Is Your Addiction to Chocolate and Sugar Giving You Breakouts?

So you are a true ‘chocoholic’ with a perfect sweet tooth, who strongly believes that nothing in this world can spoil the ‘relationship’ between her and those yummy, sugary tokens of delight.

Umm…are you sure?

Well, imagine you wake up in a fine morning and find your cute, pretty face covered with tons of ugly breakouts. What will you do if you come to know that the mouth-watering dark chocolate or the colorful jelly sugar that you enjoyed last night with your bestie is the culprit behind this?

Wondering how the chocolate and sweet tooth cravings are related to breakouts? Let us solve the ‘mystery’ for you:

Why Do You Get Breakouts?

Acne or breakouts are basically the results of severe skin inflammation. There might be different causes lying behind them including too much secretion of sebum, clogged pores, tiny cysts formed underneath the surface layer of the skin, hormonal imbalance, and so on. But it is mainly the inflammation caused by these, which results into breakouts. There are certain food items that are pro-inflammatory by nature and hence, work as a trigger for inflammation, or in other words, breakouts.

Now, the question is whether chocolate and sugar is included in this list or not.

How is Sugar Related to Breakouts?

So, is sugar really a reason for breakouts? The answer should be a big ‘YES’. Sugar is a pro-inflammatory food that can actually give you acne, pimples and so on. Here is what you need to know:

1. Sugar can cause inflammation and sometimes even worsen the situation to a large extent. It has been found that sugar increases the levels of CRP (C Reactive Protein) in our body, which is considered as the most reliable measures for inflammation. Only 33 gm. of sugar a day can raise our CRP levels as much as 87%, which is certainly shocking!
2. Sugar, being a refined carbohydrate, has high Glycemic Index (GI). Several researches have shown that foods high on GI can add to the blood glucose levels, thereby increasing the chances of breakouts anywhere between 30% and 50%.
3. Sugar can increase the number of candida (a certain type of yeast residing in our skin) by accelerating their rate of growth. It can lead to acute inflammation, which eventually results into breakouts.
4. Sugar promotes the secretion of insulin in our body, which raises the levels of IGF-1 (insulin like growth factor) and makes them more bioavailable. As a result, the production of sebum goes high in our skin and we become more prone to breakouts.

How Is Chocolate Related to Breakouts?

Well, chocolate is not directly linked to breakouts. But it is the sugar and milk used in these delicious treats, which make them the worst choice for people with acne-prone skin. It is dermatologically proven that chocolate with high milk and sugar content can cause severe breakouts. Therefore, you should avoid certain varieties of chocolates, such as milk chocolate, white chocolate, drinking chocolate, etc. However, dark chocolates are low in sugar and milk. Hence, you can indulge in it without fearing about breakouts.

In a nutshell, both sugar and chocolate can cause breakouts. But if you be a bit wise about fixing your sweet tooth cravings, you can definitely ditch these ugly zits.