Does Milk Cause Acne?

If you have acne, good skin hygiene is important to improve your skin appearance, but what you eat may also play an important role. Pizza, chocolate, chips and other greasy foods used to be blamed for the appearance of pimples and zits, but data now seems to point in the direction of insulinotropic foods, or foods that stimulate the release of large quantities of insulin. Milk is one of these foods and may cause or perpetuate your skin problems if you are prone to acne.

Insulin and Acne

A diet that results in high levels of insulin is also associated with increased concentrations of insulin-like growth factor 1, or IGF-1, that are responsible for stimulating oil secretion by the sebaceous glands and causing acne, as Bodo C. Melnik and Gerd Schmitz explain in their article in the August 2009 issue of "Experimental Dermatology." Insulin is usually secreted in response to the consumption of foods that elevate your blood sugar levels, such as carbohydrate-containing foods like grains and sugar.

Milk and Insulin

Although the carbohydrate content of milk is not especially high, drinking milk leads to the release of three to six times more insulin than could be predicted based on its glycemic index and carbohydrate content, according to a study published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in 2001. In addition to promoting high insulin levels, milk also increases IGF-1 levels by up to 10 to 20 percent, according to Melnik and Schmitz's research. Because of these hormonal changes induced by milk, drinking milk on a regular basis could certainly be contributing to your acne problems.

Milk Fat and Fermented Dairy

Although its lack of saturated fats makes skim milk a healthier alternative to whole milk, all types of milk appear to have a similar influence over your insulin levels and IGF-1 concentrations. All are associated with an increase in the number of acne lesions. Fermented dairy products, such as yogurt, have similar insulin indexes to milk's, according to a study published in the "British Journal of Nutrition" in 2005. Independently of their fat content or degree of fermentation, dairy products appear to contain a factor within their protein fraction that is involved in the pathophysiology of acne.

Other Dietary Factors

Apart from milk and other dairy products, foods high in carbohydrates or that have a high glycemic index can also contribute to worsening your acne. You may want to consider eliminating high glycemic index foods like potatoes, white rice, white or whole-wheat bread, pretzels, breakfast cereals, instant oatmeal, granola bars, soft drinks and sugar and replace them with low glycemic index options that will help you keep your insulin and IGF-1 levels down, such as sweet potatoes, barley, quinoa, legumes, whole-grain pasta and sourdough bread. Replacing some of your carbohydrates with either protein or fat also constitutes a good strategy to improve your skin appearance. For example, you can replace your breakfast cereals with scrambled eggs, swap your sandwich for a large salad and omit the potatoes or rice at dinner and simply serve a larger serving of nonstarchy vegetables and protein. Add healthy fats by drizzling your vegetables with olive oil.