Milk
There have been a few survey-based studies that show a link between drinking more milk and getting acne, but these studies were not very large. Because of this, they are less reliable than large, double-blind experiments, but they are still something to think about.
Researchers have found a link between drinking milk and acne, as explained in the study linked above. However, there is still no proof that eating dairy products like yogurt and cheese has the same effect (good news for pizza lovers).
It’s true that acne can happen when our hormone levels change a lot. If you want to follow a hormonal acne diet, you should be careful about how much dairy you eat.
There isn’t a lot of direct evidence that hormones in milk cause hormonal acne, but dairy products do contain hormones like bovine growth hormone (BGH) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1). There is a chance that these hormones could change the balance of your hormones or affect your body in some other way.
Sugar and Some Carbs
Before we look more closely at how sugar can cause acne, it’s important to know how acne starts.
When your skin makes too much sebum, the natural oil on your skin, your pores can get clogged. This leads to spots on the skin like whiteheads and blackheads.
If bacteria gets into these clogged pores, the blemishes can get red, swollen, and painful, turning into pustules or papules.
Acne can be caused by things like genes, hormonal imbalances, and certain skin care products that make the skin produce more oil than it needs to.
Not only can a certain foods cause acne, but it can also make acne that is already there worse. Some foods make the body react with inflammation, and sugar is one of those foods.
Because sugar has a high glycemic index, it is quickly absorbed and used by the body (GI). When we eat sugar or other foods with a high glycemic index, our blood sugar goes up, and our bodies have to release insulin to bring it back down to a normal level.
Insulin can cause a hormonal imbalance because it makes the body make more androgen hormones, which are sex hormones that can make the body make too much sebum. During puberty, our bodies make more androgen hormones. This is one reason why acne is often worse during our teenage years.
Chocolate
Is your favorite sweet really to blame for unfair marks on your skin? Chocolate has been blamed for acne for a long time, but is your favorite treat really to blame?
Since 1969, scientists have looked at chocolate as a possible cause of acne. Could it be the fat, sugar, or even the chemicals used to make those delicious bars that give you pimples? Science says the following.
In the past, studies have been thrown out because chocolate has other things in it, like milk and sugar, that may also affect the skin.
In the first studies on chocolate and acne, chocolate bars and control bars were used (candies that were loaded with sugar, often with even more sugar than the chocolate versions).
These differences led to different results and questionable ways of studying, all of which have kept the chocolate debate going. So it’s not surprising that there is still no clear answer after decades of research.
Foods High in Fiber
Dietary fiber is a part of plant food that your digestive system doesn’t break down. As it moves through your GI tract, it helps you digest and absorb nutrients from the food you eat.
Eating fiber is good for your overall health because your gut is connected to many other parts of your body, including your skin. The food we eat is one of the main reasons we get pimples. A bad diet can cause free radicals to form, which can lead to oxidative stress in the cells and the release of substances that can cause acne and cause the skin to age faster than it should. You can fix this damage by adding fiber to your diet. This is how:
- Fiber can help prevent oily skin by making it harder for the body to absorb fat in the gut.
- Foods that are high in fiber can contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These acids help reduce inflammation caused by acne.
- The gut microbiota, the good bacteria that help our digestive system get rid of waste and toxins, is improved by fiber.
- Many foods high in fiber have phytoestrogens, which are hormones that help keep hormones in balance and keep acne caused by hormones under control.
- Vitamins and antioxidants in fiber-rich foods help skin cells that have been damaged by acne to grow back.
Salmon
There are many kinds of foods you can eat to prevent acne or stop it from coming back. But studies have shown that when you eat foods with Omega 3 fatty acids, the result is good. These acids are perfect for getting rid of skin inflammations like acne. Also, eating these foods keeps you healthy and gives you other benefits. Because of this, salmon and acne solutions have come to mean the same thing.
Diet experts say that salmon and some other fish are high in omega-3 fatty acids. You can get the same thing from different kinds of sea fish, but you run the risk of getting too much mercury. On the other hand, salmon are usually found in rivers and streams, so you can avoid that danger.
Salmon also has a lot of protein and nutrients that are good for the skin as a whole. When Omega-3 fatty acids from salmon are taken in by the body, they help lift the mood. Researchers have found that mood and the flow of hormones are linked. When you stay happy, your hormone flow stays steady, which makes skin problems less likely. Vitamins and zinc in this fish also help skin cells grow back and stay healthy.
Nuts
People with acne often don’t get enough antioxidants like vitamin E and selenium. Almonds, peanuts, and Brazil nuts are full of antioxidants like vitamin E and selenium. These nutrients keep cells from getting hurt or sick. Antioxidants are good for your body in other ways, but there is no clear evidence that they will clear up acne. So there’s no reason why you shouldn’t eat them. Just don’t use too many. You only need about 24 almonds, or three or four Brazil nuts.
Oysters
People have eaten oysters since before we were fully human. In 2000, a group of geologists from around the world working in East Africa found the remains of oysters that are thought to be more than 125,000 years old.
During that time, oysters have been most revered as a way to make people feel sexually aroused, not as a cure for skin problems. But if there was only one food on earth that was a surefire way to get rid of acne, I’d choose oysters. See, oysters contain the most zinc of any food on the planet.Zinc is the most important mineral for getting rid of acne.
Oysters have over six times more zinc per pound than any other food. The daily amount of zinc that men and adults should get is 15mg. I suggest taking about 30 mg per day to clear up acne.
Seaweed
Seaweed is a great ingredient for all skin types, but especially for skin that gets acne. Most people think of benzoyl peroxide, antibiotics, and other potentially harmful ingredients or prescriptions when they think of skin care products that help fight acne.
A study from 2010 that was published in the “European Journal of Dermatology” said that Koreans who eat a lot of seaweed have more acne. But it’s important to note that acne patients’ diets were also different in other ways. They ate more fast food, instant noodles, and processed cheese than a control group that didn’t have acne. They also ate fewer fish and vegetables than people who didn’t have the disease.
What About Oily Food?
When extra oil and dead skin cells get into the pores of the skin, they block them up. This is called a comedone. When bacteria that cause acne get into the skin, an inflamed pimple forms.
Even though the fat in your diet is not the cause of your oily skin, it can affect the inflammation that comes with acne. A diet high in omega 3 can help reduce inflammation and clear up acne. On the other hand, a diet high in omega 6 can make inflammation worse and may make acne worse.