I notice there are a lot of opinions being shared online about how foods can affect your skin, the most common of which is how removing certain foods from your diet can help with acne. Can get

From my searches on social platforms stemming from requests about food and skin, acne is the most popular topic. And for good reason – it’s estimated that nearly 100% of the population is affected by acne at some point in their lives (usually around puberty). And for many people, the problem isn’t just limited to the awkward teen years—it continues into the adult years. Into adulthood, it’s more likely to stick around if you’re a woman, and while it tends to decrease over time, it still affects a quarter of women over the age of 40.

While normally not dangerous in any way, acne can be uncomfortable, itchy and even painful. The appearance of acne can be worrying for even the most confident of us.

In about 20% of teenagers acne can leave a permanent scar, a permanent ‘badge-of-honour’ to commemorate driving tests and cringy school dance times. This emotional and physical scar is associated with higher rates of anxiety and depression in adulthood.

This problem is caused by a relatively simple phenomenon – our skin produces oil, the pores in our skin become clogged, inflammation results and POP! A grain appears.

A number of foods have come under scrutiny for their possible link to acne, driven largely by the high rates of acne in the Western world, and the belief that foods in a typical ‘Western’ diet may contribute to inflammation that Then leads to acne.

Specifically, chocolate, dairy and high glycemic index diets have been studied most widely, with fruits and vegetables, meat, nuts, pasta, green tea, semolina, rice, carbonated drinks and many other types seen in the study types. Has gone. , size and properties.

Like many medical conditions, the causes of acne are complex, and not fully understood, with new insights continually emerging. A combination of genetic, hormonal, and environmental (eg, behavior, exposure, potentially diet… but more on that later) factors contribute to the development of acne (here) and (here).

Conditions such as insulin resistance and high blood sugar have been linked to acne.

Believe it or not, some of the supplements you are taking can cause acne. Vitamin B12, biotin, whey protein, iodine and even collagen can also cause breakouts in some people.

That being said, there is little high-quality evidence to support any single food being directly responsible for the appearance and health of our skin. In fact, the research around food and acne appears to be very mixed.

Although influencers love to target specific foods as the cause of acne, this is an oversimplification. What works for one group or individual may have the opposite effect on another. For example, Person A can eat yogurt made from cow’s milk for breakfast on most days and report that his skin is clear and healthy. Person B can say that when they cut out cow’s milk curd, and take soy curd, their skin is clear.

Unfortunately, the unregulated side of the multi-billion-dollar wellness industry doesn’t have to answer to ethics boards or provide solid evidence, which makes it easier for influencers and other modern day snake oil salespeople to market. . The intersection between ‘nutritional products’ and ‘skincare’ – two sectors rich in unregulated ‘miracle’ products certainly has a lot of interesting material.

Here are some common food and acne claims:

You have acne because your gut is not ‘detoxifying’ properly.

Just another thing for the gut, when in reality, acne is not your body releasing ‘toxins’, nor is it a measure of gut health.

This influencer is trying to tell us that acne can occur when the liver becomes ‘hot’ and ‘sluggish’. (FYI, this is a complete lie).

She claims that in this case, she needed a specific supplement that she sells now. Quelle Surprise!

There’s no research or physiology to support it, which is why when you see someone recommending raw carrot salad or any other ‘gut-health diet’, you know they’re just speculating. have been And by ‘conceive’, I mean, ‘arrive’.

(Read my post on the carrot salad trend here)

Also strange is the idea that carrots contain vitamin A which, if applied topically in the form of retinol, can help your skin. Eating foods containing vitamin A is healthy, but it has nothing to do with clearing up your acne.

Refined carbs, sugar and vegetable oils cause inflammation, which in turn leads to acne.

swollen part of May There’s a grain of truth, although we haven’t actually proven it

There are some studies that link high glycemic carb intake to higher levels of acne. The thinking behind this is that consuming too much refined carbs and sugar causes frequent blood sugar spikes/high blood sugar, which can lead to inflammation, which can lead to acne.

If you believe ultra-processed carbs are triggering your acne, by all means try to eat less (which is a good idea all in all and not an overwhelming recommendation at all).

Read my explanation of glycemic index here.

The whole ‘vegetable oil causes inflammation’ thing has gone on so much I can’t believe I have to rehash it, but here we are.

There is no evidence that vegetable oils — or omega-6 fats — cause inflammation. If anything, they may be anti-inflammatory.

A subtlety that is often missed is that many ultra-processed foods contain vegetable oils. When we eat too many processed foods and skimp on fiber and antioxidants, it can lead to inflammation in our bodies.

Does this mean we should blame vegetable oils for acne? Probably not.

Drinking water will give you clear skin and cure your acne.

Hydration can improve skin turgor, but it in no way ‘clears’ your skin or affects your acne.

Pasteurized cow’s milk ‘increases sebum production’ and causes acne.

The link between dairy and acne has been studied extensively over the past 20 years or so. Consumption of dairy products became of interest as a cause of acne in a 2005 survey where high school students who responded that they had acne were found to consume more milk than those without acne.

The American Academy of Dermatology states that several studies appear to link cow’s milk to acne in some people, but the mechanism that causes this is not known. Cheese and curd do not seem to have the same effect.

A more recent study of nearly 25,000 adults in France who tracked their dietary intake and acne levels over time identified an association with increased milk consumption and the presence of acne.

A meta-analysis (a statistical pooling of data collected from a systematic review) of 14 studies identified any dairy (milk, yogurt, and cheese) with a slight increase in acne in children and young adults (up to age 30). Was attached Another meta-analysis of 13 studies also found a small increase in acne with milk intake.

In some research, skim milk appears to be more comedogenic (aka acne-causing) than full-fat dairy in particular. Regardless, we don’t know the mechanism by which this happens with any type of milk.

As usual (or as always), there are a few issues:

See the last line of the study: “However, the results should be interpreted with caution due to heterogeneity and bias among the studies.” In non-scientific speak, that translates to ‘garbage in -> garbage out’. Basically, the studies they lumped together had some inherent differences, making them difficult to trust.

Importantly, on many topics, a study is less likely to be published (and therefore included in a meta-analysis) if it does not have a ‘positive finding’. This is called publication bias, and there is a definite concern here. It makes very few headlines when your study says the opposite saying ‘no link between dairy and acne’.

If you find dairy makes you break out, try eliminating it and see what happens (don’t change anything else about your diet/lifestyle/cleansing routine at that point!) By the way I do not recommend that everyone remove milk from their diet as some TikTok person said it ‘spoiled our skin.’ This is ridiculous.

Some influencers recommend raw milk to clear up acne. It is irresponsible and dangerous. Even if your raw milk comes from a farm that is considered ‘clean’, it may still be contaminated.

There is no evidence or mechanism for drinking raw milk to get rid of acne. just no.

Do Food Intolerances or Allergies Cause Acne?

There is no evidence that suggests a connection between food allergies or intolerances and acne.

What about acne supplements like Flo?

Flo is actually a PMS supplement that claims to clear up and prevent hormonal acne.

The active ingredients in Flo are lemon balm, chasteberry and vitamin B6, none of which have been shown to be particularly effective in combating acne. While this supplement appears to be safe, it’s important to know that companies make a lot of claims about natural products — including that they balance hormones *ahem *flow *ahem* — and if they’re FDA approved If the statements are vague enough, then none of these claims have to be proved.

So please do research before spending your money.

The food and acne connection.

I think it’s safe to say that diet contributes to acne for some people. Acne triggers are very individual, vary from person to person, and they are often multifactorial.

The bottom line: We still don’t have conclusive evidence to say: “Avoid X foods for acne”. Besides the controversial position that food causes breakouts, acne has many other causes — genetics, cosmetics, environment, hygiene, stress, and even medications and supplements.

The specific links are not yet fully understood, and more data is needed before we can begin condemning certain foods for causing acne, especially since acne is often multifactorial.

As with so many health conditions, the best evidence we have around food and skin points to a combination of diet and other lifestyle and genetic considerations (some of which cannot be changed). In many cases, it seems acne isn’t the result of a single food — it’s your overall diet, as well as other factors.

Is There an Anti-Acne Diet?

As always, I recommend a diet that is filled with as many whole and minimally processed foods as possible. Ultra-processed foods are fine in moderation, but try to avoid basing your entire diet on them. if possible.

A diet high in fruits and vegetables, olive oil, whole grains, legumes, and red meat—aka the Mediterranean diet—is probably your best anti-inflammatory option.

Do Anti-Inflammatory Diets Exist? Here’s my take.

Early research suggests that omega-3 fats from foods such as olive oil, avocados, fish, and nuts may help with skin health and inflammation.

A high-fiber diet, low in refined carbs and sugars, and a combination of carbs, protein and fat at each meal can help stabilize blood sugar.

There is a lack of studies on the effects of pre and probiotics on the skin.

Finally, avoid any foods that you think are triggers for your acne. If you’re not sure, remove these foods from your diet one at a time for at least 2 weeks to see if your skin changes.

When you’re on social media, get information from trusted professionals who provide high-quality evidence to support your claims.