Is There a Clear Skin Diet?
Acne…just about everyone has struggled with it. And if you haven’t, yes, we hate people like you. You are a lucky one. For the rest of us, acne might have been a teenage battle or only shown up in adulthood. Some of us even have a lifelong struggle with breakouts. If you’ve ever had acne before, you simply hate it and for some, it triggers a visceral reaction. The embarrassment, the need to buy concealer and fear of scarring that commonly results. While not life threatening, acne impacts us greatly, especially during our teenage years, when you have other things to worry about and don’t want a zit on your face deterring you from engaging in school or your social life.
Do you remember your friend who ate chocolate and swore it caused her to break out? We used to be dismissive of these claims but as we’ve looked at diet a bit closer, we’ve come to realize diet does play a role for the development of acne. Our diet, known as a Western diet, is particularly to blame. A Western diet isn’t something to brag about. It consists of a high intake of processed foods, added sugars, saturated fats, refined grains, and salt, while being low in fiber, fruits, and vegetables. So yea, not healthy. The added sugars, refined grains, and processed foods often have a high glycemic index (GI), which means that a food is rapidly digested and absorbed and causes a fast spike in blood sugar levels. But how does this play a role in the development of acne?
When you drink a Mountain Dew or snack on those Doritos, your blood sugar shoots up. Your body produces insulin and insulin like growth factor (IGF-1). High levels of IGF-1 can cause insulin resistance. In addition, rising IGF-1 decreases sex hormone binding globulin, which allows for more androgens in the blood. Androgens are the hormones that fuel acne on our skin. Androgens cause increased oil (sebum) production, clog pores and inflammation. Now you’re going to think twice about your favorite processed junk food. For me, it’s chocolate Hostess Donettes. Don’t judge. We all have a weakness.
Back to the chocolate we talked about before. It’s worth mentioning chocolate because there is some data to suggest that it alone could be a cause. The dilemma is related to chocolate as a high GI food or is there something in chocolate that contributes to acne? Chocolate is typically made with sugar, milk, and cocoa butter, all of which might hypothetically increase acne. But the jury is still out. There studies are not definitive and fraught with limitations. So I plan to keep chocolate on my menu.
Now if we talk about dairy and acne. Honestly, I don’t want to go there. I love dairy–milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream…some of my favorites. The studies support that high dairy intake—especially skim milk—is associated with an increased risk of acne. The reason? IGF-1 present in milk is likely to blame. Skim milk is processed more to remove fat, but it leaves behind a relatively higher concentration of IGF-1 and androgens. Dairy can also hide in certain foods and sometimes often you might not realize they are consuming dairy—think whey protein used for athletes.
Overall, diet can be tricky to evaluate for acne. Some of the studies suggesting a link are flawed but what matters often is what patients report. Not everyone will be sensitive to diet as a trigger for their acne. Lots of people eat ultra processed foods and enjoy junk food and never get a blemish…or gain a pound. I really dislike those people. If you think a particular food is contributing to your breakouts, then I often recommend keeping a food diary for three months where you document everything you eat and then star the days you have an acne flare and look for trends. Not perfect science, but it can offer some guidance. If you notice improvement after eliminating a certain food then keep at it. I also tell patients you can’t really go wrong with a Mediterranean diet either. Healthy for skin and your body as a whole.
Trotter’s Take: Diet may play a role as a contributing factor to your acne and if you want to make any changes that might clear your skin, then follow a low glycemic diet.
Got an appetite to learn more about acne and underlying causes? Then sit down and check out my podcast with Dr. Katie Varman, as we chew on acne, diet, hormones and your gut.
