Gluten and Acne - Is There A Connection?

Gluten and acne - are they related at all? In order to answer this question, first you need to know exactly what gluten and acne are.

Let's begin with acne. A lot of people suffer at sometime or another from acne. But, what is acne, exactly? Acne are lesions on the skin that are caused by clogged pores. Extra sebum is produced, which clogs the pores. The excess sebum can be caused by various mediums. Make-up, oil from hair or hands, sweat and hormonal imbalances can cause the sebum to be produced.

Now we will discuss gluten. Gluten is a rubbery protein. This protein is found in wheat, barley, rye and low level oats. Gluten is what binds the dough.

Back to gluten and acne and how they are connected. Acne can form when someone has an allergy to gluten. Allergies are the body's way of saying "Intruder! This substance does not belong." Our body does the exact same thing when we have an infection or when bacteria enters. It tries to rid itself of the "intruder."

Unfortunately, our bodies sometimes get confused, as in the case of allergies, and think that certain substances are intruders when they are not. Ways that our bodies try to rid themselves of "intruders" include runny nose and eyes, coughing, sneezing, hives, skin rashes, and acne.

Our bodies will do just about anything they can in order to rid themselves of unwanted substances. In the case of gluten, many people react in different ways to gluten if they are allergic to it. Some people break out in hives and others have stomach irritation. Others still have acne breakouts.

Here is the catch. Not all allergies show up immediately. So, if you react with acne breakouts you may not be aware of what exactly is causing it. In that case you can do one of two things. You can take it upon yourself to begin changing your lifestyle slowly in order to try to pinpoint the allergy.

Option number two is to consult a doctor. The doctor can do allergy tests on you in order to figure out what your allergy is. If gluten and acne are connected in your life by way of allergy there is an easy remedy. They have come out with many breads and other foods that are gluten free.

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