Yet another school of thought says that Western diets in general cause more acne, because of their high fat and dairy-rich content. Hmm…come to think of it, I haven’t seen too many Chinese with acne. Is that sentence politically incorrect? Think about it: most Eastern countries live on high-starch diets with a strong base of vegetables and fruits and little meat. That certainly tells me something.

The point is, plenty of fruits and vegetables in your diet may not actually cure acne, but would certainly not aggravate it or trigger an outbreak. For proteins, how about pulses and fish? And water, plenty of water to flush the toxins out. I’m going to try this and report back, so keep reading!

Having said that, however, we do know for sure that certain diets may indirectly help control acne, by controlling the factors that cause it. Additionally, a healthy diet rich in anti-oxidants keeps your skin healthy too, and acne is a disease of the skin. Since that link is obvious, here are a few acne diet facts that should help you:

• The prime cause of acne is the action of the bacteria known as Propionibacterium acnes. Therefore, controlling the activities of the bacteria naturally limits its effect. The biggest help here is Vitamin A, which is fat-soluble and strengthens the skin’s mucous membrane, which in turn acts as a bacteria shield. Vitamin A occurs naturally as beta-carotene in colorful fruits and dark green vegetables, so stock up on vegetables and fruits like carrots, yams, apricots, tomatoes, spinach and parsley. But don’t overdo your intake, because too-high doses of Vitamin A can be toxic.

• We already know that stress aggravates acne. But did you know that Vitamin B2 alleviates stress? Well, now that you do, add Vitamin B2-rich foods like whole grains, fish, milk, eggs, meat and green vegetables.

• Then there’s Vitamin B3 (also known as niacin), which improves blood circulation, naturally also improving the health of your skin. As if that wasn’t all, niacin also reduces cholesterol levels and metabolizes proteins, sugars, and fats. Foods rich in niacin include peanuts, eggs, avocados, liver, and lean meats.

• Vitamin E is a very good source of anti-oxidants, which protect cells against free radicals. What are free radicals? They are unstable molecules produced from air radiation and pollution. They can also be created as a result of the body’s metabolism and can lead to potentially serious diseases. Therefore, get your regular supply of Vitamin E from foods like almonds, peanuts, broccoli, wheat germ and vegetable oils.

• Yet another source of anti-oxidants is zinc, which is excellent when it comes to strengthening your immune system. Eggs, whole grains, nuts, and mushrooms are good sources of zinc, among others.

You will realize that the above list does not claim to be a comprehensive acne diet chart, but it does set you on the path to maintaining a balanced diet. The problem here is that not all foods affect all individuals in the same way. So it is ideal if you an incorporate a bit of all the essential nutrients into your diet. The idea is to boost general health, which automatically boosts the health of your skin. So chalk out a balanced acne diet plan and – we’ve kept the simplest for last – drink at least eight glasses of water daily, so that toxins are flushed out of your system.