10 Acne Trigger Foods: Avoid These Foods to Prevent Breakouts!

Spicy foods mainly contain tomatoes, spice as well as peppers, which can trigger breakouts. As spicy food contains acidic lycopene, it can cause irritation to some people, thereby disturbing the pH level of their skin. A lot of studies have proved that acne sufferers witness a visible increase in their breakouts on intake of spicy food. Though scientists are still not sure about the prime reason behind breakouts, there is quite a possibility that sweating accompanying the consumption of spicy food results in clogging of pores, and thereby causes acne. It is, therefore, important for everyone to consume spicy food in moderate proportions.

There is a strong link between dairy foods and acne. All milk lovers who used to think that milk will offer them a fair complexion, should rethink their choices. Dairy foods spike blood sugars and pimple-producing hormones in the body. Additionally, these foods also increase insulin levels, which promote formation of sebum. So, if you have been experiencing more breakouts these days than usual, limiting the consumption of dairy food items, such as cheese, milk, yogurt, and ice cream, can make a huge difference.

Unfortunately, caffeine is one of the main culprits of acne and pimples. Tea, sodas, energy drinks, chocolates, and coffees are high in caffeine content. What caffeine actually does to your body is stimulation of the adrenalin glands that release stress hormones inside the body, which in turn result in acne. As too much stress is bad for your health, it disturbs the acne condition badly. Caffeine is known for interfering with ones sleeping cycle and it doesn’t let a person go to the deepest phase of sleep. Now sleep is most crucial for detoxification of the body, otherwise it can hinder the physical repair of skin.

Another category of food that can exacerbate acne and other skin realted problems is foods with high glycemic content. Foods that have the fastest blood sugar response are considered to be high-glycemic, such as white breads, cupcakes, cakes, potato chips, processed breakfast cereals, pretzels, and cookies. These foods are known for breaking down speedily as soon as they reach inside your body, thus spiking the insulin and blood sugar levels. High glycemic foods also prompt hormonal fluctuations and trigger inflammation, which finally cause acne. Therefore, ones who are prone to acne should opt for low glycemic-index food items, such as sweet potatoes, fruits, and veggies.

Diets high in sugar will certainly flare-up breakouts, as it is pro-inflammatory. As acne is an inflammatory skin condition, so people with acne-prone skin should opt for anti-inflammatory food items. If you will eat a single cookie, you aren’t going to get acne. It basically depends on the quantity of sugar you’re consuming per day – specifically at any one time. Increased blood sugar and insulin levels can result in an acne breakout after some hours. So, if you think sugar is causing breakouts, you must try and cut down on the white stuff.

One possible drawback of eating the high protein and fat rich snack called “nuts” is that they could actually cause skin problem, like acne. As nuts contain androgen and omega-6 fats, they can trigger inflammation. Nuts, particularly peanuts make you oilier. It is better to include acne-safe alternative nuts like almonds and cashews in your diet, as they do not trigger inflammation or affect androgen levels.

Everyone knows downside of eating processed foods. These foods not just wreck a person’s health in long-term, they also are responsible for aggravating breakouts. Whole foods comparatively are less likely to cause acne than processed foods. This is because whole foods are lower on the glycemic index level. For example, pineapple juice will increase your blood sugar at a speedy rate than consuming a whole pineapple. Even if you are reading the labels well before investing money in the processed foods, you might not even know that a lot of ingredients don’t even get declared on the label, like trans-fats. For this reason, and other acne-triggering substances, it is highly recommended that you avoid processed foods as much as possible.

Amongst some of the most important food items to avoid are the gluten/grains that are hard and difficult to digest, like rye, wheat, barley, oats, etc. A lot of people suffer from acne all their life, and they do not even understand the reason behind it. Well, gluten can be a major factor responsible for all acne flare-ups as a lot of people are sensitive to it. Because of the same, it may become difficult for them to digest gluten food items. The body would treat gluten as a foreign substance and this can cause many digestive issues. Lack of proper digestion can cause inflammation and the toxins might get pushed out of the body in the form of acne.

Well, a study in 2010 proved a correlation between acne and cow’s milk. Basically, cow’s milk increases blood sugar, which in turn causes inflammation (at the end pimples). Besides, it also spikes insulin, which promotes production of sebum, also called skin oils. Now many times, the commercial milk we buy is taken out from pregnant cows, and therefore it contains many other hormones, which further blocks skin pores. The bottom line is, cow’s milk is just not meant for teens or adults who badly suffer from acne time and again.

Perhaps, the list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the staple food items loved by almost all youngsters – French fries. As the food is loaded with fats, it can easily trigger a breakout. Besides, it is packed with unhealthy trans-fats, which are again bad for your skin as they clog out the pores. So, it is best to cut-down on your favorite snacks; or, if you cannot give up on fries, try healthy alternatives, like oven-baked fries.