I have been seeing a lot of acne lately.  My patients know that I am a big believer in the importance of diet in relation to many disease states.  Here is a link to some interesting work by an amazing colleague of mine, Dr. William Danby.  He has been studying the link between acne and dairy intake for many years.  Click here to see his website.

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Some of you know that one of my interests is nutrition and metabolism.  I just watched a very informative video on the evils of sugar in our diet.  It was a lecture by Dr. Robert Lustig, pediatric endocrinologist at UCSF.  He dispels the myth that fructose  (and high fructose corn syrup) is healthier than sugar.  In fact, it is toxic.  (Table sugar is, in fact, half glucose, half fructose.)  Fructose gets metabolized in the liver very differently than glucose; in fact, a large portion ends up getting turned into fat, leading to fatty liver, obesity, and diabetes.  Fructose metabolism also generates toxic byproducts such as uric acid, which can lead to high blood pressure and inflammation.

Bottom line:  it’s not the fat in our diet that’s the problem; it’s the sugar, whether it is table sugar (50% fructose) or high fructose corn syrup, which is in almost all processed foods.  Please folks, pay attention to what you eat.  And stay away from soft drinks!  Even diet drinks are bad, as they can fool the brain into stimulating insulin production, leading to insulin resistance.

I think I may write my next newsletter on this subject.  It does actually bear on skin and dermatologic disorders.  Stay tuned!

If you have a spare hour, here is the video:  Click here

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Trend alert!!  The next wave in anti-aging products is “beauty from within.”  Nescafe is coming out with a collagen containing instant coffee. However, it’s currently only available in Singapore.   Another company called Anti-Ageing Products is introducing an anti-aging water, containing resveratrol, to be released in the US  this month.   Noah’s Naturals, an organic personal care company, will be launching an anti-aging beauty beverage in January that will contain marine collagen, elastin, peptides and superfood antioxidants.  I do believe in antioxidants, but as far as drinking collagen, well, I’d put it in the “can’t hurt, might help” category!

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Face facts: Too much sugar causes wrinkles – TODAY Health.

This article combines two of my main interests: nutrition and skin.  Refined flour, simple carbs, and sugar are not only bad for one’s waistline, but also bad for the skin.  The article doesn’t mention it, but high glycemic diets have also been shown to aggravate acne.

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