Can Certain Foods Make You Break Out?

Many of my colleagues feel that diet does not affect acne; well, science says differently. There are studies showing that natives of New Guinea and Paraguay had less acne with a diet rich in fiber and whole grains compared to Americans eating a diet rich in high glycemic index foods. In addition, studies have shown that teenagers eating a diet rich in milk and dairy products (probably due to hormonal by-products) have a higher incidence of acne than those who don’t.

For years the answer was no. I can recall scene after scene wherein the mother would ask me this question. When I would say, no the teen would vigorously nod and tell him/her mom, I told you so or something to that effect. However, now more and more evidence is surfacing that indeed acne is worsened by the typical high carb, high glycemic diet favored by teenaged Americans. Even back when I as a resident, it was felt that seafood, especially shellfish with its high idodine... more

Acne is primarily a hormonal problem. This is usually genetically set and you can't change your parents. Food may play some part, but probably a small part. There are some studies that link acne to skin milk and chocolate, But these studies are extremely difficult to perform and some of the results may be false. I tell all my patients that the best diet for acne is a well balanced diet that includes fruits and vegetables. Stress definitely makes acne worse, so make sure to destress on a... more

The best way to answer this is to say that it is an individual response. Diet, is a controversial, cause of acne and most dermatologists feel that it is not consistent amongst patients. I generally tell my patients that usually diet does not cause acne but if you, the patient, can definitively correlate outbreaks to certain dietary patterns than perhaps it may play a role. In my experience this is rare.