If you’re a person who continuously struggles with acne breakouts, it’s believed that some foods you eat play a major role in the formation of pimples. The information below lists seven foods you should avoid to prevent the onset of acne. While this list isn’t exclusive and everybody is different, it’s a good place to start.
Dairy Products
There are many foods that contain dairy products, and you may eat these foods daily. What you may not realize is that all the dairy you consume may lead to your acne problems. Milk naturally contains growth hormones so baby calves can grow and thrive. Some dairy producers also give their cows artificial hormones, to boost their milk supply. It’s believed this growth hormone mimics insulin and leads to acne breakouts. If it’s impossible to cut dairy from your diet completely, use acne spot treatments and get information from reneerouleau.com.
Soft Drinks
Many people enjoy soft drinks and, while most things won’t hurt when consumed in moderation, drinking too much soda can cause severe acne. Soda contains refined sugar and, when this sugar gets into your system, your body naturally produces more insulin, which causes the sebaceous glands to excrete excess oil and clog the pores of your skin. This process brings on an outbreak of pimples. Even artificial sweeteners found in diet sodas can contribute to acne.
Milk Chocolate
Chocolate is hard for some people to resist, but its ingredients may add to acne problems. When you consume the huge amounts of sugars and fats found in chocolate, the sebum production in your pores explodes, which results in an inflammatory response in the body and more pimples. If you’re really craving chocolate, eat dark chocolate instead of milk or white chocolate. Dark chocolate contains less sugar and fewer dairy products, plus it has more cocoa, which is antioxidant and good for the body.
White Bread
White flour contains refined carbohydrates and, when you eat white bread, which has a high glycemic index, your glucose levels elevate. This occurs because your body quickly digests the refined carbohydrates and absorbs them into the bloodstream. This sugar rush into the body causes the skin cells to produce at a faster rate, which heightens the amount of oil in the skin. Oils on the skin attract bacteria and thus produce acne.
Peanut Butter
This oily and fatty food can have a negative impact on your acne problem, especially if you eat it along with jelly and bread. The ingredients in peanut butter include polyunsaturated fat, hydrogenated oils, and sugar. This is another food that digests quickly and causes your insulin level to soar. This jump in blood glucose increases the production of androgen and sebum and the onset of red, swollen pimples.
Fried Foods
Foods, such as potato chips and donuts, are fried in saturated and trans fats. These fats raise cholesterol levels and cause your skin to produce more oils. Fried foods also commonly contain refined carbohydrates, and they’re often packed with excess salt and sugar. All the ingredients you’ll find in fried foods doesn’t do your skin any favors.
Fast Food
Many fast food items, such as hamburgers, hot dogs, and pizza, contain an abundance of fat and refined carbohydrates that can lead to acne flare-ups. Fast food restaurants often cook their food in refined vegetable oils packed with trans fats and omega-6 fatty acids. These processed foods also have an abundance of sodium in them that cause hormonal imbalances and acne breakouts.
If you’re prone to getting acne breakouts, try avoiding the above foods to see if it helps with pimples. Keep a journal of your eating habits along with any new acne breakouts, as you may have a skin sensitivity to specific foods. By keeping a record of this information, you can tell which foods to avoid and which ones you can continue to enjoy.