Is Your Acne Caused By What You're Eating?

IS YOUR ACNE CAUSED BY WHAT YOU’RE EATING?

Acne is a skin condition that happens when your hair follicles get clogged with oil and dead skin cells. This clogging results in blackheads, whiteheads, or pimples, and it can affect people of all ages and genders.

Acne is the eighth most common skin issue globally, and it affects almost 10% of the world’s population. It can also scar your skin and cause emotional distress, especially when it is severe.

CAUSES OF ACNE

Acne can happen as a result of four main factors:

• Excessive oil (sebum) production.
• The proliferation of acne-causing bacteria.
• Clogged hair follicles – by excess oil and dead skin cells.
• Inflammation and excessive keratin production.

TRIGGER FACTORS FOR ACNE

Various things can trigger or worsen acne, including:

• Hormonal changes: your body produces more androgen during puberty, which causes your sebaceous glands to enlarge and produce more sebum. This increased sebum production can result in acne. Other hormonal changes, for instance, during your menstrual cycle, in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), or increase in your insulin levels, can also make you break out with acne.
• Certain medications: medications containing testosterone, lithium, or steroids can result in acne breakouts. They can also make existing acne worse.
• Stress. Stress itself does not give you acne. But it can aggravate any existing acne.
• Certain products: Makeup, hair products, and cosmetics.
• Environmental pollution and excessive sun exposure.
• Insufficient sleep and smoking.
• Diet: many studies show that certain foods may make your acne worse.

HOW YOUR DIET CAN AFFECT YOUR ACNE

Though the link between diet and acne has been controversial, recent developments show that diet can play a significant role in your acne.

Many years of studies and clinical trials show that your diet might play a role in your acne and its severity. For instance, certain foods can promote inflammation throughout your body, which can trigger acne. Furthermore, some foods, like sugar-rich foods, can affect your hormone levels and worsen your acne. Some of the foods that can trigger acne breakouts include:

• A diet based on high glycemic index food items
• Certain dairy products, like cow milk
• Excessive consumption of fat-rich foods.
• Insufficient consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables
• Chocolate

High Glycemic Index Foods and Beverages

These food items significantly raise your blood sugar level within a short period. This quick spike causes inflammation throughout your body and triggers your body to make more sebum. It also triggers a hormonal response, which causes your body to secret more insulin. This trio can lead to acne breakouts or worsen existing acne. Examples of high-glycemic foods and beverages include:

• Fast foods, like burgers, fries, etc.
• Refined carbohydrates, like white bread, cereal, white rice, etc.
• Sugary beverages like sodas and milkshakes.
• Flour-based desserts like cake and cookies.

A survey found an association between acne and high consumption of sugar- and fat-rich foods. Compared with people without a history of acne, people with current acne were more than twice as likely to drink at least 5 servings of high-sugar drinks the previous day. They are also 8 times more likely to consume fatty and sugary meals the day before.

Cow Milk and Other Dairy Products

Though cow milk is a low-glycemic beverage, some studies have suggested it may be associated with higher acne breakouts. These studies also linked all types of cow milk – skim, whole, or low-fat – to acne. One study showed that people who drank more than 2 glasses of skim milk daily had a 44% higher chance of developing acne.

It is not totally clear why cow milk may trigger or worsen acne breakouts. But researchers suggest that high milk consumption causes an increase in your insulin levels. This, in turn, increases your skin cell production, inhibits skin cell death, and promotes inflammation. The inflammation and excessive skin cells can clog your pores and trigger the development of acne.

Cow milk also contains hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and possibly some testosterone. These hormones can exacerbate your natural hormones and ultimately increase sebum production and your chances of acne breakouts.

Whey Protein Powder

This is a popular dietary supplement that is rich in two amino acids; leucine and glutamine. These amino acids increase the growth and division of your skin cells, which can encourage acne formation. These amino acids can also stimulate your body to produce more insulin. Unfortunately, high insulin levels have been linked to acne development.

Many studies have suggested a link between the consumption of whey protein and acne in male athletes. Another study found a direct correlation between acne severity and the frequency of whey protein intake.

Foods Rich in Omega-6 Fatty Acids

Diets containing large amounts of omega-6 fatty acids have been linked to higher levels of inflammation and worsened acne. This may be because of the resulting imbalance of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, which can push your body into an inflammatory state.

On the bright side, simultaneously increasing your omega-3 fatty acids consumption can help reduce this inflammation, as this has been found to help reduce acne severity.

Chocolate

As far back as the early 19^th century, chocolate has been a suspected trigger for acne. Many informal surveys found a link between chocolate consumption and a higher risk of acne.

A recent study in acne-prone male subjects showed that people who consume 25 grams of 99% dark chocolate daily have more acne breakouts. Another study found significantly more acne breakouts in people given 100% cocoa powder capsules daily compared to those on placebo.

The reason for these increased breakouts is unclear. But one study found that chocolate can increase your immune system’s reactivity to acne-causing bacteria, which can result in more inflammation than usual.

Foods You’re Sensitive To

There’s a theory that an inflammatory disease is at the root of acne. This is supported by the fact that some anti-inflammatory drugs are effective in treating severe acne. It is also supported by the fact that people with acne have higher blood levels of inflammatory molecules.

Food can contribute to this inflammation through food sensitivities. These sensitivities happen when your immune system mistakes certain foods as threats and proceeds to attack them. This increases your blood level of inflammatory molecules, which may aggravate your acne.

Acne can be triggered or worsened by different kinds of foods. And each person also has their unique trigger. Therefore, you should also track your diet and note if any food seems to trigger or worsen your acne. Stay off suspected food item(s) for a while and see what happens if you don’t have that food for some time, say a few weeks.

You can also work with a dietician or nutritionist to help figure out your food triggers. In addition, food sensitivity testing can help you identify what foods can trigger immune-related inflammation. This will give you a clearer picture of what foods to avoid.

DIETARY MODIFICATIONS AND ACNE TREATMENT

Though your diet may give you fresh breakout or worsen existing ones, you will need more than dietary modification to achieve clear skin. The key to achieving clear skin and preventing new breakouts is a combination of a healthy diet, an acne-friendly skincare routine, and acne medication.

Fortunately, some diets showed a protective effect against acne. Hence, the following dietary recommendations may help improve your acne:

• Consume more low glycemic foods like whole grains, fresh fruits, raw vegetables, and nuts instead of high glycemic foods like refined carbohydrates. Research has shown that a low-glycemic diet may help improve your acne. In fact, published data showed that people on a low-glycemic diet had significantly less acne than those on a regular diet. This can be because low-glycemic diets prevent spikes in your blood sugar.
• Reduce your intake of refined sugars, including table sugar, corn syrup, agave syrup, and cane sugar.
• Eat fresh fruits and vegetables at least 3 times a week.
• If you consume dairy products, choose yogurt and cheese.
• Eat less chocolate and avoid sugary drinks like soda.
• Incorporate fish into your diet.

BOTTOM LINE

Though acne is a common skin condition, the cause can vary from one individual to the other. This can make it challenging to find the best treatment for you. Various factors can trigger or worsen your acne, including hormonal changes, stress, and diet.

Research has found links between certain foods and a higher risk of acne breakouts. But your overall dietary pattern will have a more significant impact on your skin health than eating or avoiding a particular food. So, you may not have to totally avoid foods that have been linked to acne. Instead, you should consume them in moderation and in combination with other healthy and nutrient-rich foods.

Some helpful dietary modifications you can make include eating low-glycemic foods and reducing your sugar and dairy intake. You can also keep a food diary or work with a specialist to know what foods are best for your overall skin health.