The embarrassing condition of acne has been blamed on a wide variety of causes throughout the ages. Many people unjustly blame individuals with acne-prone skin of being dirty or failing to wash their faces properly. This is obviously far from the truth as acne can strike anyone, regardless of their personal hygiene habits. Others believe that eating large amounts of chocolate will ensure an acne breakout. This is also not the case, but research has linked acne to choices a person’s diet. We are going to discuss some types of foods that cause acne.
Foods that are highly acidic tend to cause acne as they create an imbalance in your body’s pH levels. The foods you should avoid include the following:
- Vegetables: lentils, squash, corn
- Fruits: currants, plums, prunes, cranberries and blueberries
- Grains: barley, cornstarch, oatmeal, wheat bran, amaranth, rice, rye, wheat germ, noodles, macaroni, spaghetti, bread, soda crackers, white flour, rolled oats and wheat flour
- Beans & Legumes: chick peas, green peas, kidney beans, pinto beans, red beans, soy beans, black beans and white beans
- Dairy Products: butter, ice cream, processed cheese, butter and ice milk
- Nuts & Butters: peanuts, pecans, walnuts, cashews and peanut butter
- Animal Proteins: bacon, beef, pork, salmon, lamb, fish, clams, cod, mussels, sausage, scallops, turkey, venison, shrimp and lobster
- Fats & Oils: canola oil, lard, olive oil, sesame oil, sunflower oil, hemp seed oil and safflower oil
- Sweeteners: corn syrup, sugar and carob
- Alcohol: spirits, hard liquor, wine and beer
- Condiments: vinegar, pepper, ketchup and mustard
- Drinks: coffee and soft drinks
- Drugs & chemicals: aspirin, pesticides, tobacco and herbicides
If you want to prevent or minimize acne breakouts, you should replace acidic food with alkaline food choices. Some examples include carrots, cucumbers, garlic, lettuce, tomatoes, apples, grapes, lemons, pineapples, raisins, strawberries, peaches, oranges and almonds. You may be surprised to see so many citrus fruits on this list. The reason is that the specific citric acid they each contain has an alkalinizing effect on your body that will actually reduce the level of acidity, rather than increase it.
Rather than making an effort to avoid one specific type of food, it is better to avoid groups of acidic foods that will enhance your acne. Replace some of the choices in the first list with more alkaline foods from the second list. You will soon discover that small changes in your diet can produce big results!