Benefits of the Perricone Diet

April 8, 2004

Benefits of the Perricone Diet

Excerpted from the January 2004 Issue

of The Lark Letter

The Perricone Prescription diet first hit the scene in August 2002 and has made quite an impact in the world of skincare. The theory behind the Perricone diet is sound. Dr. Perricone has you avoid dehydrating and acid foods while increasing your intake of EFAs, antioxidants, and water. This almost guarantees you will improve the health and appearance of your skin.

Dr. Perricone asks you follow a specific diet for

anywhere from three days to four weeks. Over that time period, you

are not to consume any alcohol, caffeine, sugar, or red meat. The

bulk of your diet comes from olive oil, salmon, tuna, almonds, berries,

apples or pears, cantaloupe, romaine lettuce, spinach, broccoli,

and lots and lots of water.

Let me explain why this truly does result in soft,

supple, younger looking skin.

Dehydrating and Overly Acidic Foods

Many foods have a dehydrating effect on your skin.

The worst offenders include alcohol and caffeine, as well as spicy

foods such as ginger and chili peppers. If you have already noticed

increased drying of your skin due to menopause-related hormone deficiency,

be cautious about consuming these types of foods.

Other foods such as red meat and sugar can stress

your system, causing an increase in male hormones (androgens). This

then leads to changes in the pH of your skin and overstimulates

your sebaceous gland, which responds by secreting excess sebum.

This in turn creates acne.

Refined sugar specifically as a negative effect

on your skin in a number of ways. It has vasoconstrictive properties,

which causes decreased circulation to the skin, and like androgens,

sugary foods overstimulate your sebaceous glands and can trigger

excess oil production and lead to breakouts.

The Benefits of Essential Fatty Acids

The Perricone diet also includes a large amount

of both omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids, in the form of

olive oil, salmon, tuna, and almonds. The moisturizing effect of

these oils has been known for hundreds of years. EFAs help to produce

your female sex hormones, and work to create moister, softer skin

and tissues.

The moisturizing effect of these oils has been

particularly evident in my younger female patients who already have

a high moisture content in their skin, due to estrogen production.

(Estrogen causes fluid and sodium retention in your skin, so tissues

actually appear plumper.) In contrast, it takes a longer period

of time for the beneficial effects of these healthy oils to show

in older women, due to a diminished production of estrogen.

You can increase your intake of EFAs by:

• Eating foods rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty

  acids, like ground flaxseed (4–6 tablespoons per day),

  raw pumpkin seeds (2–3 ounces per serving), and cold-water

  fish, such as salmon, trout, or tuna (3 times a week).

• Using olive oil in your salad dressing recipes

  and when cooking overall to help you moisturize your skin.

• Supplementing with 300 mg of DHA, 200 mg of

  EPA, and 50 mg of GLA as borage oil once or twice a day.

Anti-Aging Antioxidants

I am also impressed by the amount of foods high

in antioxidants that are included in the Perricone plan. Foods such

as blueberries, cantaloupe, spinach, romaine lettuce, and broccoli

are high in vitamins A, C, and E—powerful antioxidants that

help to improve the overall health of your skin, specifically working

to prevent ultraviolet light-induced inflammation, dryness, and

damage to the skin.

Each vitamin benefits your skin in different ways.

Vitamin A is especially helpful in suppressing oily skin and acne.

Vitamin C is needed for collagen production and helps to strengthen

the connective tissues underlying the superficial layer of the skin.

Finally, vitamin E is useful for a wide variety of dermatological

complaints, including hyperpigmentation, warts, herpes, keloids,

and atopic dermatitis.

In addition to consuming lots of soups, salads,

and whole, fresh, organic fruits and vegetables, I recommend taking

10,000–25,000 IU of vitamin A as beta-carotene, 600–3,000

mg of a mineral-buffered vitamin C in divided dosages, and 400–2,000

IU of vitamin E a day. If you take my Daily Balance Multinutrient,

you are already getting these dosages.

Water, Water, and More Water

Finally, everything in your body depends on water.

In fact, water makes up 82 percent of your blood, 75 percent of

your muscle, 25 percent of your bone, 76 percent of your brain tissue,

and 90 percent of your lung tissue! Plus, water neutralizes acidity

which can dry out your skin.

I recommend drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of filtered

water each day to keep your skin soft and supple. I have found that

if I keep a glass of water on my desk and next to my bed, I have

no problem consuming this amount—and even more—of water

each day.

Try this program, not as a diet, but as a

way of life. You’ll reap the benefits of beautiful skin and so much

more.