Ever wondered if your diet is causing you pimples? Mums have their say. No fried food, no spicy food, no oily food. Friends have some say. No dairy products, no chocolates. The list goes on. What is the truth? What do the doctors say?

Not surprisingly, we doctors are also split on the matter. Still, we mortals have to try to make sense of our diet as we still need to eat.

Up to date, there is NO (yes, I say NO) conclusive scientific evidence about one food or food type causing pimples. There have been loads of studies done on this matter and there appear to be some positive findings. Often, there are also many criticisms about how the study is done, how the sample size is too small, how the survey is collected, whether participants are correctly chosen… too many technicalities for the common person on the street to grapple with. 

There is still some food you can take and some to avoid to improve your skin. It is just not possible to give advice if I have to download all the fine prints at the same time. Broad-strokes always get some people edgy (I apologize first). Here, I will share with you from my experience what affects a lot of people with regards to their acne.

Sugar
I drew my own conclusion about why mums are saying no fried food in order to achieve clear skin. What food can be fried? I am thinking of curry puffs, french fries, chicken wings. For most parts, these are carbs to start with. For the chicken wings, we usually coat it with flour before frying. Bingo! Flour is carbs too. So I think they DO have an inkling that these foods can cause acne but in this modern times as we go down to the molecular zone, we now call it a high-glycemic diet.

There are many articles that suggest this, but again, not without limitations (see articles below). You can try to reduce the total daily intake of sugary food if you feel the effect of these high-glycemic diets on your skin. These can come in the form of snacks, bottled drinks, white chocolates, cakes, and desserts.

Dairy products
Much of the population of acne sufferers concur with the suggestion that dairy in their diet is responsible for their acne. Yes and no. I have seen patients react within the day (after dairy consumption) with new acne on their face, chest or back (I kid you not!). There are lesser patients who appear unfazed by the presence of dairy in their lives. Find out which camp you belong to and do the necessary precautions. Dairy products include food such as milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, ice cream.

No one advice works for everyone. I hope you can take these suggestions and personalize it. If consuming milk gives you an acne outbreak in the next few days, then you are affected by milk. Reduce or stop consuming it, especially if you want to be blemish-free for your D & D. 

Stay clear, of pimples, from pimples.



Disclaimer: The content and information in this blog article is the opinion of the author and property of LinC Aesthetic Clinic Pte Ltd. It is for educational purposes and not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Kindly contact your medical doctor with questions you may have regarding your medical condition. Relying on information provided by this content is done at your own risk.