Almond Supplementation Improves Acne Lesions and Skin Microbial Diversity in Adults with Mild to Moderate Acne Vulgaris.

OBJECTIVES

This randomized, controlled, parallel-group study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of daily almond consumption on acne lesion counts, skin hydration, sebum production, and skin microflora composition in 18-35-year-old young adults with acne vulgaris in Mumbai, India.

METHODS

A defined amount of whole, unsalted almonds with skin (60 g) was provided to the experimental group (n = 36). The control group (n = 38) received isocaloric cereal-pulse-based snack varieties. The primary endpoints were changes in inflammatory, non-inflammatory, and total acne lesion counts after 20 weeks of supplementation. Secondary endpoints included changes in facial sebum, hydration levels, skin morphology and microflora, and selected biochemical parameters.

RESULTS

At week 20, the almond group showed greater reductions in total lesion counts (-22.2% vs. -9.8%), inflammatory lesion counts (-8.3% vs. +12%), and non-inflammatory lesion counts (-26.1% vs. -20.4%) than controls. Objective lesion volume, area, and height measures for both single and clustered acne decreased in the almond group (p ≤ 0.001). Microbial diversity increased, with the Shannon index (2.6 to 3.4 (p = 0.039) and the Chao1 richness index (266.9 → 835.2; p < 0.001) showing improvements at endline. Moreover, significant post-intervention changes in the psychosocial outcomes, such as the acne-related quality of life scores (p < 0.001) and anxiety symptoms (p = 0.016), were observed in the almond group.

CONCLUSIONS

Daily almond consumption reduced acne lesion count and improved skin microbial diversity and acne-specific quality of life, highlighting its potential to complement standard acne treatments and support skin health.