5 Foods That Cause Acne And Breakouts – Everything You Need To Know

by John Griffith Dec 13, 2022 @ 15:42

Acne is a real struggle, and it affects around 10% of the whole worlds’ population. There are a ton of factors that may contribute to it – wrong skincare routine, harsh weather conditions, hormonal imbalance and even our diets. And these are just to name a few. Sometimes it seems like an impossible battle. However, while we can’t control everything, such as the weather conditions, we can make small changes to our lifestyles to help fight acne. For example, did you know that there are foods that cause acne more than others? By cutting down these foods you can prevent acne or at least reduce its amount and how often it appearances. So, let’s see what foods cause breakouts.

Acne affects around 10% of the whole worlds’ population

In this article
Foods That Cause Acne
#Refined Sugars
#Dairy
#Chocolate
#Fast Foods
#Alcohol
Related Articles
Foods That Cause Acne

Acne is a common skin condition. And while the link between breakouts and diet has been a controversial topic, recent research shows that diet can actually play a significant role in the appearance of acne, and it’s development. So, let’s see which foods are the main culprit when it comes to acne. This way you can start cutting them out and hopefully seeing results.

Research shows that diet plays a significant role in the appearance of acne

#Refined Sugars

While this is something nobody likes to hear, sugary treats are more trouble than anything else. This also goes for your overall health. But some studies found that those who consumed added sugars frequently had around 30% more risk of developing acne, than those who don’t. In general foods that have a high sugar content make your body’s insulin levels to spike. This spike of insulin comes as an extreme overdoes and signals the body to increase the production of oils in the skin. Consequently, this leads to follicles and pores clogging up with sebum that can cause acne. Sugar is inflammatory and creates a perfect environment for acne bacteria to thrive in.

Sugary treats are more trouble than anything else

#Dairy

Dairy products, especially milk, can contribute to breakouts. This is due to the bovine hormones that remain bioavailable with ingestion. So, milk, cheese, and other likewise products are very likely to cause some pimples. And skim milk also isn’t a better alternative. This is because, there are added milk proteins in skim milk in order to make it have a less watery taste. These proteins are most often casein and whey. Both of the proteins have been linked with causing inflammation in the body and can be responsible for breakouts. On the bright side, nowadays, there are plenty of milk alternatives.

Dairy products, especially milk, can contribute to breakouts

#Chocolate

You may have heard chocolate causes acne. And while this is partly true, our favorite treat has gotten a lot of unnecessary bad rep. The statement that chocolate causes acne is true only in the case of milk or white chocolate. Dark chocolate is actually great for you and is proven to have no impact on your acne breakouts. This is because cacao in its raw form is packed with vitamins C, E, A and zinc which are all highly beneficial to your skin! The problem comes from chocolate that has dairy and sugar mixed in with it, so make sure to avoid it as best you can.

Dark chocolate is actually great for you

#Fast Foods

While we generally know that fast food isn’t a great choice, did you know it has a huge negative effect on your skin? Our favorite treats such as hamburgers, pizza, fries and so on are really high in processed sugars, saturated fats, and refined grains. All things that cause acne. White flour, vegetable oil and other factors in the process ingredients throw off your body’s blood sugar levels and the balance of your hormones.

Hamburgers, pizza, fries and so on are really high in processed sugars

#Alcohol

If you enjoy drinking on the regular, we are sorry. While having a sip or a glass of alcohol on occasions is more than fine, consuming large amounts of it can cause altercations in your hormone levels. Alcohol creates an imbalance in testosterone and estrogen which consequently leads to frequent breakouts and bad skin. Drinking also wreaks havoc on the immune system, which is supposed to fight off any bacteria that causes acne. So, lay off the drinks if you are prone to breakouts and try to keep it to the minimum.

Alcohol creates an imbalance in testosterone and estrogen

These were the foods that cause acne the most. We hope you found this article useful. Now you can start cutting out these foods and avoiding them all together.

These were the foods that cause acne the most

Sources:

John Griffith

John Griffith is a young, passionate journalist. Writing has been John’s hobby ever since he was a boy. He has worked in some of the UK’s most successful news portals over the course of his professional career but found his forever home at Archzine.