Got acne? A Mediterranean diet and omega-3 may help, research shows

Regularly touted for its health benefits, the Mediterranean diet has been given another endorsement by German scientists who have found it helps reduce acne.

The team found that this diet's focus on whole grains, fruit and veg, seafood and low salt and sugar intake together with omega-3 fatty acid supplements led to "significant reductions in inflammatory and non-inflammatory skin lesions, as well as improved quality of life."

Published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, the findings were based on having 60 people with mild to moderate acne following the diet and taking the supplements.

Almost all the participants were found to have omega-3 deficits at the start of the study but for those who reached "target levels" during the period ended up seeing the severity of their acne lessened "significantly," the researchers said.

"Lifestyle interventions, including dietary recommendations, should not be considered in opposition to prescription medications, but rather as a valuable adjunct to any modern acne treatment plan," said Anne Guertler, a doctor at Munich's Ludwig Maximilian University.

"Future studies should build on the foundation laid by our current findings in a randomized, placebo-controlled design to improve dietary recommendations for acne patients," she added. Other recent research has bolstered the view that people should eat more staples of Greece, Italy and Spain.

A team of researchers in the US have discovered that an acid in olives lowers blood sugar, meaning it could potentially be used against diabetes and obesity. Those findings followed the publication of a 28-year study of around 90,000 people, the results of which suggested olive oil can help stave off cognitive decline.

The price of olive oil and food items upon which it depends have soared in recent years as a combination of high demand for edible oils, smaller harvests in Spain and Italy, the spiralling costs of fuel and fertilizer contributed to retailers pushing up prices for consumers and making less healthy vegetable oils and dietary choices appear more affordable.