Not everyone reacts to food the same way, but some foods definitely stand out as common acne triggers.
Some of the worst foods for your skin aren’t great for your health in general either, so by cutting back you actually do your body a favor.
Sugary Foods
Inflammation is a major factor in acne and sugar is one of the biggest inflammation triggers you could possibly have in your diet. This alone makes it one of the worst foods for your skin.
Sugar causes a spike in your insulin levels, setting off both inflammation and sebum production. The result is inflamed, oily skin that’s at a high risk for a breakout. I wouldn’t say you should go totally sugar-free but definitely look for ways to eat less.
If you want to prevent those monthly flare-ups around the chin area, make sure to curb your sugar cravings the days before you get your period.
Dairy Products
If you’ve noticed pizza, milkshakes, and some of your other favorite fast foods seem to leave you with blemishes, there’s a reason. That reason is often dairy.
Milk contains hormones that throw off your body’s natural hormonal balance, setting the stage for inflamed and cystic acne. This is true of all milk and dairy products, so choosing organic or low-fat milk won’t help your case.
I recommend replacing your dairy intake with other healthier alternatives such as almond milk, coconut milk or other vegetable based protein supplements.
Iodine-rich Foods
Your body needs only small amounts of iodine, so it’s easy to go overboard. I’ve seen this in people who enjoy kelp, sushi, and other algae products.
These nutrient-dense foods are also a popular addition to superfood smoothies, because of their health benefits. The bad news is, if you are acne prone, they’re probably will break you out.
Iodized salt is another common culprit of getting too much iodine in your diet. If French fries, potato chips, and other salty foods break you out, the problem isn’t the salt itself, but the iodine in that salt. If you cook at home make sure to use natural sea salt without iodine.
Peanut Products
They may seem like the perfect high-protein snack, but peanuts also contain androgens that encourage sebum production. That leads to oily skin and more blocked pores.
For healthy skin, skip the peanuts, peanut butter, peanut oil, and other peanut-based foods in your diet and replace it with almonds, walnuts or any other healthy nut mixes.
A healthy diet doesn’t guarantee clear skin, but cutting back on the worst foods for your skin gives you a good head start. A personalized skin care routine and a guidance of an acne specialist can do the rest.
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© 2016 Nikolett Ivanyi, Envision Acne Center; For more information go to www.envisionacnecenter.com.
