Does The Dietary Cure for Acne work for Rosacea?
Rosacea skin is an inflammatory disease, generally affecting fair-skinned adults 30 to 60 years of age.
Rosacea causes facial redness in the form of small red pus-filled bumps or pustules and is often mistaken for adult acne,
skin allergy and eczema.
There are clues that point to the role that diet plays in the cause of Rosacea. Studies indicate that
pharmaceutical eradication of the bacteria, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), may improve symptoms in rosacea patients (1-3).
H. pylori is also the bacteria that causes gastric and duodenal ulcers. Although the reason for the
curative effect of destroying H. pylori is unknown, we believe that the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) in the human gut
likely plays a crucial role.
As we describe in The Dietary Cure for Acne, the EGF-R is
unusual in that it faces the “food” side of the gut (4,5). The primary role of EGF-R is to provide a healing mechanism
for the damaged epithelial cells that line the organs in the gut. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) from the saliva binds to this
receptor and promotes healing (5).
Infection of the GI tract with H. pylori leading to ulcers causes increase in density of the EGF-R (6).
Any substance in the gut capable of binding the EGF-R will have increased access to the peripheral circulation. We believe
the reason why eradication of H. pylori reduces rosacea symptoms is because it reduces the numbers of the EGF-R, so gut-borne
substances which would have gained entry to the circulation through the EGF-R and which may cause rosacea are partially denied
access into the circulatory system.
Once certain dietary molecules bind the gut EGF-R, some eventually escape destruction in gut epithelial cell
lysozomes - which contain proteins for breaking down cellular waste - and reach circulation intact where they can bind the EGF-R
of the skin cell, or keratinocyte. This causes increased formation of cells, and increased inflammation, both of which will
promote acne.
Dietary factors which can bind the EGF-R should be strongly implicated in the study of the causes of rosacea.
In The Dietary Cure for Acne we explain the dietary factors that come into play
with acne, and most likely with Rosacea as well. Randomized controlled clinical trials are still needed to test the efficacy
of elimination diets using known dietary ligands for the EGF-R. We would be very interested in hearing your experience if you do give
the program on Rosacea skin a try.
REFERENCES:
- Boixeda de Miquel D, Vazquez Romero M, et al. Effect of Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy in rosacea patients. Rev Esp Enferm Dig. 2006 Jul;98(7):501- 509.
- Utas S, Ozbakir O, Turasan A, Utas C. Helicobacter pylori eradication treatment reduces the severity of rosacea.J Am Acad Dermatol. 1999 Mar;40(3):433-5.
- Diaz C, O'Callaghan CJ, Khan A, Ilchyshyn A. Rosacea: a cutaneous marker of Helicobacter pylori infection? Results of a pilot study. Acta Derm Venereol. 2003;83(4):282-6.
- Hormi K, Lehy T. Developmental expression of transforming growth factor-alpha and epidermal growth factor receptor proteins in the human pancreas and digestive tract. Cell Tissue Res. 1994 Dec;278(3):439-50.
- Montaner B, Perez-Tomas R. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) localization in the apical membrane of the enterocytes of rat duodenum. Cell Biol Int. 1999;23(7):475-9.
- Coyle WJ, Sedlack RE, Nemec R, Peterson R, Duntemann T, Murphy M, Lawson JM Eradication of Helicobacter pylori normalizes elevated mucosal levels of epidermal growth factor and its receptor. Am J Gastroenterol. 1999 Oct;94(10):2885-9
- Dewitt CA, Siroy AE, Stone SP. Acneiform eruptions associated with epidermal growth factor receptor-targeted chemotherapy. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2006 Dec 11; [Epub ahead of print]
- Hannoud S, Rixe O, Bloch J, Le Pelletier F, Lebrun-Vignes B, Doarika A, Khayat D, Chosidow O. [Skin signs associated with epidermal growth factor inhibitors] Ann Dermatol Venereol. 2006 Mar;133(3):239-42.
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