The paper is titled “Dietary Patterns in Acne and Rosacea Patients—A Controlled Study and Comprehensive Analysis” and can be accessed here with no login required: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/20/4405. The paper was published in October of 2023.
Here are some interesting findings. I’m going to mostly ignore the acne section and focus on the rosacea group.
The researchers took the bloodwork of 209 people—a control group, a rosacea group, and an acne group—and surveyed them about diet and lifestyle. I recommend reading the entire paper and looking at the data.
- Based on survey data, consuming vegetables, legumes, oily fish, olive oil, and nuts, and limiting meat, cheese, and alcohol appear to be beneficial for both acne and rosacea.
- Individuals with rosacea had much higher triglyceride counts than those without. 129.93 mg/DL with rosacea vs 86.45 mg/DL without rosacea. However, this result is exactly the reverse for acne, making me suspicious of the result. 91.01 mg/DL with acne vs 128.94 mg/DL without acne.
- Rosacea patients have higher Leukocytes (white blood cells) than those without (again, reversed with acne and non-acne patients)
- Individuals with rosacea and acne both produced 30% more sebum than those without.
- According to the RNS, nut consumption of more than three times per week was associated with a decreased risk of rosacea.
- Patients with rosacea consumed significantly more animal products compared to controls, despite being self-reported as dietary triggers, and fewer legumes, despite being perceived as beneficial.
- Rosacea patients have lower Zinc, higher LDL cholesterol, similar cRP and similar hba1c as the non-rosacea group
- The authors of the study recommend the consumption of a Mediterranean diet for rosacea sufferers.