Yes, pimples are the most annoying of all skin problems. If the bumps aren’t enough to stress you out, the scars take longer to fade away! So it’s always better to prevent pimples rather than working on it after the breakouts occurs. We don’t realize that often but one of the most significant contributors to this problem is the food that we eat. It’s not mere a quote that what we eat reflects on our face and body!
Although there isn’t any significant scientific proof behind the relation between food and pimples and every individual reacts differently to different food items, the food item mentioned below are definitely established to apparently cause and increase breakout:
Milk
Milk is known to spike blood sugar. It is a high glycemic index food that increases insulin secretion into the blood. Science tells us that high insulin levels encourage an inflammatory response, in turn triggering the release of acne-promoting hormones.
Cheese is yet another high Glycemic index food that triggers breakouts.
Breads
The main problem causing ingredient in bread is Gluten. Before moving any further let’s know what exactly Gluten is. Gluten is a mixture of two different proteins present in cereals that provide the elasticity. Other than the fact that a lot of people have Gluten insensitivity, it in general causes inflammation that leads to breakouts.
Caffeine and alcohol
Caffeine and alcohol –two of the most common beverages across all cultures are actually not good for your skin. Drinking alcohol and caffeine increase cortisol hormone secretion- the stress hormone in the human body. And stress in itself is a big trigger for acne. If that wasn’t enough, caffeine is also known to promote the spread of acne on your skin! Check out this amazing guide on 25 Side Effects of Caffeine.
Chocolate
This name must be the most heartbreaking for you but eating chocolate disperses a number of acne-causing hormones from your brain. High sugar content in chocolate is another factor that wrecks havoc on your skin.
Canned food
Canned food is high in sugar. Additionally, they contain preservatives and chemicals that are very harmful to the skin. They promote sebum production and trigger inflammation in the body.
Healthy cereals
Though whole grains aren’t high on the glycemic index, most of the ready to eat breakfast cereals are in fact highly refined and processed. They are thus high on sugar content and lead to glucose spikes in blood. It should be known that blood sugar spike not only leads to acne but also triggers wrinkle-inducing hormone.
Chips and fried items
These items are very high in refined carbohydrates. Refined carbs damage skin collagen and aggravate acne breakouts.
Soda
The bottom line is that sugary drinks and beverages are very unhealthy for your skin. A high content of dissolved carbon dioxide and fructose are extremely harmful to your skin.
Soy products
Though soy products like soy milk and soybeans are very well reputed in the health industry, they could be responsible for acne breakouts. Reason- they contain isoflavones. Isoflavones are water-soluble compounds found in legumes that have similar effects on our body as the hormone estrogen has.
Spicy foods
Food that contains a lot of spices, especially red chili increase body’s heat index and increases the sebum production by pores of the skin. That’s why one experiences a lot of breakouts after eating very spicy food.
Bottom line is that high GI(Glycemic Index ), spicy, sugar, refined carbohydrate food are the most aggravating and causative of pimples. Removing the food items based on this knowledge one at a time can help you ascertain what exactly works for you; as aforementioned that not everybody reacts the same to a particular food item.