Low acne risk
Low Glycaemic Index (GI) foods – including mushrooms – can help keep blood glucose levels normal and thereby lower the risk of acne.
The facts at a glance
Nutrients
Fresh produce such as mushrooms, fruits and vegetables are very important for skin and hair health. Sadly, fewer than one person in 10 eats enough of these foods for good health, yet they are an inexpensive and effective way to look better. Three button mushrooms provides at least 25% of the key nutrients niacin, biotin, riboflavin, copper, chromium and selenium, all of which are very important for the health of your skin and hair.
Glycaemic Index and the skin
There is accumulating evidence that what you eat can contribute to pimples (acne). Many academics and researchers agree that a wholesome diet comprising mainly low GI foods has the greatest ability to control pimples. That is, a diet that has the least effect on blood glucose levels helps minimise acne (Bowe 2010; Davodici 2010).
From an eating perspective, it means less rice crackers and crispbreads, cornflakes, crumpets, and one-minute oats which tend to raise blood glucose levels quickly, and more fruit, legumes, nuts, muesli, All-Bran, vegetables, dairy foods, and of course mushrooms, all of which increase blood glucose gradually. In fact, the mushroom has virtually no effect on blood glucose.
Note that only carbohydrate containing foods have a GI. Foods without any carbohydrate do not have a GI eg meat, poultry, fish, eggs, cheese, oils, butter and margarine. Mushrooms have very little carbohydrate, which is why they have a very low GI.
You may already have heard about GI. For example, people with diabetes are encouraged to have a diet low in GI. In really simple terms, foods that have been minimally processed commonly have a low GI, while those that are highly processed tend to have a high GI. That’s means that someone eating a wholesome diet is likely to put a lower glycaemic load on the body than someone a lot of highly processed foods. The GI of some example foods are given in the table below.
Low GI | Medium GI | High GI | |
---|---|---|---|
Breads, cereals | Multigrain bread, porridge, All-Bran, muesli | Rye bread, pita bread | Crispbreads, water crackers |
Rice, pasta | Pasta, spaghetti | Gnocchi, Doongara rice | Rice |
Mushrooms | All types | ||
Vegetables, legumes | Carrots, baked beans, chick peas | Sweet potato, pumpkin | Potato |
Fruit | Orange, banana, apple, pear | Pineapple, cherries | Watermelon |
Dairy foods | Milk, yogurt | ||
Snacks | Nuts, chocolate | Muesli bars, potato chips | Confectionery, biscuits, cereal bars |
Spreads | Marmalade | Honey, golden syrup | Glucose |
Drinks | Fruit juice | Some soft drinks | Sports drinks |
Of course, many people are adamant that certain foods trigger their acne. It is quite plausible that for some people specific foods or greasy takeaways can change their skin condition the next morning.
Glowing skin without the sun exposure?
First, we know that sensible sun exposure can keep vitamin D at a healthy level well before it can cause skin damage. That might be five minutes a day during the warm part of the day in the summer and 30 minutes in the winter. Adequate vitamin D is important for good skin health. Not everyone can get some sun exposure during the day, so dietary vitamin D becomes important. Vitamin D can be found in oily fish, eggs, some fortified milks, and mushrooms that have been exposed to light. Normally mushrooms grow well in the dark, but if they receive some UV light they will generate vitamin D. Some farmers are now producing mushrooms with a day’s supply of vitamin D in a single serve.
If you are Caucasian with white skin then, believe it or not, your diet can change your skin colour, even making you more attractive according to one study (Whitehead 2012). Eating an extra three serves of fruit or vegetables increased the carotenoid levels in the skin. Carotenoids are compounds that provide a red/orange colour to fruits and vegetables. This gave the skin a more attractive colour when judged by other people. This is yet another great reason for eating more fruit and vegetables, along with your mushrooms.
References