I had very bad skin when I was growing up. I did have a diet high in sugar and refined carbohydrates not to mention a diet high in cheese and other animal products like egg. I attended the conference on plant based nutrition last weekend and thought I would post additional notes that I had made on the lecture given by Dr. Apple Bodemer, MD. She stated that hormonal triggers of acne included androgens, excess sebum, hyperprolifereation of keratinocytes and presence of bacteria (c. acne). Insulin growth factor-1 increases with puberty. IGF-1 is correlated with acne severity.There is a role for intermittent fasting with acne in that it improves it. MTOR-C1 increases the secretion of androgens. and activates inflammatory cytokines. High glycemic diets, high saturated fats and high amounts of dairy trigger acne as does sugar, refined carbohydrates and high meat intake. Areas in the world where people don’t suffer from acne like islands in the south pacific- people’s diets consist of tubers. fruit, coconut, fish and low glycemic carbs and no dairy. Cutting out dairy products may take 8 weeks to fully improve your skin so you have to be patient. Glutamine can increase IGF-1.  Foods highest in leucine may aggravate acne such as whey protein, eggs, pea protein, wheat protein, cow’s milk protein, cream cheese, and cottage cheese. It is best to avoid palmitic acid and transfatty acids. EPA and DHA fatty acids inhibit MTOR-C1. Omega 3 fatty acids may prove to be supporting in doses of around 3000 mg/day. Omega 6 in the form of Borage oil may reduce inflammation at around 400 mg/day. Resveratrol may inhibit acne by inhibiting MTOR-C1. Food sources of Resveratrol include the wonderful Coronation grapes that are currently in season. Other anti-inflammatory support includes green tea but dark chocolate is not recommended. Since I have converted to a largely plant based diet, my skin has completely cleared up. I am so grateful that I have the knowledge to help other people get their healthy skin back. 

Reference: Notes from The Role of Diet in Acne. Dr. Apple Bodemer given September 17, 2022 in Palm Springs California at the International Plant Based  Nutrition Health CareConfererence

Acne has been linked to the intake of refined carbohydrates (sugar and flour products), dairy products (cow’s milk, cheese, yogurt, cream, ice cream), and saturated fats (found in animal products), trans-fats and deficient omega 3 P.U.F.A.’s.

MTOR activators can aggravate acne. Activators of MTOR include proteins especially if they are rich in leucine (beef, eggs, whey protein), having an excess of calories, having an excess of carbohydrates, or high levels of insulin (as a result of high glycemic carbohydrates) and testosterone (an androgen hormone). A paleolithic diet high in vegetables and fish is most suitable for acne.

Plants that inhibit MTOR are helpful in reducing inflammation.

These foods include pomegranates, raspberries, curcumin found in turmeric root, resveratrol (found in red grapes and red wine), quercitin (found in onions, garlic, leeks, green leafy vegetables, blueberries), omega 3 fatty acids found in fish and flax seeds (Multi EFA capsules is a supplement that supplies these oils in my dispensary).

Barberries at 1 tsp three times daily can help reduce acne. Go to Amazon.ca to order if you are interested.

Acne-gen is a phytogen that I use to treat acne or else I treat acne using Unda numbers and homeopathy.

Probiotics decrease acne lesions by 45%. Dybiosis can contribute to acne so if there are symptoms of dysbiosis like gas and bloating I may also use Berberine to treat the bacteria. In some cases, stool testing will provide more objective data to work with. 

Mechanism of action: Refined carbs increase insulin and decrease Fox01 which in turn decreases TH17 creating inflammation and comedones. Milk increases insulin and dairy products decrease IGF-1 and also with their branched chain amino acids increase MTORC1. Saturated fats increase palmitate.

Inhibitors of MTORC1 include protein restriction, calorie restriction, ketogenic diets that are vegan, intermittent calorie restriction, exercise, cortisol, NAC, Resveratrol, omega 3, green tea/Matcha, extra virgin olive oil, curcumin, alpha-lipoic acid, quercitin, genistein, DIM, ursolic acid, pomegranate/ellagic acid, rhubarb, milk thistle, anthocyanins/grape seed extract, oleonolic acid.

If you are interested in treating your acne and have it be a lasting solution, please come and see me at Parallel Wellness. Dr. Robin Vinge, ND 4032321283 Reference- NutritionalFacts.org

A few patients have asked me how to reduce their rate of breast cancer so I thought I would post about it. A lot of this info comes from Michael Greger’s book How Not to Die and info has also been taken from Kristi Funk, MD’s info.  Latest research to lower rates of Breast Cancer

Minimize light exposure at night. Use a sleep mask to maximize melatonin production. Higher vegetable
consumption is associated with higher melatonin levels and high meat intake with lower levels.
Five hours of vigorous exercise a week is recommended to lower risk by lowering estrogen and
progesterone. You need to work up a sweat.
Women who eat meats grilled, barbecued or smoked raise risk. Eating meat well done also ups risk.
Roasting, pan frying, grilling and baking above 212 degree Fahrenheit ups risk.
Fiber reduces risk- the higher the better > greather than 37 grams daily.
Recommended to eat one apple daily.
Eat broccoli or other cruciferous vegetables daily and broccoli sprouts (1/4 cup) to reduce risk. Broccoli
sprouts can be easily grown at home and are so important to reduce risk of reoccurrence.
Collard green consumption is associated with less breast cancer risk.
Flaxseeds contain lignans which dampen the body’s own estrogen effect. Lignan intake is associated
with less breast cancer risk. Two tsp a day of ground flaxseed on food daily will reduce risk.
“Dietary flaxseed has the potential to reduce tumor growth in patients with breast cancer. Flaxseed may
be a potential dietary alternative to currently used breast cancer drugs.
Researchers have found that women diagnosed with breast cancer that ate the most soy lived longer
and had reduced occurrence of breast cancer than those who ate less. 90 % of patients who ate the
most soy phytoestrogens after diagnosis were still alive after 5 years. Try to eat whole forms of soy that are non-GMO and organic. Edemame is an example. Drink organic non-GMO unsweetened soy milk versus cow’s milk.
White mushrooms block the estrogen synthase enzyme. Eating mushrooms and sipping at least half a
tea’s bag worth of green tea each day was associated with 90% lower breast cancer odds.

Birth control pills also cause increased estrogen so if you use the oral contraceptive to prevent pregnancy which many people do please come in and talk to me about other things you can do to reduce negative side effects of taking the pill. To book please call 4032321283 Parallel Wellness Dr. Robin Vinge, Naturopathic Doctor