Does Nut Cause Acne

‘I have bad acne breakouts, I must avoid anything with nuts’

This is a common statement that you hear from those troubled by acne? In Asian countries, food has been associated with most diseases.

‘Do you have acne? Probably you are not eating right!

Do you have eczema? Probably you are not eating right!’

But is this really the case? Is acne an issue that is caused by food? Does acne naturally goes away if you stop eating the ‘wrong’ food? 

Let’s find out!

Association of Acne & Types of Food

While acne is widely believed to be linked to a variety of food such as nuts, dairy products and oily food, the link is not that concrete.

Some have more evidence backing the link while others have repeated studies proving otherwise.

There isn’t a simple answer to whether food directly causes acne. 

Nuts

‘Nuts intake has not been found to be associated with acne vulgaris’

TLDR, nuts causing acne is a common misconception. 

There is no scientific evidence to support this claim. In fact, some believe that nuts are in fact good for acne. 

Nuts are rich in various nutrients, including antioxidants like vitamin E and selenium, which can help protect skin cells from damage and even reduce the risk of infection from acne-causing bacteria. These antioxidants are found in various nuts including almonds and peanuts. However, this requires more studies to prove the exact benefits of nuts on acne.

Milk

Studies suggest a link between milk and acne. A study found that daily intake of ≥2 glasses or ≥1 weekly consumption of milk increased the risk of developing acne vulgaris.

Interestingly, yogurt and cheese consumption had not been found to be associated with acne vulgaris.

Unhealthy Fat Intake

The link is inconclusive for this. While unhealthy fat is widely believed to cause acne, studies have been conflicting with each other with no conclusive consensus on this.

One study shows that adolescents with high intake of unhealthy fat intake have an increased risk of developing acne. Others failed to reproduce this result and failed to prove potato chips increased acne occurrence.

Sweetened Beverages and Food

Sweetened beverages and food have been found to increase the risk of developing acne. So if there is any food that you should avoid, you should avoid sugary food!

In fact, a low glycaemic diet has been found to improve acne. Low glycaemic diet refers to food that does not cause your blood sugar levels to spike. Low glycaemic diet includes vegetables, fruits and beans.

Is Food A Strong Cause For Acne?

While some food may play a role in worsening acne, food is not a strong cause for acne problems. Major influences of acne problems are hormonal changes, genetic and bacteria.

What To Do?

Troubled by acne and unsure of what to do? You can always talk to your CARiNG Pharmacist to learn more about acne.

You can also consult our pharmacist online via our AskUs Facebook consultation.