Vegan Nutrition with Dina Aronson, M.S. R.D.

Dina Aronson, MS, RD is a vegan dietitian whose specialties include chronic disease prevention, vegetarian/vegan nutrition, and lifestyle management. She is the founder and director of VeganRD.com, a nutrition consulting company. Active in many vegetarian nutrition organizations, Dina was the recipient of the American Dietetic Association's Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year Award in 2002.

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I'm trying really hard to be vegan, because I believe in the moral basis for it. But, I've notice that since I've started, I've developed adult acne (I never had acne before... ever). I've heard somewhere that soy can change estrogen levels - causing some women to break out. Is this true? Is there something else in my diet I can change so that I don't have to go back to a "SAD"?

Certainly the Standard American Diet has never successfully treated any health problem, so please hang in there with your new vegan lifestyle!

There are several possible reasons that your dietary switch resulted in acne. Fortunately, it shouldn't be that difficult to pinpoint the reason and maintain a health-supporting, delicious plant-based diet.

Any significant dietary transformation for the better changes how your body handles the food it's taking in; in other words, it goes through a detoxification process. As your body adjusts to the change, this detox may cause temporary symptoms like fatigue, acne, gastrointestinal discomfort, and other relatively minor problems. After a few weeks of whole foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes, your body should adjust and you should start to feel super.

Yes, it is possible that your body is reacting to soy, as you mentioned. Isoflavones in soy are estrogen-like compounds, and thus may have hormonal effects on the body such as acne and changes in the menstrual cycle. However, negative effects are usually temporary, but the health benefits of soy last a lifetime. (See #6 below.)

To help you adjust to your new diet and to eliminate the acne, here are some things to try (in addition to your healthy vegan diet):

Drink a LOT of water, at least a gallon a day. This will help get those toxins out of your system.
If you smoke, quit. Omit caffeine, alcohol, added sugars, artificial sweeteners, overly processed food, and refined food (a lot of vegan food is processed or refined, such as white bread, crackers made from refined flour, refined breakfast cereals, sweets, white pasta, candy, etc.). Once your acne clears up and you're feeling better, you may wish to splurge on an occasional cup of coffee, glass of wine, or cookie, but for now, omit these foods and let your body adjust.
Take probiotics, such as acidophilus or a probiotic blend, in powder, liquid, or capsule form. Look for it in the refrigerated section of your health food store. Follow the instructions on the label and take for 2 weeks.
Take a concentrated form of omega-3 fatty acids, either flax seed oil (you can use it in salad dressings), flax oil supplements, or DHA. Take 200-300 mg per day, or 1 tablespoon flax seed oil.
Drink a cup or two of good-quality decaffeinated green tea daily, or a mild detox tea like Celestial Seasonings Detox A.M. tea, which contains milk thistle (a cleaning herb), echinacea (which boosts your immune system), and other herbs, and is caffeine free.
If you suspect that you're reacting from a food such as soy, eliminate it for a week to see if your acne subsides. If it does, then it's likely that you're having a reaction. However, once your body adjusts to your new, healthier diet, you may be able to re-introduce soy (or whatever the food culprit) in small amounts with no negative effects. Experiment with different types of soy and serving sizes to see whether that makes a difference. Keep in mind that the body usually tolerates whole soybeans, edamame, and fermented soy products better than highly processed soy products, like soy burgers and soy lunch meats.

Good luck!

Disclaimer: The advice given here is for eductional purposes only. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified health care provider.

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