Hot Take: Acne Is a Disease of Western Civilization

Acne might feel like an inevitable rite of passage—something nearly everyone goes through at some point. But what if I told you that acne is not universal? What if it’s actually a disease that only shows up under very specific conditions—conditions created and exported by Western society?

If we look both historically and cross-culturally, we can see that wherever a western diet and lifestyle goes, acne follows. Where a traditional diet and lifestyle prevail, acne is rare or even completely absent. This isn’t about genetics. It’s about the food we eat, the way we live, and how our gut microbiomes have been impacted by modern life.

A Modern Epidemic: Acne by the Numbers

Let’s start with the scale of the problem:

• Up to 95% of American teens now experience acne.(1)
  

• Acne often starts around puberty and persists for years, or even decades, well into adulthood. (2)
  

• 20–50% of adult women report having acne today, compared to less than 10% in 1979. (3, 4)
  

• Acne is now a $10 billion global industry—dominated by pharmaceuticals, skincare, and cosmetic treatments. (5) 

Yet the more we treat acne topically or with medications, the worse the epidemic becomes. 

Why? Because we’re targeting symptoms, not root causes.

Acne Is Not Universal

If acne were just a part of being human, we’d see it in every population, in every era, in every corner of the world. But that’s not what we see. Historically and cross-culturally, acne is absent in populations that maintain traditional diets and lifestyles—and emerges rapidly wherever Western diets and lifestyles are introduced.

An Acne Snapshot from 1970

Let’s rewind to 1970. That year, a study was conducted to assess the possibility of racial variation in the prevalence of acne.

Over 1,600 young males between the ages of 15-21 were examined . Researchers found that the white Americans were 10 times more likely to have acne than the black Americans. At the time, this was chalked up to genetic differences. (6)

However, we need to put that into context. America was de-segregated just 6 years earlier. While white Americans were indulging in Coca-Cola, burgers, milkshakes, and French fries, black Americans often relied on more traditional, home-cooked meals made from vegetables, legumes, and meat. In other words, they weren’t eating the ultra-processed, high-glycemic foods that define the modern Western diet.

But here is the most shocking part. Even among the caucasian participants—the group most likely to have acne in the study— only 5% had acne, and among the Black Americans it was just a miniscule 0.5%. Today, just 55 years later, the prevalence of acne is 85-95% for that age group across races in the U.S. (7, 8)This dramatic rise didn’t come from our genes—it came from our diet and lifestyle.

The Global Acne Explosion

After the 1970s, something changed—and not just in America. That decade marked the rapid expansion of American fast food chains around the world. McDonald’s opened its first restaurants in Japan and Europe. Western-style convenience foods and sugary snacks started replacing traditional diets. The result? Acne rates began to skyrocket around the globe.

Japan

Take Japan as an example:

• In the 1960s, less than 35% of Japanese teens had acne, which was about half the rate of American teens at that time, which was about 68%. (9, 10)

• Then post WWII, as the country was opened up to western influence, and western fast food joints started to open up in the 70s, the rate of acne started to creep up. 

• Today, Japan’s acne rates are nearly identical to the U.S.—about 90% of teens will experience acne at some point. (11)

The Inuit (Canada)

Or, the Inuit in Canada, who also faced an unfortunate turn of events post World War II. 

• Prior to the 1960s, the Inuit of Northern Canada lived on wild fish, game, seaweed, and seasonal berries. Their diet was rich in omega-3s, fat-soluble vitamins, and virtually free of processed foods. Acne and other chronic diseases were nearly nonexistent.

• That changed rapidly after WWII, when the region became a strategic site in Canada’s defense strategy and they were forced to assimilate to a more Westernized diet and lifestyle. The rates of both acne and chronic disease slowly crept up, and became similar to the overall Canadian population. (12)

There are many more examples from across the globe demonstrating the detrimental impacts of the western diet. 

Traditional Diets = Clear Skin

On the other hand, researchers have found that populations who eat traditional, unprocessed diets simply don’t get acne, or at least no where near the rate that westernized societies do. 

The Kitava Island Study

In the early 1990s, a team of researchers traveled to Kitava Island in Papua New Guinea. They examined over 1,200 people, including 300 teens and young adults aged 15-25. They found exactly zero cases of acne—not a single pimple, blackhead, or cyst. Let that sink in. (13)

The Aché of Paraguay

The same research team later studied the Aché hunter-gatherers of Paraguay. Over the course of nearly three years, they observed 115 individuals (15 of them aged 15–25) and found no active acne—none. Can you imagine going three years without a single pimple?

The researchers wondered: could this be genetic? So they studied genetically similar individuals who had moved to urban, Westernized environments. The results? These individuals had significantly higher acne rates—matching their new neighbors, not their native communities. The takeaway: it wasn’t genetics. It was lifestyle. (13)

What Did These Acne-Free Groups Eat?

Interestingly, the Kitavans and the Aché weren’t eating the same foods—but their diets shared one important feature: they were low glycemic and whole-food-based.

• Kitavans ate fish, roots, fruits, and coconuts.
  

• Aché consumed wild game, vegetables, foraged roots, and nuts.

Despite different menus, both groups ate unprocessed, nutrient-dense foods that kept their insulin and blood sugar levels stable—according to this eye-opening study which was published in the Archives of Dermatology in 2002. (13)

Case Study: Egypt

Let’s zoom in on Egypt for another modern-day comparison.

• A 2020 study in Alexandria, Egypt’s second-largest (and highly Westernized) city, found acne in over 75% of nearly 800 surveyed students. (14)
  

• In contrast, a study of nearly 2,200 children in South Sinai (a remote, non-westernized region, where traditional diets of legumes, vegetables, fruit, and meat still prevail) found that only 2.6% had acne. (15)

Same country. Different diets. Drastically different outcomes.

The Western Diet and Acne

Westernization brings a diet high in:

• Refined carbohydrates (white bread, sugary cereals, soda)
  

• Processed seed oils (canola, soybean, corn oil)
  

• Dairy from industrial sources
  

• Highly glycemic, insulin-spiking meals

And with that, acne follows.

How the Western Diet Drives Acne

Let’s break down the main mechanisms by which diet causes acne:

1. Insulin Spikes and IGF-1 Overload

High-glycemic foods (white bread, sugary snacks, soda) spike insulin, which increases levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). IGF-1 stimulates sebaceous glands (oil production) and keratinocyte proliferation, leading to clogged pores and breakouts.

2. Gut Microbiome Disruption

Ultra-processed foods, lack of fiber, and antibiotics destroy microbial diversity in the gut. A healthy gut microbiome is critical for regulating inflammation, hormone metabolism, and immune function.

A dysregulated gut = inflamed skin.

3. Chronic Inflammation

Western diets are high in omega-6 fatty acids (from industrial seed oils) and low in omega-3s. This imbalance creates a systemic inflammatory state—the perfect breeding ground for chronic skin conditions like acne.

4. Nutrient Deficiency

Even people who overeat can be malnourished in the Western world. Key nutrients for skin health are often missing:

• Zinc

• Vitamin A 

• Omega-3 fatty acids

• Vitamin D

• Vitamin E

• B vitamins
  
  

Without these, it becomes difficult for your skin to regulate oil, stay clear, or repair itself swiftly.

What You Can Do to Beat Acne at the Root

Here’s the good news: once you understand what causes acne, you can fight back—naturally, and effectively.

1. Adopt a Low Glycemic, Nutrient-Dense Diet

The most important step in naturally clearing acne is to transition to a low glycemic load, whole-food-based diet. This means:

Eat More:

• Leafy greens and colorful vegetables
  

• Berries, avocados, and other fruit
  

• Grass-fed beef, pastured chicken, wild seafood

• Organic pasture-raised eggs

• Nuts, seeds, and legumes (soaked/sprouted when possible)
  

• Fermented foods: sauerkraut, kimchi, non-dairy yogurt
  

• Bone broth and organ meats (liver is especially rich in skin-healing nutrients)
  

Avoid:

• Soda, fruit juices, and sweetened teas
  

• White bread, pastries, cereal, pasta
  

• Fast food and deep-fried items
  

• Processed snacks and seed oils
  

• Excess dairy (especially skim milk and sweetened yogurt)
  

This way of eating keeps insulin stable, nourishes your gut, and provides the vitamins and minerals your skin actually needs.

2. Support the Gut with Probiotics

Multiple studies have illustrated the powerful gut-skin connection.

We know that acne patients tend to:

• Experience gut dysbiosis

• Lack certain beneficial bacteria strains, including lactobacillus and bifidobacteria

• Have an impaired or leaky intestinal barrier. 

 Probiotics can help to:

• Reintroduce key commensal (good) bacteria, such as lactobacillus and bifidobacteria strains

• Balance gut flora

• Improve nutrient absorption

• Repair a leaky intestinal barrier

• Aid in regularity - the key to hormone balance and clear skin 

• Support skin barrier function

• Regulate the immune system

Best probiotic sources:

• Fermented foods (e.g., raw sauerkraut, kimchi, miso)

• A high quality probiotic supplement, like Glow Biome, which is formulated specifically for acne-prone skin and made with 6 clinically backed strains that target the gut-skin connection. Glow Biome is clinically proven to reduce breakouts and improve skin hydration in just 12 weeks.
  

Final Thoughts: Acne Is Not Inevitable—It’s Cultural

We’ve been told that acne is inevitable. But the science—and the history—tell a different story.

Acne is a disease of Western civilization. Where the modern diet and lifestyle go, acne follows. Where traditional, nutrient-dense diets prevail, acne disappears.

This doesn’t mean you have to move to the forest or forage your own food. But it does mean rethinking the “normal” food culture around us. It means viewing acne not as a skin problem, but as a full-body signal that something is off—something we can fix.

TL/DR: Want Clear Skin? Start Here:

• Eat real, whole foods—every day.
  

• Cut out sugar, refined carbs, and seed oils.
  

• Rebuild your gut health with fermented foods and targeted probiotics, like Glow Biome, which was formulated specifically for acne-prone skin.
  

• Flood your body with nutrients, not chemicals.
  

And remember: your skin is not broken—it’s trying to tell you something.