Do you get a new zit every time you eat pizza or a burger? Have you been watching how much fried food you eat because you know it will make you break out the next morning? If so, you may want to stay away from certain foods to keep your acne from coming back. Read on to find out what they are and how they work.
Can Bacon Cause Acne? The Link Between Diet and Breakouts Explained
Acne is one of the most common skin conditions, affecting around 85% of people at some point between the ages of 12 and 24 While genetics and hormone fluctuations play a big role, diet is increasingly being recognized as a potential trigger for breakouts. In particular, foods high in bad fats like bacon are under scrutiny for their impact on inflammation and acne development
What Is Acne?
Acne forms when dead skin cells, oils, and bacteria clog up hair follicles in the skin. This leads to different types of lesions:
- Whiteheads: Pores blocked by skin cells and oils.
- Blackheads: Pores blocked and exposed to air, causing the plug to look dark.
- Papules: Small, red, tender bumps.
- Pustules: Papules with pus at the tips.
- Nodules: Large, solid, painful lumps beneath the surface of the skin.
While genetics play a big part in acne risk, fluctuating hormone levels during puberty explain why it usually begins in adolescence. Androgens like testosterone increase sebum production, setting the stage for blocked pores and breakouts.
Later in life, acne can flare up due to:
- Hormone changes during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, or menopause.
- Stress. This releases cortisol and triggers excess oil production.
- Medications like birth control pills or steroids.
- High humidity or sweating.
Diet and Inflammation
Inflammation is a major factor in the development of acne. When a pore becomes blocked, the immune system springs into action, triggering inflammation to kill acne-causing bacteria. But too much inflammation can make breakouts worse and prolong healing.
Emerging research shows a connection between eating patterns, inflammation levels, and acne risk. In general, a diet high in sugar and refined carbohydrates leads to rapid spikes in blood sugar. This causes inflammation and increased sebum production.
On the other hand, a diet full of nutrient-dense whole foods fights inflammation and creates an environment less favorable to acne.
Foods That Can Worsen Acne
With this inflammatory model in mind, it makes sense to avoid foods that are high in bad fats and added sugars. Some of the worst offenders include:
- Processed meats: Bacon, hot dogs, and sausage are high in bad fats and can cause inflammation.
- Fast food: Burgers, fries, chicken nuggets, and milkshakes are loaded with bad fats and added sugar.
- Sweets: Cookies, cakes, candy, and ice cream are packed with sugar and refined carbs.
- Sugary drinks: Sodas, fruit juices, sports drinks, and sweetened teas can spike blood sugar.
- White bread and pasta: These refined carbs actsimilar to sugar in the body.
- Full-fat dairy: The high amounts of naturally occurring hormones may exacerbate acne.
So Can Bacon Cause Acne?
Bacon in particular has come under fire for its potential acne-promoting effects. As a processed meat, it contains high amounts of saturated fat, preservatives like sodium nitrate, and possibly acne-triggering hormones.
Research on the acne-diet connection points to several problematic components of bacon:
- Saturated fat: High intake is linked to greater sebum production.
- Nitrates: May promote inflammation and alter gut bacteria.
- Hormones: Can increase androgen stimulation of oil glands.
- Salt: Excess sodium may worsen acne severity.
- Heme iron: May boost harmful bacteria and inflammation.
While no studies have looked specifically at bacon, its high fat and nitrate content plausibly implicate it in acne development. Anecdotal reports from dermatologists and patients also lend credibility to the idea that it can worsen breakouts.
Following an elimination diet can help determine if bacon is a trigger food for you. Try cutting it out for 6-8 weeks and monitor your skin for changes. Reintroducing it will indicate if it provokes increased breakouts.
Foods That May Improve Acne
Limiting bacon and other inflammatory foods is half the battle. Be sure to include plenty of acne-fighting foods in your diet as well:
- Fatty fish: Salmon, mackerel, sardines, and herring are anti-inflammatory.
- Nuts and seeds: These healthy fats fight inflammation. Try almonds, walnuts, chia, and flaxseeds.
- Leafy greens: Packed with antioxidants, vitamin C, and fiber. Spinach, kale, and arugula are great choices.
- Avocados: Full of inflammation-quelling fatty acids and vitamins E and C.
- Turmeric: The active component curcumin battles inflammation.
- Green tea: Polyphenols called catechins reduce sebum production.
- Berries: The anthocyanins in strawberries and blueberries fight inflammation.
- Fermented foods: Kimchi, sauerkraut, and kefir contain probiotics to improve gut health.
Following an overall balanced diet centered around whole foods will help control inflammation and keep acne triggers in check.
The Bottom Line
While research has not definitively established bacon as an acne culprit, its high fat and sodium content make it suspicious. Many dermatologists and acne sufferers report breakouts after eating bacon and other processed meats.
If you regularly get pimples, consider eliminating bacon for 6-8 weeks to see if your skin improves. Be sure to also emphasize anti-inflammatory foods like fatty fish, leafy greens, turmeric, and berries. Combining dietary changes with acne medications prescribed by your dermatologist offers the best chance of clearing up breakouts for good.
Whey Protein Powder
Whey protein is a rich source of proteins and amino acids like leucine and glutamine. This powder is usually consumed by male athletes and bodybuilders. While whey protein does raise insulin levels, which can also lead to acne, it also makes skin cells grow and multiply more quickly.
Refined grains or refined white flour is usually found in breads, pasta, cereals and rice noodles. These have a high glycemic index [5] and raise blood sugar levels. Androgen hormones become more active when insulin is present. This causes cells to grow and sebum to be made more quickly, which can cause acne.
Foods Rich In Omega-6 Fats
A western kind of diet with cornflakes, soybean oil, etc. are known to increase the risk of acne as they contain Omega-6 fats, which are inflammatory in nature. If you already have acne-prone skin, eating these foods may make you more vulnerable.
Debunking Common Acne Myths! Drinking water? Fried food? Spot treating? | Doctorly Debunked
FAQ
Can bacon cause breakouts?
Is bacon bad for your skin?
What foods trigger acne?
Which meat is bad for acne?
Does Bacon cause acne?
There is no real data or scientific studies proving that bacon causes acne. That being said, as with all processed animal foods, most bacon strips contains high levels of sulfates, nitrates, and sodium, each which have been shown to increase inflammation, which we know can make acne worse.
Can diet affect acne or cause pimples?
Acne is a skin condition, where bumps are formed on the face due to the clogging of hair follicles with excess oil. It is associated with diet. It is seen that a diet rich in carbohydrates, oily foods, snacks, bread, and chips has caused an increase in acne formation. Eating processed food items rich in fat and oil leads to the worsening of acne.
Can food cause acne?
While food alone won’t directly cause acne, what you eat does play a role in your skin’s health. It can also contribute to blemishes. If you’re hoping to keep your skin clear, try limiting these five foods, which can trigger breakouts and cause inflammation within the skin. 1. Refined grains and sugar
What foods should people with acne prone skin avoid?
Therefore, people with acne-prone skin should try to avoid all artificially sweetened food, especially food containing lots of sugar (fruit juices, sodas) and food s that contain both sugar and saturated fats like white bread, candy, etc. jam, pizza, ) and packaged snacks. Close relatives of sugar are refined carbohydrates.