Asked Dr. Dave Margolius, a physician in San Francisco, California. He is originally from Cleveland, Ohio, and attended Brown University for undergrad and med school. He is currently doing his residency in internal medicine at UCSF. His main interests are in health policy, improving primary care, and healthcare for all.
Does Eating Junk Food Cause Acne?
In my esteemed medical opinion, the worst kind of zit is the big volcano one on the tip of the nose. The most dreadful part might be that you always know when it’s coming.
First, the whole nose has this uncomfortable feeling that you can’t quite place. Next, on the very front of the nose, it begins to really hurt when you touch it. After that, the redness comes and you know you’re in for seven to 10 days of wondering if people are staring at your mysterious eyes or that huge pimple that shines like a beacon.
You head to your local drugstore and buy all the acne soaps off the shelf. After a week of three-a-day face washings, warm compresses and dark lighting, the zit disappears and your mind returns to wondering how synchronized divers earn a living.
Some believe that eliminating junk food can prevent, or at least reduce, acne breakouts. Can it be that eating healthier not only improves your weight, self-esteem and sex life, but also help prevent pimples and the embarrassment of the nose volcano?
The answer to this question is maybe. Numerous studies have linked a Western diet (i.e. junk food) to high prevalence of acne. Specifically, both foods with lots of sugar (those with a high glycemic load) and dairy products might lead to more acne.
Scientists have even figured out the mechanism by which this association may occur: Eating lots of sugar means your body produces more insulin, and more insulin causes your body to release hormones that lead to more androgens, hormones that factor into acne production. Milk from cows actually contains those hormones that lead directly to more androgens.
You probably remember from high school: androgens mean more pimples. That’s why puberty sucks. So what’s with all the maybes, mights and mays? While many retrospective studies have shown an association between a junk food diet and acne, no studies have shown that eating better or differently can prevent acne in the future.
In other words, it’s really cool that we’ve isolated all these hormones and stuff, but so far we haven’t proven that changing your diet improves acne.
Eating junk food is bad for you. It also may cause you to have more acne. Do you really need another excuse to eat less of it? For those of us with the occasional forehead zit, it probably has more to do with genetics than diet, so don’t despair. Just blame your parents on your next trip to your local drugstore.
Does Eating Junk Food Cause Acne?
In my esteemed medical opinion, the worst kind of zit is the big volcano one on the tip of the nose. The most dreadful part might be that you always know when it’s coming.
First, the whole nose has this uncomfortable feeling that you can’t quite place. Next, on the very front of the nose, it begins to really hurt when you touch it. After that, the redness comes and you know you’re in for seven to 10 days of wondering if people are staring at your mysterious eyes or that huge pimple that shines like a beacon.
You head to your local drugstore and buy all the acne soaps off the shelf. After a week of three-a-day face washings, warm compresses and dark lighting, the zit disappears and your mind returns to wondering how synchronized divers earn a living.
Some believe that eliminating junk food can prevent, or at least reduce, acne breakouts. Can it be that eating healthier not only improves your weight, self-esteem and sex life, but also help prevent pimples and the embarrassment of the nose volcano?
The answer to this question is maybe. Numerous studies have linked a Western diet (i.e. junk food) to high prevalence of acne. Specifically, both foods with lots of sugar (those with a high glycemic load) and dairy products might lead to more acne.
Scientists have even figured out the mechanism by which this association may occur: Eating lots of sugar means your body produces more insulin, and more insulin causes your body to release hormones that lead to more androgens, hormones that factor into acne production. Milk from cows actually contains those hormones that lead directly to more androgens.
You probably remember from high school: androgens mean more pimples. That’s why puberty sucks. So what’s with all the maybes, mights and mays? While many retrospective studies have shown an association between a junk food diet and acne, no studies have shown that eating better or differently can prevent acne in the future.
In other words, it’s really cool that we’ve isolated all these hormones and stuff, but so far we haven’t proven that changing your diet improves acne.
Eating junk food is bad for you. It also may cause you to have more acne. Do you really need another excuse to eat less of it? For those of us with the occasional forehead zit, it probably has more to do with genetics than diet, so don’t despair. Just blame your parents on your next trip to your local drugstore.