First, let me start by saying that a lot of this information is originally used to help people loose lots of weight. Which is a little harder for us because that's not our primary focus. Our main concern is our insulin levels, and what it does to our skin. So we don't get to see numbers on a scale drop, and that can leave you wondering if the diet is even working for you??

In all honesty, it might take months before you see a change in your skin. (It also depends on how dark or thick your AN is.) I know that sounds very frustrating, but we can't stop insulin production entirely, we need it to survive. So without the help of medication, all we can do is try to lower our levels over time, and keep them low with diet.


Well I'm not a big lover of vegetables, so I mainly gave them up. LOL I'll eat them once in awhile, but I can go weeks without eating any veggies just fine.

If you love veggies, I think Atkins is a wonderful place to start! (They have a list of foods you can eat on their website. )
http://www.atkins.com/Program/ProgramOverview.aspx
By using that diet I realized what I couldn't eat anymore, and what I could add back into my diet over time. Critics like to demonize the diet, but Atkins is more about experimenting with your diet more than anything, to see what works best for you. It works in phases where you start at 20g carbs per day, and then slowly add in more carbs (and different types of carbs) into your diet to see what you can handle. Because not all carbs are created equal.


Well fat is very important on a low-carb diet! As a matter of fact that's what you should be focusing on eating.
Read this blog, it's long, but she explains why we need fat.
http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/fat-not-protein.html

Also, If you eat too much lean meat and dairy, that can cause a spike your insulin levels. So you'll want to get most of your calories from fat.
Read this thread: (It will help explain why you may also want to stay away from Dairy.)
http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=396357

I rarely touch dairy unless it's Cheese, or Heavy Cream... and that's because I can't bear to part with them. LOL But I limit how much I eat.


From what I understand Alcohol might not raise glucose levels (that's debatable). But it does raise insulin levels. So I would keep any drinking to a minimum.

Hey guys!

So, i have AN, my derm told me today that it won't go away, he said doesn't matter what i try because it wouldn't work and i had to deal with it, he also said that was related to me being black.I have a REALLY dark neck, my arms, between my thighs, my chest and many others places are way more dark than the rest of my body.I cried all the way home, i can't believe that i'll have to live like this and be always ashamed, made fun of and insecure.

I'm overweight, if i fix that will i have a normal skin?Mine AN is pretty advanced because i live in Salvador so it became really dark on my neck.

Please, help me, i'm only 16 and i don't want to live like this.It's shocking that i don't care about being fat more than my dark neck.I with i was only fat, i know that i would fix that going to gym (what i started to do already), but i need to know for sure how to get rid of AN.

Sorry about the bad english.And i'm a dude, not a girl =B

If anyone wants to chat about this skin condition or anything else feel free to send me an IM at lostflowerbaby on yahoo messenger

I'm looking to chat with anyone who is also suffering with this disease.

200 mcg of GTF chromium taken in the morning and before bed. Also, 2-10,000 IU of vitamin D/day. And stay away from sugar.

Your doctor was wrong. It CAN go away.

A doctor just doing a random blood test will not show up glucose problems. Only doing a full glucose tolerance test will ... (Patient starved, then to drink X amount of glucose at said timed intervals, followed by blood tests to determine how quick the body can process the glucose)...

My daughter was tested for glucose intolerance and was found to be severly insulin resistant. The reason for testing was because she displayed clear signs of a condition I'd researched on the internet called : Acanthosis Nigricans. Black marks to her back of neck, armpits, inner elbows, under her bust, inner thighs... etc.

Once she was given the correct diagnosis she was given approval by the Birmingham Childrens Hosptial (England) to proceed with following a low carb diet. Once she followed this the brown patches somewhat faded (although not completely disappeared & her chronic fatigue also subsided too).

At the time she also suffered with blurred vision. Once she followed the low carbing (even zero carbing diet) her blurred vision also corrected itself.

Her diagnoses took a very long time as doctors were unfamiliar with A.N. and hadnt seen or heard of it. It was only when I accidently came across the condition on the internet (whilst looking for weird & wonderful dark ezcema ) that I realised what her condition was. Needless to say doctors thought I was talking nonsense until I forced them to refer her. Once they did refer her I was proven correct.

She had a dirty neck since she was easily 4 years old & only started to gain weight (rapidly at 8 years old) she barely ate yet got bigger & bigger until at 14 years old she hit 18 stone...

I was at my wits end because I knew she didnt eat junk food & the rest of my children / me / husband were all skinny.

She is now 16 years old and has managed to slim down a lot. She is so much happier. Has boyfriends & generally is loving life.

I've probably rambled on a lot. Not mentioned about stuff that I ought, but I thought it would help a lot of you out there to hear a little about her story ...

Just read the post above mine... This condition has nothing to do with anyone being of Black origin. It is more common within darker skinned individuals but certainly not the case with my daughter as she is very much White British ...

Hi everyone,

I'd like to start by saying I know your pain- having random dark patches on your body is not cute. I've had acanthosis nigricans since I was about 12. I was always told by doctors that there was nothing to be done other than to lose weight. So I did that. I went from 255 to 165 in about 2 years, but to my dismay, the acanthosis didn't go away! I gained weight again, to 235, and have lost 15 lbs over the last 3 months. Only this time, I'm following a low carb plan and the acanthosis is going away!! (the color more so than the wrinkles, but still a good sign) I've never had diabetes but my body fat accumulates around my stomach, which is a sign that your body doesn't process sugar well. SO, my suggestion is go EXTREMELY low carb- zero carb if you can- and this should slowly go away. Seriously, stick to a diet that consists of chicken/fish, vegetables, beans, and water. No fruit, no flour products, no rice, no soda, no juice; basically nothing white or that could be white. ie: no white OR brown rice. I wish I had done this diet when I was younger... I've learned to look at food as a necessity not a treat.

Hi! I had slight AN since I was a teen. That is how I knew, along with other things, I had PCOS. Finally diagnosed it 2 years ago and put on metformin. It has slowly faded.

I also used Kojic Acid 2% in soap and cream form and that helps a lot. (Kojic acid retards development of melanin in the skin).

Reading all these posting make me so sad, because I can relate so well. All the feelings expressed here are exactly what I go through. I try so hard to make my life as normal as possible, I try to push myself to be "normal" because I have kids that need me and they need me to be strong. If it wasn't for them, I don't know if I could go on with this condition. I am almost 35 yrs old and I have been living with this for most of my life. I feel that this has changed who I am and who I was meant to be. .I feel that I have so much to offer, but this has trapped me and taken over everything that I could offer. I know that there are people who can overcome anything that comes their way...I have really tried, and for the most part I live an okay life, but this is more powerful than me... I believe this has caused me to have abusive relationships because I don't feel worthy of a man that will love me just the way I am... I think I am attractive..people tell me... but this has my self esteem so low... I have come to terms that I will never be able to find the man of my dreams... I believe in God... and I ask him why? I know you know what you are doing..but I just don't understand.. Both my kids have this, and it breaks my heart to know they face the same future... a future of broken dreams..and people who won't understand. It breaks my heart to know thay they too will be ashamed and live this nightmare.. and I wish with all my heart that I could do something about it before their innocent minds turn to what I have turned to.. I have tried many things, all kinds of creams...and for most of my life I was not even overweight. . I am surprised that we can do so many things scientifically but there is no solution for us.. .I have asked many doctors and of course its the same answer.. no hope.. . and so I live like this, with many days feeling blue and wishing I was "normal", trying to be happy with what I have..

Hi lizard928- I understand exactly how you feel- every time someone tells you you're pretty all you can think is "if you only knew..." I've managed to hide my AN from everyone my whole life, and it feels like a HUGE load on my shoulders. I want to offer some advice to you, and to your family, because you mentioned you have children who also have AN-- make your home a zero-sugar and zero-simple carb home. I'm a medical student, and I only mention that because I truly understand the physiological effects of sugars. If you stick to meals of just chicken, fish, and occasionally beef, beans, whole eggs and egg whites, and vegetables, I guarantee your AN will fade and your children's will go away completely because their skin still has time to repair itself. I know it's difficult at first, especially if you're addicted to pasta dishes and cookies (like I was!), but your life will change!! Not only will your AN fade, you'll have more energy, and you'll lose some weight. Please trust me; if you could go back in time, and you knew there was something that could have prevented you from getting AN, wouldn't you do it? Do this for your kids. I know I wish I'd known that getting AN just means that I can't eat flour and sugar products!! If you need support with this diet, I'm here to help.

Thank you for your advice Prtnpower... I have made up my mind and will do the carb free diet...or as much as I can... I am desperate and willing to try anything...I have started, and would like some meal ideas.. its hard to change from one day to the next, but I am a fighter...and someone who will try everything to conquer this skin condition. Thank you for understanding and thank you for your reply.

It's my pleasure, lizard.

I usually just cook whatever comes to mind with a combination of the ingredients I listed before. It's a good idea to always have a stocked fridge/ freezer so you're not tempted to go out or to make something from a box! A variety of sugar free seasonings and sugar free salsa are also good to have.--- I hate counting calories, so I only look at nutrition labels to make sure the product doesn't have any added sugar, any kind of starch, corn syrup, and the least amount of artificial ingredients possible--- I just made salmon with a lemon pepper seasoning, black beans, and broccoli with a mix of bell peppers. I buy my most of my veggies frozen because I don't have to worry about chopping them; my favs are frozen cauliflower, broccoli, bell peppers, and spinach. I'll cook my own beans if I have extra time, but with school, I'm usually eating them out of a can.-- If you're buying canned items, also make sure they don't have added sugar-- For breakfast I had 1 whole egg and 2 egg whites scrambled with fresh mushrooms, broccoli, and onions, 2 bacon slices (which should only be eaten occasionally), and some black beans. Oh, and WATER!!! Drink as much of this as you can!!! Seriously, carry around a water bottle; yes you'll pee more, but your body will love you for it! It's kind of weird to eat beans in the morning, but it's an easy way of getting protein. Oh yeah, try to eat at least 30 grams of protein within a 1/2 hour-1 hour of waking up- this will help with weight loss because it helps jump-start your metabolism. (before I forget, don't be alarmed by nutrition labels when they have sugar content-- 0 sugar is best, but also keep in mind that vegetables naturally have sugar in them, and this is ok. Try to not eat super sugary veggies though, like carrots) Sorry... you're probably thinking I'm crazy by the way I write! I'm a little disorganized in that sense, but I try to write things down as I remember them so I don't leave them out!! Salt is ok for added flavor, but not too much because this can lead to high blood pressure and can also mess up your hormones. Fresh herbs are good, salsas are great... although tomatoes are fruits so try not to add tomatoes to your meals too often. Avocado is also ok occasionally. Other than that, no fruit! No juice of any kind, unless you're having a moment of weakness and NEED to have some ice cream , have a glass of grapefruit juice (or an actual grapefruit) before your meal so that your insulin doesn't spike (which leads to fat build up). Coffee is ok, no milk products except for a little cream (I know, cream over milk?! yep, it has less lactose (sugar)) and you can add some artificial sweetener if you must. Oil, canola, and butter are all ok too since you're trying to make your body use fat as energy instead of sugar... but like you've always heard, don't over-indulge! So, what you can have at every meal: fish, chicken, beef, pork, beans, vegetables, water, coffee, a little bit of nuts here and there, natural peanut butter/ cashew butter, etc., greek yogurt occasionally for some probiotics, a little cream (like 2 teaspoons), fresh/natural seasonings without sugar, oil, butter... everything else is a no-no If this seems totally boring- that's good!-- you're supposed to train your brain to look at food as fuel for survival, not delicious yumminess at every meal! You probably noticed above that I mentioned you can have ice cream--- this is for the days when you really can't take the cravings! But I think you'll see with time that treats don't satisfy you the way they used to, and the disappearance of AN will be treat enough Again, feel free to let me know if I can help with anything else!!! GOOD LUCK!!! oh! and a daily multi-vitamin is good too!!

This makes me hopeful. How long did it take before you started seeing results? Also, should I split the 20,000 vitamin D dose...10,000 in the morning and another 10,000 at night?