Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Does Testosterone Cause Acne???

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Too much testosterone may be one of the many factors causing your acne. Your body is constantly maintaining a sort of "peace among your cells," known as homeostasis. One way it does this is by producing the enzyme 5-alpha reductase when testosterone levels get too high. Although, it protects you from the effects of too much testosterone, 5-alpha reductase signals the sebum in your sebaceous glands (oil glands) to become thick and sticky. This spells trouble for those prone to acne because the sebum doesn't glide out of the follicle with ease.

This sticky meal provides quite the tasty treat for bacteria taking up residence in your follicles, and this energy dense meal provides lots of amo for bacteria to replicate. Alas, you awake with a giant, inflamed pimple, which in reality, serves as the womb for this colonizing frenzy!

Diets high in saturated fats including meat, milk, butter, peanut butter, and cheese increase 5-alpha reductase. Zinc, soy, flax seed, pumkin seed, and evening primrose oil are known to help inhibit 5-alpha reductase. Go for the omega sixes (linoleic acid)!