What Foods Cause Acne? and What Can you Eat to Improve Your Acne?

If there were an Olympics for the diet that was best for promoting the most chronic diseases, the modern industrialized diet would stand an excellent chance of winning gold.

It’s increasingly well-known that a diet high in sugar, processed foods, factory farmed animal products, and chemicals fuels cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and a plethora of other diseases. But now we can add a new downside to the list: acne.

The top three foods that cause acne and why:

1. Dairy

Scientists have been examining the link between dairy consumption and acne for a long time.

A 2011 study done as part of the Nestle Nutrition Workshop Series Pediatric Program concluded that in industrialized countries, the habit of consuming dairy products past infancy is the biggest cause of acne. The researchers suggested two solutions: either we stop drinking cow’s milk or we create a cow’s milk that doesn’t have these effects on our health.

The first one sounds a lot easier to me!

One reason dairy may contribute to acne is because it promotes insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1).

Dairy products also increase the activity of an enzyme in the body called mTORC1, which contributes to the development of acne (as well as many other chronic diseases, such as insulin resistance, cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, and age-associated diseases).

Even if you don’t drink milk or eat cheese, a lot of the foods we eat today contain dairy. To be sure, check packaging labels for an allergen statement that will tell you if milk is an ingredient.

2. Refined Carbohydrates and Sugar

People who have acne tend to eat more refined carbohydrates than those who don’t have acne.

In fact, a 2012 study done in 2,300 adolescents in Turkey found that those who ate the most added sugars had a 30% increased risk for developing acne, and those who ate the most sugary baked goods had a 20% increased risk.

Why?

For one thing, refined carbohydrates can contribute to acne by causing more sebum production. They also have a higher glycemic index.

Research shows that refined foods - the ones with a higher glycemic index - play a role in fueling acne. But studies have also found that a diet high in foods with a low glycemic index can improve acne. Many researchers now suggest that dermatologists tell their acne patients to eat less refined foods.

3. Fast Food

The modern industrialized diet features a lot of convenience foods that are laden with sugar, salt, and cheese.

One study found that participants who regularly consumed fast food, specifically sausages and burgers, had a 24% increased risk for acne.

We don’t know with certainty what it is about fast food that contributes to acne. Perhaps it’s the dairy, sugar, salt, animal products, or bottled oils that are usually in it. But we do know that it can fuel acne, and that just might be yet another reason to steer clear.

What Can you Eat to Improve your Acne?

Now that you know the foods that cause acne, here are some of the foods and nutrients that can improve acne and contribute to clear, glowing skin:

1. Zinc

Zinc, a powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial, is more than just a lozenge to take when you start feeling sick. It has also been long studied as an acne treatment.

A 2014 study in the journal Biomed Research International found that lower serum zinc levels might be related to the severity and type of acne for some people. Increasing serum zinc levels by eating more zinc-containing foods can help clear up the skin.

You can take zinc as a supplement — as zinc acetate, zinc gluconate, or zinc sulfate — or apply it directly to your skin. You can find zinc in foods like toasted wheat germ, whole grains, nuts, and beans.

2. Turmeric

Turmeric, a bright yellow spice often used to flavor Asian and Middle Eastern dishes, has been used medicinally for hundreds of years.

Curcumin is a potent polyphenol in turmeric, and has been shown to reduce bacteria production that can lead to acne. Studies have shown turmeric to be beneficial for skin health when used both topically and when eaten.

You can add turmeric to soups, rice dishes, hot tea, smoothies, or stir-fries.

3. Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-6 fatty acids are pro-inflammatory, and omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory.

It’s important to eat the right balance of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids for our health. There is plenty of debate about what the optimal balance is. Some researchers think it should be 4:1, while others think it should be 1:1.

But most of us are eating closer to a 16:1 ratio, and I don’t know anyone who thinks that’s optimal.

As you can imagine, this results in a pro-inflammatory diet, which may promote acne, among many other diseases.

4. Vitamins A, E, and D

Having low levels of fat-soluble vitamins A, E, and D have been observed in many individuals who have acne. On the other hand, supplementing acne patients with these vitamins may be able to improve their skin.

1. Vitamin A is found in carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, pumpkin, cantaloupe, apricots, and dark leafy greens.
2. When exposed to sunlight, the skin makes Vitamin D. You can also consume it in the form of a vitamin D3 supplement.
3. Vitamin E is abundant in peanuts, sunflower seeds, broccoli, and hazelnuts.

5. Probiotics and Fermented Foods

Functional medicine, an approach to health that looks at the whole-body connection and sees acne as an inflammatory condition, tells us that there may even be a connection between the health of your gut and the condition of your skin.

You can help repair this connection by eating more foods that support a healthy gut bacteria balance, such as fermented foods and probiotics.

Probiotics might be able to help your skin directly, too. A 2017 study in the journal Scientific Reports found that the bacterial balance of the skin has a lot to do with acne development, and probiotics can be helpful.

Probiotics can be found in supplement form or in fermented foods, such as tempeh, sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, yogurt, miso, and natto.