The Perricone Diet
Nicholas Perricone (IPA pronunciation: [pɛrəkoni) is a dermatologist who has written several books, primarily on the subjects of weightloss and maintaining the appearance of youth. He is currently an Adjunct Professor of Medicine at the Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine and he has appeared in a few special programs on PBS. He also sells his own line of skincare products.
Dr. Perricone presents himself as a radical in the dermatological community, repeatedly encouraging his audience to challenge the status quo. He compares his work relating diet to skincare with Ignaz Semmelweis's work on handwashing and the spread of disease in the 1800s.
More About The Perricone Diet
Books
Dr. Perricone has written five books. These all take a similar
"three-tiered" approach to different skin problems. The three tiers are
diet, supplements, and topicals. The books share some general
recommendations, but each contains unique material.
The Wrinkle Cure
Dr. Perricone's first book, The Wrinkle Cure, published in 2001, suggests a
diet and products that can allegedly slow, or even reverse, the visible
aging process. Some of his most notable recommendations are a diet high in
salmon (primarily for its omega-3 fatty acids), supplementation of lipoic
acid, and topical application of vitamin C ester and DMAE.
The Perricone Prescription
Published in 2002, The Perricone Prescription, recommends a "rejuvenating"
program of diet, exercise, and skincare that is intended to not only improve
one's appearance, but also to increase energy and reduce the risk of several
major health problems, including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Many
of the recommendations, such as a diet high in fish, are repeated from The
Wrinkle Cure. The book became a #1 New York Times bestseller.
The Acne Prescription
Published in 2003, The Acne Prescription is a follow-up to The Perricone
Prescription targeted at those who are suffering from acne, especially
(though not exclusively) those who have older, drier skin that does not
respond well to treatments intended for oily adolescent skin. The book is
particularly notable for attacking the widely held opinion in the
dermatological community that there is, with few exceptions, no correlation
between diet and acne. (High intake of iodine is an acknowledged exception.)
Dr. Perricone claims that foods do have anti-inflammatory (and therefore
anti-acne) and pro-inflammatory effects; which foods fall into which
category is somewhat counterintuitive. For example, apples are in the
anti-inflammatory food list, while bananas are considered pro-inflammatory.
This book's paperback version was released under the title "Clear Skin
Prescription" in 2004.
The Perricone Promise
Published in 2004, The Perricone Promise offers a new theory of aging
circulating around neuropeptides, and focuses on an extensive diet intended
to regulate them. He claims that the diet can be helpful in simultaneously
losing weight and smoothing wrinkles, as well as improving one's mood and
decelerating aging. New topical recommendations are also included, the
primary one being a neuropeptide-based serum exclusively sold by Perricone's
company that currently costs $570 per bottle (a 3-month supply), far more
than any of Perricone's other products.
The Perricone Weight-Loss Diet
Published in 2005, The Perricone Weight-Loss Diet describes how a variation
of the face-lift diet introduced in previous books can also be helpful in
losing weight without losing body tone. New supplement regimens are
introduced along with an updated version of the salmon-rich Perricone diet,
as well as several new recipes.
Product line
Dr. Perricone's company, N.V. Perricone, M.D. Ltd., sells relatively
high-cost topicals, as well as some dietary supplements. For example, the
least expensive moisturizer currently sold by the company costs $50 for a 2
oz. tub. However, Dr. Perricone's customers claim that this cost is
justified due to the concentrations of active ingredients such as lipoic
acid, vitamin C ester, and DMAE, all of which are strongly recommended by
Dr. Perricone in his books. These products are sold at a select few
cosmetics stores, most notably Sephora.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Dr. Perricone's company grossed $11.9
million in 2001 and $42.4 million in 2002.
Criticisms
Dr. Perricone's critics accuse him of making outlandish, unrealistic
promises in order to sell books and products. His claims, they say, are
backed by very little scientific research, and any research he has done
himself has never been published in medical journals, where it would be
subject to scrupulous review.
Dr. Perricone's recommended diet has come under particular scrutiny.
Although the specifics vary in his books, all of the recommendations focus
on the regulation of blood sugar levels. Specifically, he recommends
preventing rapid increases in blood sugar by eating only foods with a low
glycemic index. This eliminates most breads and fruit juices, both of which
are strongly recommended for consumption by mainstream diet organizations
such as the USDA, which makes grains (including bread and cereal) the base
of their food pyramid. Perricone's diet is similar to those touted by books
such as The Glucose Revolution, and mainstream diets recommended for
diabetics.
In his defense, Dr. Perricone accuses the dermatological community of
conformity, of ignoring common-sense wisdom, and of closing their minds to
minority voices. His books are filled with spirited rebelliousness. For
example, in The Acne Prescription, Dr. Perricone cites Bertrand Russell's
famous line: "Even when all the experts agree, they may well be mistaken."