Food allergy: Can it lead to acne?

Allergy to certain foods can trigger or worsen acne. This is because of the body’s immune response to these foods. When undigested or incompletely digested foods enter the blood stream, they trigger an immune system response. This occurs because the immune system treats these food particles as antigens. As a result, there is an inflammatory response and the cells and hormones of the immune system are triggered. This inflammatory response manifests itself on the skin and results in acne.

If you notice that certain foods trigger your acne, chances are that you may be allergic to the food. Common foods which cause allergies are shell fish, eggs, soy, wheat, peanuts. The problem with food allergies is that many times, the symptoms go unnoticed or unassociated with the particular food. Often the symptoms appear only after a day or so of eating the food. If you suspect that you have food allergies

. It is best to get yourself tested. Your doctor may conduct an ELISA test to identify the levels of antibodies your body produces in response to different foods. If you are allergic to certain foods, take care to eliminate them from your diet. Otherwise, the skin care measures and anti acne medications that you take may not be very effective.