Acne is not just a teenager’s concern; a total of 80 percent of adolescents and young adults are affected with acne (vulgaris). There are even young adults who still have to take antibiotics for it.  They just can’t stand the embarrassment leading to social withdrawal of having those undesirable marks in their face. 

Most present on the facial skin, acne is an inflammatory disease of the sebaceous gland and hair follicles of the skin. This condition is characterized by an eruption of pimples (on the face). For most people, acne may diminish over time and has the tendency to disappear or decrease; however, there is no way to predict how long it will take to disappear entirely.

In some research, a diet high in glycemic load and cow’s milk has been associated with worsening acne, while its association with chocolates and salt are not supported by evidence. This being the case, those with acne are then advised to include more of low glycemic index foods into their meals. Examples of low glycemic foods are: brown rice, “grainy” breads, apple, banana, grapefruits, grapes, mango, orange, pear, carrots, green peas, kidney beans, chick peas, soybeans, skimmed and low fat milk, oatmeal, and low fat yoghurt.

Foregoing cow’s milk is like losing a rich source of calcium for the individual but note that there can still be other forms of milk in the market that one can benefit from. Once you have made yourself aware of other types of milk there is yet another thing you might need to look into: To know if such milk can provide more than the simple nutrients, more importantly, whey protein lactoferrin. 

According to food scientists, whey protein lactoferrin may reduce the effects of acne. It is the second most common protein in human breast milk. This protein is also present in cow’s milk but at much lower levels in human milk. A study published in the Journal of Nutrition suggests that increased daily intake of lactoferrin through an enriched milk source can reduce the visible symptoms of acne by up to 20 percent after 12 weeks. Lactoferrin is a human protein which when broken down, has a strong anti-bacterial activity.  As such, it has been found to modulate inflammatory events.

Daily intake of lactoferrin-enriched fermented milk may be a potential alternative therapy or may serve as an adjunct to conventional therapy for the treatment of acne. In some subjects, lactoferrin-enriched fermented milk reduced acne grade (by 20 percent), inflammatory lesion count (by 38 percent) and total lesion count (by 23 percent) after 12 weeks of use. These findings were contrary to the results seen in subjects who consumed non-enriched fermented milk. The researches also saw significant decrease in sebum content among those who took the lactoferrin-enriched fermented milk.

The above findings truly excite those having problems with acne, but while you may take the above suggestions positively, note that there can be other possible reasons that the above effects may not hold true to you as our bodies greatly differ from one another.