Beyond the Surface - Skin Community - Hormonal

Low carb (or short term no-carb) can help with this. Do you have other skin conditions such as skin tags? (sign of insulin resistance)

Cinnamon: Studies suggest that cinnamon can help lower blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity. Cinnamon can be added to foods or taken as a supplement.
Berberine: Berberine has been shown to help improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar levels. It may work similarly to some diabetes medications. #deleted-channel
Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA): This antioxidant has shown potential in lowering blood sugar levels and improving insulin resistance. It's also used for diabetic neuropathy.
Chromium: This mineral is essential for carbohydrate and fat metabolism. Some evidence suggests that chromium supplements can improve blood sugar control in people with diabetes.
Fenugreek: Known for its use in traditional medicine, fenugreek may help improve glucose tolerance and lower blood sugar levels.
Gymnema Sylvestre: Often called "sugar destroyer" in Ayurvedic medicine, it's been used for centuries in India for managing diabetes. It may help reduce sugar absorption in the intestines.
Bitter Melon: This fruit is commonly used in traditional medicine for diabetes. It contains compounds that act like insulin, helping to lower blood sugar levels.
Magnesium: Low levels of magnesium are often seen in people with diabetes. Supplementing with magnesium may improve insulin sensitivity and blood sugar control.
Vitamin D #deleted-channel : Adequate vitamin D levels are important for insulin function, and a deficiency in vitamin D is linked to insulin resistance.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: While not directly lowering blood sugar levels, omega-3s can improve insulin sensitivity and reduce inflammation, which is beneficial for people with diabetes.
Carnitine: https://discord.com/channels/1169738819688468501/1269630832620998759
Citrulline

(edited)

Chip changed the channel name: Hormonal - Insulin Resistance 1/12/2023 12:26 PM

Some other things to consider regarding blood sugar management:

Too Much Food In One Sitting

can lead to hormonal fluctuations, increased blood sugar levels, and inflammation, all of which can contribute to acne breakouts. Intermittent fasting, extended water fasts, and not eating big meals before bed could help.

Smoothies

This is related to the above. Avoid blending lots of high glycemic fruits/veg into smoothies as this can break the fiber which may result in sugar being absorbed more quickly.

Emiroglu, N., Cengiz, F., & Kemeriz, F. (2015). Insulin resistance in severe acne vulgaris. Advances in Dermatology and Allergology/Postȩpy Dermatologii i Alergologii, 32, 281 - 285. https://doi.org/10.5114/pdia.2015.53047. While fasting blood glucose levels were not different between the groups (p > 0.05, 82.91 ±9.76 vs. 80.26 ±8.33), the fasting insulin levels were significantly higher in the patient group than in the control group (p < 0.001, 14.01 ±11.94 vs. 9.12 ±3.53). Additionally, there was a highly significant difference between the patient and control groups in terms of HOMA values (p < 0.001, 2.87 ±2.56 vs. 1.63 ±0.65) (edited)

"Association of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 gene polymorphisms with plasma levels of IGF-1 and acne severity" found that mean plasma IGF-1 levels were significantly higher in acne cases compared to non-acne controls. Plasma IGF-1 levels positively correlated with the severity of acne. Individuals with certain IGF-1 gene polymorphisms had a higher risk of acne and more severe grades of acne (Rahaman et al., 2016, Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology). https://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(16)30300-0/abstract (edited)

"Our study demonstrates an association between acne and HbA1c levels, suggesting that acne patients may have increased risk of prediabetes" Gu, L., Ong, M., Fan, S.X., Christos, P. and Lipner, S.R. (2023), Not just skin deep: Association of acne with elevated hemoglobin A1c levels in a retrospective case–control study of 1098 patients at an academic center. J Cosmet Dermatol, 22: 3520-3521. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocd.15851

"Adults with acne, especially the most severe cases, are significantly more likely to have MS, IR, and lower HDL levels, compared to controls without acne. " Carneiro, A. C. A., de Carvalho, J. F., de Sá, D. C., & Rodrigues, C. E. M. (2023). Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome and Insulin Resistance in Adult Patients with Acne: Association with Traditional Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Acne Severity. Metabolic syndrome and related disorders, 21(2), 109–114. https://doi.org/10.1089/met.2022.0073

A positive association was observed between the severity of acne and insulin resistance syndrome, obesity, autoimmune thyroiditis, and hypothyroidism (p < 0.05). Risk analysis indicated a significantly higher risk (RR > 1, 95% CI RR > 1, p < 0.001) of developing moderate and severe acne in the presence of these preconditions https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38255795/ (2024)

"A high-glycemic-index/-load diet was positively associated with acne vulgaris. Adiponectin may be a pathogenetic cofactor contributing to the development of the disease." Çerman, A. A., Aktaş, E., Altunay, İ. K., Arıcı, J. E., Tulunay, A., & Ozturk, F. Y. (2016). Dietary glycemic factors, insulin resistance, and adiponectin levels in acne vulgaris. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 75(1), 155–162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2016.02.1220

"In this study, consumption of milk, sugary beverages, and fatty and sugary products appeared to be associated with current acne in adults" Penso, L., Touvier, M., Deschasaux, M., Szabo de Edelenyi, F., Hercberg, S., Ezzedine, K., & Sbidian, E. (2020). Association Between Adult Acne and Dietary Behaviors: Findings From the NutriNet-Santé Prospective Cohort Study. JAMA dermatology, 156(8), 854–862. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamadermatol.2020.1602

"We conclude that the majority of acne patients documented to have insulin resistance based on C-peptide and TyG index levels, as well as the mean of these two biomarkers, are significantly higher in acne cases compared to control candidates, in addition to the positive and strong correlation between the level of these biomarkers and the severity of acne" Hasrat, N. H., & Al-Yassen, A. Q. (2023). The Relationship Between Acne Vulgaris and Insulin Resistance. Cureus, 15(1), e34241. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.34241

9:41 AM

"An insulin resistance diagnosis was statistically more common among the acne patients, compared to the controls" Gruszczyńska, M., Sadowska-Przytocka, A., Szybiak, W., Więckowska, B., & Lacka, K. (2023). Insulin Resistance in Patients with Acne Vulgaris. Biomedicines, 11(8), 2294. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines11082294

"This study demonstrates for the first time that serum IGF-1 deficiency prevents the occurrence of acne. The findings suggest that an interaction between IGF-1 and androgens is necessary for the development of acne. " Ben-Amitai, D., & Laron, Z. (2011). Effect of insulin-like growth factor-1 deficiency or administration on the occurrence of acne. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology : JEADV, 25(8), 950–954. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-3083.2010.03896.x

"Postadolescent male patients with acne more commonly have insulin resistance. This resistance may be a stage of prediabetes, and the patients may develop hyperinsulinemia or type 2 diabetes in the future." Nagpal, Mohit et al, ‘Insulin Resistance and Metabolic Syndrome in Young Men With Acne’ (2016) 152(4) JAMA dermatology 399