In past posts, I've already debunked the myths that sugar and chocolate cause acne. According to dermatologists, genetics and hormonal fluctuations are what determines if a person will develop acne, hence the tendency to occur at the onset of and during puberty. But, what about dairy products? Is there a link between this food group and teens with acne? Actually, yes there is.
If you're a parent of a teen who has acne, you already know how embarrassed your child can feel when they have a breakout and have to try and face the world. Unfortunately, kids can be cruel and your child's self esteem can wind up in the toilet when they're being ridiculed by classmates about the bumps all over their face.
The first place you can begin to help your teen deal with acne is by taking a look at their diet. Recent studies have pointed to the intake of dairy products as being a contributing factor to teenage acne. One of the largest studies to demonstrate this was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology by a team at Harvard University.
What The Research Says...
The researchers analyzed the habits and diets of nearly 50,000 people, looking especially at what they ate while in high school. Those who drank 3 or more cups of milk a day, the researchers found, were 22% more likely to experience severe acne compared to those who drank one serving or less. Skim milk was actually found to have the greatest effect. Cream cheese and cottage cheese were also associated with breakouts, while chocolate and greasy foods were not. The researchers attributed the effect to hormones in milk; other studies have had similar findings.
Dr. Diane S. Berson, an assistant professor of dermatology at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, said foods that contain iodides, like shellfish, soy sauce and kelp, might also exacerbate acne. Iodides are thought to play a role in inflammation. Also, cows lick salt licks which get into the milk and can be another reason behind the connection of acne and dairy products.
The Bottom Line: If your teen has acne, take a look at their diet and share this information with them. Consider switching to organic foods that do not contain hormones. Also, you may want to put away the salt shaker or at least switch to uniodized salt.
Question: Do you have a teen or know of someone with a teen who has acne? Do you feel this information will be helpful to them? Let me know by leaving a comment in the box below. Thank you!
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-The Mineral Makeup Coach
I wish i saw this blog earlier,acne is my big problem when i was teen and i agree in this blog so its better to follow on how we prevents this,ill share this links for sure.
by: sphin
Posted by: dermatology claremont | March 24, 2009 at 11:33 PM
Thank you for your nice comments sphin and I hope my blog is helpful to you!
Cheers!
-The Mineral Makeup Coach
Posted by: PRIIA Cosmetics | March 31, 2009 at 02:10 PM
i like your blog so much,i was looking for your next post.
sphin
Posted by: dermatology claremont | August 10, 2009 at 11:53 PM
So the use of organic products for skin care is the only way to be sure that no toxic substances are to be used on the skin.organic skins care are made of highest possible organic ingredients level.
Posted by: organic skincare | December 20, 2009 at 01:54 AM
Yes, using organic substances would be the best choice in order to avoid toxic substances and residues. However, there is no evidence stating that these substances are contributing factors for acne breakouts unlike added hormones as mentioned in my post.
Cheers!
-The Mineral Makeup Coach
Posted by: PRIIA Cosmetics | December 21, 2009 at 09:13 PM
There is a problem with recommending that iodized salt be discontinued. The iodine in salt is designed to prevent goitre.
The avoidance of iodized salt would be a reasonable consideration *IF* iodine were really a true threat to acne.
But it is NOT.
Please provide a live email address and I will send you a PDF of a fully referenced and peer-reviewed letter to the editor of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology on just this subject.
Posted by: Bill Danby | December 27, 2009 at 09:16 AM
Hello Bill,
Thank you for commenting. However, I would have to disagree with your comment. It is a FACT that iodides aggravate acne. My professional recommendation is to avoid buying iodized salt intentionally for those with acneic conditions. There is no risk of goitre development since we receive MORE THAN enough iodides within our daily diet. We DO NOT need to add additional iodides into our food (i.e. table salt).
Cheers!
-The Mineral Makeup Coach
Posted by: PRIIA Cosmetics | January 20, 2010 at 09:03 AM
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