Does food really affect acne? Many people tend to believe it does, and the truth is, they’re right. However, it usually isn’t for the same reasons that people think it is. For example, foods high in fat will not single-handedly put zits on your face. Foods high in TRANS fat, on the other hand, very well may. On the flip side of the equation, there are actually a number of foods which can actually reduce acne breakouts and potentially even eliminate them! We will discuss a few of these foods throughout the course of this article.
Understanding which foods lead to acne and which foods help to eliminate and prevent acne is the name of the game here. And there are real, common-sense answers that can help you along. For instance, did you know that most animal products can acidify your blood, pump you full of trans fats, and give you pimples? But fresh cold-water fish, full of essential fatty acids and healthy omegas can actually relax and soothe your skin from the inside out, making zits less likely to occur!
And what about the whole chocolate causing acne thing? Is this real science, or just an urban legend? Well, a direct correlation between chocolate and pimples has not been scientifically proven, although consuming large quantities of refined sugar and processing chemicals can create an acidic environment in your blood, which as mentioned above, can wreak havoc on your skin.
Foods rich in zinc and vitamin A have been known to fix acne problems for many individuals. Foods with the highest zinc content include oysters, toasted wheat germ, sesame seeds, and peanuts. You can find plenty of vitamin A in Cayenne pepper, sweet potatoes, carrots, butternut squash, and dark leafy greens. Want something sweet? Try dried apricots and cantaloupe, both of which are quite rich in vitamin A.
To combat acne-causing acids and hormones, antioxidants are an essential weapon and you should consume them liberally. Drinking green tea throughout the day is very wise for a number of health reasons, and certainly to enjoy nicer, clearer looking skin. Other powerful antioxidants you may wish to consider include wheat grass juice, dark berries (7 of the top 10 antioxidants in the world are berries!), raisins and red grapes, prunes and plums, and oranges.
Though not an entirely substantiated claim, it may be worth mentioning that iodine has been blamed for acne breakouts more than once. Foods high in iodized salt, especially potato chips, have been highly vilified for this reason. Whether there is a direct correlation between chips and zits or not, it is obvious to most of us that chips are far from being the healthiest food on the block, and it may be worth cutting back on them anyway, just to see what happens!
The list of foods you should absolutely avoid if you are ever going to clear up your skin is a long one, indeed. Essentially, any food that produces excess acidity in your body is a great food to walk away from. Foods high in yeast, chemical additives, preservatives, and trans fats should be considered public enemy number one. Alcohol and drugs, including nicotine and caffeine, are looked at as poisons by your body. And when your body thinks it’s being poisoned, it does everything it can to remove these toxins as quickly as possible… and one of the ways it does this is by forcing toxins out through the skin!
