Can food allergies cause acne?

In the what causes acne page I explained that acne is a result of insulin resistance and chronic, low-intensity inflammation. Please read it, if you haven't already.

Inflammation is an immune system response. Food allergies activate the immune system and increase inflammation.

Note, I'm using the word food allergies here. But this same applies to food intolerances and sensitivities also. They all trigger an immune system response. Food allergies are just more severe than sensitivities and intolerances are. Most people are unaware of their food sensitivities because they don't produce noticeable symptoms.

You get an allergic reaction when undigested (or incompletely digested) food particles enter the bloodstream. Your body doesn't recognize these particles as food (since they are undigested instead of individual nutrients) and treats them as invaders (like bacteria and virus). The immune system attacks, which increases inflammation.

When you eat foods you are allergic often (most people do so at every meal) the immune system is activated all the time and the levels of inflammatory hormones go through the roof. For acne-prone individuals this can cause acne.

As an acne victims you should avoid the foods you are allergic or sensitive to. This can help you to cure your acne much faster.

This video talks more about food allegies and how they might 'prime' your immune system to be overactive. This is because allergies increase the levels of proinflammatory hormones.

How do you know which foods you are allergic to?

Good question. Here are few suggestions.

• Avoid the common food allergies
• Do a pulse test
• Do a food allergy test

Common food allergens

Here's the big eight of food allergies. They account for 90% of the food allergies in the US

• Milk and dairy products
• Egg allergy
• Peanut allergy
• Tree nuts
• Seafood allergy
• Shellfish allergy
• Soy
• Wheat

From a physiological point of view all humans are allergic to at least milk and wheat. We do not have the enzymes to completely digest those foods. Hence whether you have been diagnosed with allergy or not, you are sensitive to those foods. It's simply a physiological fact.

Use the pulse test to check for food allergies

Pulse test is a good way to check for food allergies. It's fast, free, simple and you can do it at home. Of course it's not as accurate as blood tests, but it's free and you can do it at home.

Here's how to do the pulse test:

• Identify the food you want to test. It's better to test individual foods or even nutrients rather than whole meals. The more specific you test the better the results. For example test for wheat rather than bread, and for bread rather than a sandwich.
• Check your base pulse rate. You can do this while sitting down or laying down on bed. It's important you do measurements at the same position. To check your pulse put on finger either on your wrist or on your neck where the arteries are. I find it easier to feel my pulse on the carotid artery on the neck. Using a wrist or stopwatch count the number of beats for 60 seconds. The count you get is your resting pulse (beats per minute). It's important to do this at rest and at least two hours after any exercise. High levels of stress can also increase your pulse rate so be as relaxed as possible.
• Then eat the food you want to test.
• Check your pulse rate again after 15, 30 and 60 minutes. If your pulse rate is more 10 or more beats higher than your base pulse rate you are allergic to that food. Smaller elevations may point to less severe allergies.

Pulse test gives a reasonably good indication of food allergies and you should include it into your acne fighting toolkit.

Blood test is more accurate way to test for food allergies. But they are more expensive and require a laboratory analysis. Your doctor can recommend an allergy test if you feel you need one.

This video shows another good way to test for food allergies using muscle testing. This is also very quick, but you need a partner for this.

By following the dietary and lifestyle recommendations at Clear for Life you can bring your body and the immune system back in balance so that your food allergies and acne disappear. By following the simple dietary recommendations at Clear for Life you can easily avoid most of the food allergens.

Have you noticed a link between acne and food allergies or sensitivities? If so, please post it here so others can learn from your experience also.

Other comments also welcome.

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anaphalaxes  Not rated yet
To tell the truth I think the main reason I continue to struggle with acne is because of not one, but two severe allergic reactions. I had not been allergic ...

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