Adult Acne and the Foods That May Be to Blame
I thought pregnancy would be the last time I had to deal with acne. You’d think that since I have to have wrinkles and age spots, I could have at least cashed in the acne for those lovely reminders of my ever-increasing age, but no. I get to keep them all. Thanks, life. Once rumored to be caused by eating too much chocolate, the myth that certain foods can cause acne breakouts was suddenly wiped off the table. I hate to be the one to break it to you, but it’s time to start believing that one again. A study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics revealed the following foods are likely to be related to acne: saturated fats, trans fats, sugar, milk, fish, and high glycemic index (GI) foods. Dairy is also a well-known culprit when it comes to breakouts. There’s a silver lining in all of this though: Chocolate itself probably doesn’t cause acne. It’s more likely the sugar and milk in the chocolate that cause a bad reaction, so if you’re a chocolate fan, look for a variety with a higher percentage cacao, meaning there’s likely to be less fillers like sugar and dairy. Here are a few foods that may be to blame for adult acne:
1. Dairy
Milk and other dairy products may contain hormones like progesterone, insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), and bovine growth hormone that end up in our body when we consume dairy products, which contributes to our already delicate balance of hormones. Dairy may not cause a reaction in all people, but if you’re struggling with breakouts, it wouldn’t hurt to see if dairy may be contributing to your problem. 2. Sugar and high GI foods
Foods with sugar cause your insulin to surge in response to a rise in blood glucose (AKA sugar). This causes cellular inflammation and can lead to a hormonal endocrine response. Trans and saturated fat
Certain fats like trans fats and those containing omega-6 fatty acids can contribute to inflammation, which is a contributing factor to acne and other health problems. On the flip side, healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce inflammation. Now that you know what to avoid, it’s time to investigate what you should be digging into at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Here are a few foods that may encourage healthy skin:
1. Nuts
In addition to being a good source of protein and healthy fat, nuts contain important minerals like selenium and zinc that can help improve the quality of your skin. Vitamin E, also found in nuts, helps promote good skin health as well. 2. It contains a component called allicin that helps fight bacteria. Add a little garlic to sauces and dressings, or try this creamy garlic broccoli or one of these 25 delicious garlic recipes. 3. This healthy fat has the opposite effect of trans-fat, as it can help decrease inflammation, stopping acne in its tracks. Other foods containing omega-3 include avocado and nuts. Have you struggled with adult acne? Have you noticed specific foods making it better or worse?
