Does Sugar Cause Acne?
Evaluating the Claim That Eating Too Much Sugar Causes Acne
For years people have been saying diet can affect acne while others have dismissed the claim. While it’s true that most foods won’t contribute to acne unless a person has an allergic reaction to them, sugar is the exception. If you are suffering from acne but enjoy sweet foods containing sugar, it just might be time to reevaluate your diet.
The Truth Hurts (Your Sweet Tooth)
It’s hard for many people to believe that eating sugar can contribute to their acne condition. Some don’t believe it because they don’t understand how that can be the case, some don’t believe it because they just don’t want to.
Many doctors will staunchly deny that eating sugar makes acne worse. Despite the medical community’s resistance to informing patients about the negative effects of sugar, there is indeed evidence to suggest that eating sugar does make acne worse.
The Scientific Reasoning
Your immune function can be reduced by consuming sugar, especially if you do it in large quantities. Any time you consume sugar, you have a rapid increase in insulin production and an insulin-like growth factor. Without relying too heavily on technical terms, this increase can cause an excess of male hormones that are known to increase oil production and exacerbate acne.
If you are suffering from acne and are looking for a permanent way to eliminate it, you might want to reevaluate your diet. While medications can improve the appearance of your acne, they don’t actually address the cause of it. If you continue to have breakouts, you really should reduce your sugar intake and see what effect that has on you.
How to Cut Back
One easy way to reduce your sugar intake is to eliminate all beverages that contain sugar from your diet. Give up soda, sweetened teas, and even fruit juices that have sugar added. Drink water or pure fruit juice instead. For those individuals with a sweet tooth, eliminate your daily candy bar. Also make sure that you don’t eat breakfast cereals that contain sugar. Depending on the amount of sugar you usually consume, you may not necessarily need to eliminate it completely from your diet in order to see an improvement in your acne.
Given what you now know about sugar’s contribution to acne, you just might want to reevaluate your diet. Sugar, although tasty, can worsen your acne. If you really want your acne to go away for good, you may need to make the diet modifications necessary to having clear skin.