What Types of Food Cause Acne?
The embarrassing condition of acne has been blamed on a wide variety of causes throughout the ages. Many people unjustly blame individuals with acne-prone skin of being dirty or failing to wash their faces properly. This is obviously far from the truth as acne can strike anyone, regardless of their personal hygiene habits. Others believe that eating large amounts of chocolate will ensure an acne breakout. This is also not the case, but research has linked acne to choices a person’s diet. We are going to discuss some types of foods that cause acne.
The old adage, “you are what you eat” cannot be truer than when it comes to common causes of acne. Often individuals who do not consume a healthy diet or whose diet lacks the proper amount of critical vitamins and minerals suffer from acne problems.
Remember, your body must be healthy before your skin can be healthy, so strive to eat a well balanced diet, and dedicate yourself to an active lifestyle in order to enjoy unblemished, smooth, and glowing skin.
Foods that Cause Acne
Junk Foods
Fatty foods create blood sugar instability by making the levels rush up and then plummet just as fast, leading to severe hormonal reactions and consequently, acne. Fatty foods also slow down the flow of nutrients and o2 to your body cells which aggravates acne.
Processed carbohydrates and sugar are also contributors. Commonly, food that’s “white” has had almost all its nutritional value removed away and the body requires those vitamins and minerals to function and to give you a clear complexion. These types of foods also raise blood sugar as fatty foods do. Sugar aggravates acne because there are harmful bacteria found in the stomach live off of it and produce toxic elements. Artificial sweeteners are a whole lot worse as they also include damaging substances.
Coffee, tea, chocolate, and energy drinks give you that sometimes needed energy boost but play havoc with your skin. Caffeine has been proven to be an acne trigger by making the adrenalin glands secretes hormones that give you the buzz. These hormones, essentially stress your system terribly, affecting not just your skin but additionally your health. Caffeine also interferes with normal sleep patterns and prevents the attainting of “deep sleep” during which the body engages in repair and detoxification.
Natural Baddies
Not many people are aware that the human body is not designed to digest cow’s (or any other animals’) milk. Everyone is allergic to milk, but the difference lies as to whether the effect is noticeable. The digestive system lacks the required enzymes to break down milk, and the immune system creates a reaction that can lead to oxidative stress and inflammation, therefore acne.
Further more, homogenized, and pasteurized milk cover the lining of the small intestine with a mucous layer which prevents assimilation of much required nutrients. Milk producing cows may be fed antibiotics and hormones to boost output and these damaging chemical compounds get into your system whenever you consume milk, or eat other dairy food like cheese, ice-cream which are also fatty.
Be wary of animal proteins that are highly acidic and provide conditions that allow growth of acne causing bacteria. Additionally, processed meat has sodium nitrite and also sulfur which are all damaging to your body and ultimately impair your skin’s health.
Eating too much Fat can Cause Acne
Eating too much fat is perhaps the biggest reason behind blood sugar problems. With blood sugar problems I mean your blood sugar levels ’swing’ too much. They rise too high and drop too low. This ’swinging’ causes a cascading hormonal reaction that leads to: increased sebum production and blocked pores.
Fat has another nasty effect. Too much of it in the bloodstream slows down nutrient and oxygen transport to cells. In effect your cells won’t get the nutrients and oxygen they need when you eat too much fat. This can also aggravate acne.
Chocolate
Chocolate-chip cookies made with cottonseed and/or soybean oil, the problem ingredient being the cottonseed oil or soybean oil, not the chocolate.