Is Milk the Cause of Your Acne?
Experts tell us that diet has no relationship with the incidence of acne but is this acutally true? Recent research has revealed that there is indeed a link between milk consumption and the severity of acne breakouts in not just teens but adults as well. What we eat and drink does influence the appearance of our skin.
The studies showing a correlation between milk consumption and acne cross a wide age group, from teenage boys and girls to adult women and while the dairy industry claim skewed data there is enough evidence to show a definite link.
Firstly though I want to be clear about what the research does and doesn't show; milk consumption alone doesn't cause acne but it seems that those that drink milk develop more severe acne than non-milk drinkers. Furthermore, the more milk consumed, the worse the acne tended to be. While the link between the severity of acne and milk is strongest, other dairy products have shown similar effects including cottage cheese, chocolate milk and skim milk. One of the interesting things that emerged from the research is that skim milk induced more breakouts than whole fat milk indicating that fat is not the issue. Other research has shown that while high saturated and animal fat foods aren't ideal from a health perspective, they do not necessary cause or worsen acne. Another key food group that is definitely linked to worse breakout tendencies is high sugar foods.
So if not the fat, what is the culprit? In fact, it may be that the hormones in milk are the actual cause. Milk contains androgen hormones, the most notably testosterone. The body converts some testosterone to di-hydrotestosterone (DHT) which has a simulating effect on the skin's sebaceous glands promoting the production of sebum. The result is oilier skin, more pore congestion and therefore more pimples. The more milk consumed, the more hormones, which may explain the proportional effect of higher milk consumption and more severe acne. Some people are genetically predisposed to have a stronger response to the hormones that are found in milk.
It is common practice with the commercial production of milk for dairy farmers to give cows additional hormones as this stimulates a higher milk yield. One of the side effects of this is milk with a high IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor-1) concentration and again the more consumed, the higher the blood concentration of IGF-1 found. Like DHT, IGF-1 drives sebum production which can trigger acne breakouts.
While unresearched, the protein component of dairy may also promote worsening acne breakouts. Skim milk is believed to be worse than full cream milk due to the whey protein which is added to give a creamier taste. There are many different proteins in milk and IGF-1 is only one that may cause issues. Where digestive function is low, milk proteins may contribute to poor detoxification and gut inflammation. There is a strong link between poor digestive detoxification and acne. I will address this topic in more depth in another blog very soon.
While not directly causitive, reducing your dairy intake can certainly help to reduce the severity of acne breakouts. Reducing dairy may help but giving your body a rest from it all together is going to get a better initial result. One way to test your response to dairy is to start with 3 weeks complete removal and monitor your skin's response. Look for a decrease in overall breakouts and well as less redness (inflammation). If you notice no difference at all you can try bringing dairy back into your diet, noticing the response, if any, your skin has. If it does make a difference, it is best to stay off or only have limited quantities (and can I just say, a latte a day is a lot, not a little bit of milk).
A note of caution, often when people give up cow's milk, they move over to soy milk. While this may seem like a sensible substitute, soy contains phytoestrogens, which may also be problematic for acne sufferers. It is best just to see how you go without cow's milk first before using a dairy substitute.
The studies showing a correlation between milk consumption and acne cross a wide age group, from teenage boys and girls to adult women and while the dairy industry claim skewed data there is enough evidence to show a definite link.
Firstly though I want to be clear about what the research does and doesn't show; milk consumption alone doesn't cause acne but it seems that those that drink milk develop more severe acne than non-milk drinkers. Furthermore, the more milk consumed, the worse the acne tended to be. While the link between the severity of acne and milk is strongest, other dairy products have shown similar effects including cottage cheese, chocolate milk and skim milk. One of the interesting things that emerged from the research is that skim milk induced more breakouts than whole fat milk indicating that fat is not the issue. Other research has shown that while high saturated and animal fat foods aren't ideal from a health perspective, they do not necessary cause or worsen acne. Another key food group that is definitely linked to worse breakout tendencies is high sugar foods.
So if not the fat, what is the culprit? In fact, it may be that the hormones in milk are the actual cause. Milk contains androgen hormones, the most notably testosterone. The body converts some testosterone to di-hydrotestosterone (DHT) which has a simulating effect on the skin's sebaceous glands promoting the production of sebum. The result is oilier skin, more pore congestion and therefore more pimples. The more milk consumed, the more hormones, which may explain the proportional effect of higher milk consumption and more severe acne. Some people are genetically predisposed to have a stronger response to the hormones that are found in milk.
It is common practice with the commercial production of milk for dairy farmers to give cows additional hormones as this stimulates a higher milk yield. One of the side effects of this is milk with a high IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor-1) concentration and again the more consumed, the higher the blood concentration of IGF-1 found. Like DHT, IGF-1 drives sebum production which can trigger acne breakouts.
While unresearched, the protein component of dairy may also promote worsening acne breakouts. Skim milk is believed to be worse than full cream milk due to the whey protein which is added to give a creamier taste. There are many different proteins in milk and IGF-1 is only one that may cause issues. Where digestive function is low, milk proteins may contribute to poor detoxification and gut inflammation. There is a strong link between poor digestive detoxification and acne. I will address this topic in more depth in another blog very soon.
While not directly causitive, reducing your dairy intake can certainly help to reduce the severity of acne breakouts. Reducing dairy may help but giving your body a rest from it all together is going to get a better initial result. One way to test your response to dairy is to start with 3 weeks complete removal and monitor your skin's response. Look for a decrease in overall breakouts and well as less redness (inflammation). If you notice no difference at all you can try bringing dairy back into your diet, noticing the response, if any, your skin has. If it does make a difference, it is best to stay off or only have limited quantities (and can I just say, a latte a day is a lot, not a little bit of milk).
A note of caution, often when people give up cow's milk, they move over to soy milk. While this may seem like a sensible substitute, soy contains phytoestrogens, which may also be problematic for acne sufferers. It is best just to see how you go without cow's milk first before using a dairy substitute.
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