title: A pilot study to determine the short-term effects of a low glycemic load diet on hormonal markers of acne: a nonrandomized, parallel, controlled feeding trial.
abstract: Observational evidence suggests that dietary glycemic load may be one environmental factor contributing to the variation in acne prevalence worldwide. To investigate the effect of a low glycemic load (LGL) diet on endocrine aspects of acne vulgaris, 12 male acne sufferers (17.0 +/- 0.4 years) completed a parallel, controlled feeding trial involving a 7-day admission to a housing facility. Subjects consumed either an LGL diet (n = 7; 25% energy from protein and 45% from carbohydrates) or a high glycemic load (HGL) diet (n = 5; 15% energy from protein, 55% energy from carbohydrate). Study outcomes included changes in the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), free androgen index (FAI), insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), and its binding proteins (IGFBP-I and IGFBP-3). Changes in HOMA-IR were significantly different between groups at day 7 (-0.57 for LGL vs. 0.14 for HGL, p = 0.03). SHBG levels decreased significantly from baseline in the HGL group (p = 0.03), while IGFBP-I and IGFBP-3 significantly increased (p = 0.03 and 0.03, respectively) in the LGL group. These results suggest that increases in dietary glycemic load may augment the biological activity of sex hormones and IGF-I, suggesting that these diets may aggravate potential factors involved in acne development.
authors.affiliation: School of Applied Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia. robyn.smith@rmit.edu.au
authors.forename: Robyn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mann
authors.forename: Henna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mäkeläinen
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Roper
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Braue
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Varigos
mesh_terms: D000152:Acne Vulgaris / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000728:Androgens / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D002196:Capillaries; D004032:Diet; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005502:Food; D038321:Glycemic Index; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D018969:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins / Q000097:blood; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000032:analysis; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000032:analysis; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D001786:Blood Glucose; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D007328:Insulin; D018969:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins; D008055:Lipids; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D013739:Testosterone; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I