ABSTRACT

In the early twentieth century, dermatologists believed that diet could have a profound inuence on acne [1]. However, in 1969 and 1971, two studies authored by prominent dermatologists proclaimed the opposite [2,3], and since that time the major textbooks of dermatology [4,5] have denied that diet affects acne by citing those two papers. In 2012, the website of the American Academy of Dermatology links to a patient information site that declares: “There’s no need to worry about food affecting the acne” [6]. The pendulum has remained suspended in that position, defying the gravity of scrutiny for nearly 40 years. However, the drumbeat of studies challenging the acne-diet dogma has grown louder and corroborated by increasingly more sophisticated science. This chapter reviews the scientic evidence, much of it outside the dermatology literature, for the acne-diet link and concludes with a dietary treatment program for acne patients.