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There are many topical approaches for treating your acne, but sometimes the best method to improving your skin starts from within. Your diet plays an important role in your skin health, and certain foods can actually make your skin worse.
Plus, if you have acne-prone skin, your skin is probably especially sensitive to changes in diet, so avoiding certain foods is a good idea to keep down skin inflammation. With that in mind, keep reading for the one food you should be avoiding to protect your skin from acne and breakouts.
Refined Carbs
Avoiding refined carbs, like sugars and refined grains, is a good way to start taking care of your skin, particularly if you are prone to breakouts and acne. Limiting these foods might sound daunting, but if you are concerned about your skin health, it's probably a good move.
Refined carbs have inflammatory properties, which can aggravate acne and make your skin condition worse.
Refined grains are one culprit of this skin irritation. According to Tasneem Bhatia, MD, and weight-loss expert, these foods can prematurely age your skin and flare up your acne.
She explained to Eat This, Not That!, "Foods such as bagels, oatmeal, pretzels, pasta, and cereal, have been proven to accelerate the skin's aging process and wreak havoc on the skin, causing acne and rosacea."
Sugars are another refined carb that is associated with acne-prone skin.
According to Insider, "One study found that people who frequently consumed added sugars had a 30% greater risk of developing acne, while those who regularly ate pastries and cakes had a 20% greater risk."
Additionally, these foods can lead to a spike in blood sugar, and high levels of insulin can contribute to more acne.
The article continues, "Insulin makes androgen hormones more active and increases insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). This contributes to acne development by making skin cells grow more quickly and by boosting sebum production."
With that in mind, if you're sick of skin breakouts, it's probably a good idea to ditch the refined carbs (or at least keep them in moderation).
