Acne is one of the most common skin conditions in the United States. It can occur when hormone levels trigger sebaceous glands to produce more oil or when dirt, oil and bacteria clog pores. A lot of research has gone into determining what causes acne and, most importantly, how to prevent it. While ingredients in your coffee may lead to a breakout, coffee alone is probably not responsible for problem skin.
Diet
The American Osteopathic College of Dermatology reports that your diet may be partially responsible for acne outbreaks. Certain foods can trigger the production of hormones that activate oil glands in the skin. High levels of hormones are found in milk. Sugar and carbohydrates also lead to the production of excess insulin, which affects hormone levels. One way to know for sure if your coffee habit is linked to your breakouts is to stop drinking coffee for about two weeks and monitor the results. If you add milk and sugar to your coffee, or drink flavored coffees with cocoa or caramel, you will have to avoid these ingredients as well.
Carbohydrates
Reducing high-glycemic carbohydrates in your diet may lead to fewer breakouts. In 2007, researchers from RMIT University in Australia analyzed the effects of a low-glycemic load diet on 43 male patients over the course of 12 weeks. The volunteers, between the ages of 15 and 25, ate either a diet composed of 25 percent proteins and 45 percent low-glycemic carbs or they ate carb-dense foods, with no attention paid to glycemic index. By the end of the study, the men in the low-glycemic index group had fewer acne lesions, as well as improved insulin sensitivity. Since the volunteers also lost weight, the researchers conclude that more studies are needed in order to isolate the factors that resulted in fewer pimples.
Sugar
If you don't want to eliminate high-glycemic foods from your diet, you should at least look at how much sugar you're putting in your coffee. In 2009 "The New York Times" reported that consuming sugar results in the rapid release of insulin and hormones in the blood stream, both of which could stimulate oil production in the pores and inflame skin.
Milk
It may not be your coffee, but rather the milk in your coffee that causes pimples. A 2005 study published in the "Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology" investigated the link between milk consumption and acne in a survey given to more than 47,000 women in the Nurses Health Study II. The researchers found that teens who drink milk and eat dairy products like cream cheese, cottage cheese and sherbet are more likely to have acne. A 2008 study published in the "Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology" studied more than 4,200 teen boys and found a positive association between intake of skim milk and acne. The researchers conclude that skim milk contains sufficient levels of hormones to have a biological affect.
References
- American Osteopathic College of Dermatology: Acne
- The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition; A Low-Glycemic-Load Diet Improves Symptoms In Acne Vulgaris Patients; Robyn Smith; July 2007
- "Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology"; Milk Consumption and Acne in Teenaged Boys; Clement A. Adebamowo, MD; May 2008
- "Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology"; High School Dietary Dairy Intake and Teenage Acne; Clement A. Adebamowo, MD; February 2005
- HuffPost Health: Are Milk and Sugar the Causes?; February 2011
Member Comments