The 6 Worst Foods For Your Skin And Health

You are what you eat. Well, at least your skin is the result of what you eat for sure. Despite following a strict and elaborate skincare regimen, you may still end up with breakouts and other skin problems if you don’t eat right!

So, the important thing to keep in mind is just as there are foods and beverages that can improve the quality of your skin, there are also foods and beverages that can damage it. But they might not be the ones that you have in mind. New York City dermatologist, Neal B. Schultz, says that in controlled studies, common culprits such as fried foods, nuts, caffeine, chocolate, etc. do not lead to breakouts!

So, what does then? Which foods should be forbidden if you want healthy skin? Here’s a list of the 6 worst for foods for your skin and overall health as suggested by dermatologists:

1. Salt

Topping the list of the worst foods you can have for your skin is the humble kitchen ingredient, salt. Dr. Schultz explains that having a diet high in salt can lead to water retention, which, in turn, can cause puffy eyes and swelling in other parts of the body (1). Besides making your face look puffy, the impact of salt is relative to age and worsens as you approach middle age, says Schultz. However, that doesn’t mean you should stop having salt altogether. Simply cutting down on the excess sodium content in your diet will do.

2. Shellfish

Examples of shellfish include foods such as crab, lobster, oyster, shrimp, etc. These foods contain large amounts of iodine and excess of this substance in your diet can cause breakouts, says Dr. Schultz (2). Leafy greens such as spinach and seaweed are also packed with a lot of iodine and should be avoided for the same reason. However, Schultz warns iodine-rich food won’t instantly lead to breakouts although an accumulation of iodine in your body over time will. So, if you are acne prone, what you can do is have iodine-rich foods a few times every month rather than a few times every week.

3. Milk

Dermatologist, Bobby Buka, agrees that the role of milk in skin problems is small, although certain dairy products can definitely aggravate your skin issues. A study conducted in 2005 established a link between acne and having too much milk (3). Although this study was flawed, the same link was brought up again by a 2012 study. According to this Italian study, individuals who had skimmed milk on a regular basis were more likely to suffer from acne (4).

This can be attributed to the level of bioavailable hormones in skimmed milk, which cannot be absorbed by the body’s fat, explains Dr. Buka. This consequently leads to the overstimulation of the oil-producing glands of the skin, as revealed by the American Academy of Dermatology (5). Schultz says skimmed milk can also trigger symptoms of rosacea in those who have this disease (6).

4. Foods With A High Glycemic Index

Foods with a high glycemic index are those that contain a lot of starch such as pasta, bread, cake, and corn syrup, etc. Buka recommends avoiding these food items if you want dewy skin and also want to stay in shape. Foods with a high glycemic index can cause your blood sugar levels to increase rapidly.

A study conducted by Australian researchers discovered that low glycemic diet actually helped in reducing acne in men (7). Nonetheless, Schultz says more research needs to be conducted in this area to be sure. That said, in case high glycemic index foods do lead to skin issues and you discover flare-ups after having something like French fries, you can blame it on the food’s starchy nature rather than its greasy quality.

5. Sugar

If salt’s there, can sugar be far behind? Just like starchy foods lead to rapid sugar spikes and cause skin problems, sugary foods act pretty much in the same way. High blood sugar levels can damage your skin by breaking down collagen (a protein vital for the elasticity and youthfulness of your skin) and causing issues such as wrinkles and fine lines (8). So, if you hear chocolate being blamed for acne, it’s actually the sugar in it that’s the culprit. Which is why if you get chocolate cravings, it’s best to stick to the dark variety.

6. Alcohol

The only beverage on the list, alcohol can dry your skin out. Alcohol is a naturally occurring diuretic. This means that the more alcohol you consume, the more dehydrated you’ll get (9). You’ll notice the effect of this dehydration on your skin too, as it’ll be robbed of its moisture. This can lead to the highlighting of the fine lines and wrinkles on your face. Schultz says excess alcohol consumption can also cause outbreaks.

You can have the healthy skin you’ve dreamed of if you just cut down or have in moderation the food items listed above. And oh, don’t forget your skincare routine!

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