Many doctors hold onto the belief that ‘there is no scientific evidence that relates acne to food’, hence the reason why they use prescription drugs to treat this condition.  Is this really true?  Can we all confidently tuck into a plate of fish and chips and eat a large bar of chocolate without worrying about the appearance of spots? 

The fact is, despite claims to the contrary, there have been plenty of studies conducted over the past few years to prove that acne and food are indeed related.  In fact, there is a list of different food that has been associated with the appearance of spots.  What you must understand however is that everyone is different and what may cause acne for one person may be completely different than what causes acne for another, hence the reason why this subject has been debated for so long.  It is important to remember that there is a lot of money to be made by skincare and pharmaceutical companies in selling treatments for acne; they are certainly not going to inform you that what you eat could be causing your problem.  Many of the treatments that are marketed simply do not work but are marketed so well that it makes people believe that they do work so they continue to use them despite disappointing results.

So what foods are linked to acne?  These would be yeast, sugar, refined foods such as white bread, white rice, cakes etc, gluten, milk (and all foods containing milk), spicy food, carbonated drinks, excess amounts of salt, excess amounts of caffeine, fried food, red meat and foods that contain hydrogenated oils or fats.

This list is not intended to freak you out; it is simply a list of foods that have been linked to causing certain people to have acne vulgaris.  It may be that you are intolerant (unable to digest) to a certain type of food. If this is the case then the more you eat that type of food the worse your skin problem will get.  Many people find that they are unable to digest milk (dairy intolerant) and if they avoid milk altogether, their skin completely clears up.  For some people it may be gluten or any of the other foods listed.  The good news is that for many people they have become intolerant to a type of food simply because they have eaten too much of it and if they avoid eating it for 3 months then they may be able to have a little of the food now and again without any repercussions.  

Acne vulgaris can also be caused by too many hormones.  Were you aware that what you choose to eat can have an effect on the amount of hormones in your body?  Refined foods such as cakes, white bread, chocolate and fizzy drinks all cause a blood sugar rush which in turn increases the amount of testosterone that your body produces.  Testosterone increases the production of sebum and too much sebum blocks pores.  It is vital for all people suffering from acne vulgaris to eat a low sugar diet and as many natural foods as possible as well as testing for any food intolerances.  This is especially important advice for teenagers and for women who regularly get acne before and during their monthly cycles.