Five foods that are bad for your skin

In our last few articles, we’ve been looking at the many factors that affect your skin health, as well as what you can do to make your skin look as healthy and glowing as possible.

Today, we want to remind you that beautiful skin starts from the inside and is supported by a healthy skin diet. Eat the wrong foods and it can leave your skin looking dull, prematurely ageing and acne-prone.

Can diet really affect acne or cause other skin problems?

The debate about the extent to which our diet can affect our skin continues.

There’s no doubt that skin health is affected by many factors. Your genes, age, lifestyle, hormones and environment will all contribute to issues such as fine lines and wrinkles, age spots, sagging skin, dryness or broken blood vessels.

But recent research findings suggest that there can be a link between diet and skin problems such as acne, for example (something that people have long believed, based on anecdotal evidence).

Clear skin is an inside job

Your skin health may be a reflection of your wider physical health. For example, if you’re eating a diet that negatively affects your liver or digestive system, this can cause a back-up of toxins in your body that shows up in the form of spots, rashes, dry skin, inflammation and more.

For this reason, it’s crucial to think about you can support your overall wellbeing with a healthy diet.

So, what are the foods that are bad for your skin? What should you avoid eating and why?

Let’s take a look.

What foods are bad for your skin?

1. Foods with a high glycemic index

The glycemic index (GI) is a value – ranked on a scale of 0-100 - used to measure how much specific foods increase blood sugar levels.

A food with a low GI (55 or less) is less likely to affect your blood sugar levels than medium (56-69) and high GI (70 or above) foods.

Foods that are high in refined carbohydrates and sugar are digested more quickly and tend to have a high GI, while foods high in protein, fat or fibre are more likely to have a low GI and take longer to digest, leaving you feeling fuller for longer.

Foods that don’t contain any carbs include meat, fish, poultry, herbs, spices and oils. Most of these don’t have a GI. Nuts, seeds and plant-based proteins are also low in carbs and low GI.

Research has found that people who regularly eat high GI foods such as white bread, white pasta, potatoes and sugary baked goods have a greater chance of developing acne.

High GI foods can also trigger premature tissue ageing. This is because of a process called glycation, where sugar molecules attach to collagen in the skin, causing it to harden then break rather than bend. This leads to the early appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and gives the skin a crepe-like texture.

2. Processed meats

Processed meats such as bacon or hotdogs contain high levels of nitrates and sodium, both of which can damage the skin.

Nitrates are known to cause inflammation and wrinkles, while a sodium imbalance (usually caused by eating too much salt) can cause premature ageing, dryness and destroy collagen strands in the skin.

3. Dairy products made from cow’s milk

There is a growing body of research that proves the link between diet and skin conditions such as acne and psoriasis.

In particular, a number of studies show that cow’s milk and other dairy products made from cow’s milk elevate insulin levels. In turn, this increases circulating cortisol levels that bind to sebaceous glands, cranking up sebum production in some people. This can directly contribute to acne.

Plant-based milks and other dairy-free milk substitutes are kinder to your skin.

4. Alcohol

Alcohol is a diuretic, which means that it draws liquid from the body and can cause dehydration. This can dry out your skin and speed up the skin’s ageing process, leading to premature fine lines and wrinkles.

Most experts agree that moderate alcohol use for healthy adults is generally fine. This is classed as up to one drink a day for women and up to two drinks a day for men.

Examples of one drink include:

Beer: 12 fluid ounces (355 millilitres)
Wine: 5 fluid ounces (148 millilitres)
Distilled spirits (80 proof): 1.5 fluid ounces (44 millilitres)

Heavier alcohol use, however, can impact more than just your skin health.

5. Soy

Phytoestrogens are plant-derived chemicals found in a wide variety of foods, notably soy (e.g. products such as tofu, soy milk and soy protein).

Although some research has found that phytoestrogens can lower the risk of developing osteoporosis, heart disease, breast cancer or menopausal symptoms, there is also growing concern that these benefits may have been overestimated.

Newer research suggests that phytoestrogens disrupt the endocrine system, upsetting the balance of oestrogen and androgens (male hormones) in the body. This can lead to hormone-related problems such as reduced fertility, early puberty and cancers of the reproductive systems.

In terms of skin health, eating soy products may contribute to acne.

Soy has also been shown to cause inflammation and inhibit the absorption of vital vitamins and minerals, which can contribute to acne breakouts and other skin problems.

Your skin health is just one piece of the puzzle

As we’ve seen, there are many factors that affect how healthy your skin looks, feels and is. What you eat is just one piece of the puzzle but it is an important piece. It’s a bit like putting the right fuel in your car, as well as keeping on top on its maintenance.

If you want to improve your skin health or even maintain how gorgeous your skin looks right now, please do get in touch for advice.

Book a consultation to talk about your skin health at Medikaur.

Gurpreet Gill14 December 2021