, to give it its technical term, is something that every human being has on his skin. This bacterium is a life form which fights for survival and is beneficial for us. So the malignant organisms which conventional medicines try to eradicate are really very important for our good health and well being.
You may be surprised to know that acne bacteria, so long as it is in tune with the balance of your body, help you repel other bacteria which are way more harmful for you. It exists in all human beings, irrespective of whether they have acne or not and is the major reason for the flexibility of your skin.
The secretions from our sweat and sebaceous glands are what the acne bacteria feed itself on. This is normal for everyone whether they have acne or not.
Acne bacteria do NOT cause acne and is not contagious. Obviously, as otherwise every single individual would have contracted acne since the bacteria is in all of us. Then why is it that only some unfortunate souls land up being afflicted?
The case is the same with streptococcus bacteria which everyone has. Then why is it that everyone doesn`t get tonsillitis or a strep throat? The reason is that, like acne bacteria, it will not strike unless the conditions in the body are right and a specific environment is fashioned.
It is the environment which counts (the acne triangle of oil-toxins-bacteria).
The environment that creates acne is one where there is an overproduction of sebum oil, mainly due to an imbalance in hormones, and this excess mixes with congested toxins which come out through the skin. This mixture is dangerous as it causes bacteria to develop and grow disturbingly fast. The condition which is thus created is the standard one for an acne sufferer: pimples and nodules which are inflamed and pus-filled.
This condition, described above, where the bacteria grows in leaps and bounds because of the admixture of excess sebum oil and blood toxins, has to be prevented. Merely killing the bacteria is not sufficient because it will grow again when the above condition is recreated. So the ONLY way to stop acne permanently is to go to the root of the problem and ensure that this condition is not allowed to happen.
So antibiotics which kill acne bacteria, such as benzoyl peroxide, tetracycline or monocycline are not permanent cures because they do not tackle the root cause of the acne.
Then What Really Causes Acne?
You will, by now, realize what it is that makes acne bacteria grow so drastically and what environment brings on acne. But all this is only what happens on the surface. What we have to know in order to permanently stop acne from happening is the root cause of the hormonal imbalance and the blood toxins that cause the nexus between oil, toxins and bacteria in the first place.
This nexus is created on the surface of the skin because of a process that is affected by changes within the body. These changes are nutritional, hormonal, environmental and even psychological.
Therefore, to ensure a permanently clear skin, you will have to counteract the changes in ALL the factors mentioned above so that bacteria does not multiply but is kept at an optimal level on your skin.
Both Russell Eaton & Mike Walden are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Russell Eaton has sinced written about articles on various topics from Health, Acne Treatment and Network Marketing. To get more information about making non-dairy milk go to Make Your Own Milk. Unique recipes show how to make nutritious and super-delicious milk easily. Russell Eaton's top article generates over 2400 views. Bookmark Russell Eaton to your Favourites.
Mike Walden has sinced written about articles on various topics from Acne Treatment, Acne Treatment and Dieting. Mike Walden is an author of the best-selling e-book, " Acne No More- Open the Door to an Acne Free Life". To Learn More About His Unique 5-Step Holistic Acne Cure System Visit:. Mike Walden's top article generates over 22200 views. Bookmark Mike Walden to your Favourites.