Sugar and spice and all things nice may be what little girls are made of. But we can equally say, milk and sugar and all things sweet, that’s what little pimples are made of.
Leaving poetics behind, we come to the point of this post. Does sugar cause acne? The short answer is yes, and in this post I’ll explain why.
Research in the past few decades has uncovered two main factors behind acne: hormones and inflammation. Hormones put the skin glands to overdrive, resulting in excessive sebum production and skin cell growth. Combination of sticky sebum and dead skin cells is the ideal recipe for blocked pores.
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Read moreInflammation damages sebum in those blocked pores and creates ideal environment for P. Acnes bacteria to thrive. Research has shown that it’s the inflammation of sebum that triggers acne – not bacteria. Bacteria add to existing inflammation, but don’t start the process.
Sugar has it’s dirty sweet fingers at both of these pies.
Sugar aggravates hormonal acne
All acne is hormonal to some degree. Because of genetics, acne-prone skin is sensitive to androgens (male sex hormones). They increase sebum production and skin cell growth.
Insulin and insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) are other hormones that are linked to acne. Studies show that IGF-1:
- Increases acne severity, the higher the IGF-1 levels the more severe acne
- Increases sebum production
- Increase pore size, making them more visible
Clearly, high IGF-1 levels are not good for the skin. Insulin has similar effect than IGF-1, but it’s not as potent as IGF-1 is.
Connection to sugar
Insulin and IGF-1 are linked to blood sugar levels. As you eat carbohydrates, and especially sugar, your blood sugar levels increase. The pancreas responds by releasing insulin, a hormone that takes sugar into cells and reduces blood sugar levels.
Elevated insulin levels increase both IGF-1 levels and IGF-1 bioavailability. This is not a problem if you have a soda or donut once in a while, but becomes a real problem if you frequently eat sugary foods.
Here’s an easy way to think this. Sugar is sebum. Anytime you drink soda or eat a donut you are just adding sebum into your face and make it more likely that you get acne.
Sugar promotes inflammation
Inflammation is another critical factor in acne. Studies have shown acne patients have higher levels of inflammation than those with healthy skin. This depletes antioxidants and leaves the skin vulnerable to inflammation, making it more likely that you get acne. Increase in inflammation is the reason food allergies, gut problems, and some foods aggravate acne.
Sugar is bad for inflammation. Very bad. This study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows just how bad. In this study they took 29 young, healthy men and gave them either 1 or 2 12oz cans of soda per day for 3 weeks. These are people who normally don’t drink much soda. After 3 weeks here’s what happened to their C reactive protein (CRP) levels, CRP is one of the best measures of inflammation.
- 1 can per day, inflammation levels went up by 87%
- 2 cans per day, up by 105%
These are pretty shocking numbers considering the people didn’t drink that much. 1 – 2 cans per day is normal for many people.
Candida
Candida is a third way sugar wreaks havoc on your face. Candida is yeast that lives in the skin and the digestive track. Normally it’s harmless and the immune system keeps it in check. But under certain conditions (such as excessive sugar intake or frequent use of antibiotics) it can grow out of control.
When this happens in the digestive track it can cause gut problems and indirectly contribute to acne, see how gut problems are linked to acne. Candida overgrowth in the skin causes inflammation in the skin that can lead to acne. Read more about how Candida causes acne here.
Research links high GI foods to acne
Research over the last decade has finally debunked the myth that diet doesn’t cause acne. Lot of that research has focused on high glycemic index (GI) foods. Glycemic index measures how quickly a particular food increases blood sugar levels. Sugar and refined carbohydrates (such as white bread and pasta) are high in GI whereas whole grains and most fruits have low to moderate GI values.
Research clearly shows that low GI foods reduce acne and the hormones linked to it. Some studies show that simply switching from high GI food to low GI foods can reduce acne by 30 to 50%.
If you are not familiar with glycemic index The University of Sydney Glycemic Index website is a good place to start, you’ll find tons of recipes and meal plans here. Harvard website also has a handy table with glycemic index for 100 common foods.
Conclusion
We started this post poetically wondering if sugar causes acne. I think we can conclude that the answer is a resounding YES. Sugar aggravates the two major causes of acne: hormones and inflammation.
This doesn’t mean you have to obsess over sugar. Occasional soda or sugary snack is nothing to worry about. But expect trouble if you eat them frequently, as it increases hormones that stimulate sebum production and skin cell growth. Indulging in sugar can also feed Candida overgrowth that may indirectly cause acne.
Research has shown that this is more than just theory. Several studies have shown that low glycemic index foods improve acne whereas high GI foods increase sebum production and worse acne.
So in the end there is a price for having sweet tooth, and your skin is paying it.
You might also be interested in the other articles in the series:
Toggle references
- Low to moderate sugar-sweetened beverage consumption impairs glucose and lipid metabolism and promotes inflammation in healthy young men: a randomized controlled trial.
- Moderate Amounts of Fructose Consumption Impair Insulin Sensitivity in Healthy Young Men.
- Fructose Consumption: Considerations for Future Research on Its Effects on Adipose Distribution, Lipid Metabolism, and Insulin Sensitivity in Humans.
- Dietary pattern, inflammation, and incidence of type 2 diabetes in women.
- Role of Hormones in Pilosebaceous Unit Development.
- Serum levels of IGF-1 are related to human skin characteristics including the conspicuousness of facial pores.
- Correlation Between Serum Levels of Insulin-like Growth Factor 1, Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate, and Dihydrotestosterone and Acne Lesion Counts in Adult Women.
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This does not bode well for me as I have an awful sweet tooth! Chocolate is really my achilles heel.
Since I came off the contraceptive pill 9 months ago I’ve begaun to notice again how eating sugar effects not only my skin, but everything to do with my hormonal cycle. My acne was definitely mostly hormonal so I’ve been trying to control things with plenty of anti-androgens such as peppermint and green tea, and eating more a paleo-style diet (not that my diet was terrible before but there were definite improvements to be made). I did myself a favour by going on a “candida cleanse” diet back in March for about a month, which I feel really gave me a good foundation to work on, but my sugar consumption since it became colder outside in recent weeks has just been so bad, and it’s started to show on my skin again; I think I’ll need to do another cleanse!
Sorry about the late reply Laura. I was sick for the past few days.
I don’t think you have to avoid all sugar. Some sweets every now and then should be ok. On the other hand, we all know how addictive sugar is. So it might be worth it to just go sugar-free for a few weeks to break the addiction.
By the way, this also includes diet sodas and other artificially sweetened stuff. At least in my personal experience sweet taste (even without calories) keeps those sugar cravings alive.
I’ve never liked sodas so I mostly avoid them in any case, but my weaknesses are chocolate and pastries, and I’ll have some chocolate everyday (and often more than just ‘some’). I think I could do with a bit of a restrictive break for a few weeks, but it means I’ll be irritable and climbing the walls for at least the first week or two! Once the pattern is broken though, I’m often very good for a while at least.
Sorry to hear you weren’t feeling well, it does seem to be ‘flu season though! Take care of yourself
Dear Seppo
I recently eliminated most simple sugars from my diet. It’s been a few months now. I suffered the shame if acne for thirty years. Now, the acne is gone! It’s truly an amazing change. Please, anyone out there, looking for answers, its worth the effort. Once you see the results, you won’t want to go back to eating the sugar!
Glad you’re out there revealing the truth Seppo. Wishing you the best.
Thanks for sharing your experience Sandra!
I have been struggling with moderate to severe acne for the last 4 years now, I am now 30. I have tried everything, and have learned that diet is the number one factor in determining the condition of my skin. I have learned that I can’t eat any sugar, bread, pasta, and even certain fruits! If I do, I instantly feel a pimple coming. Really sucks because I love sweets and pasta. Just wonder why this sugar sensitivity doesn’t happen with everyone, and why it started when I was 26.
Hard to say why you got this now. It could have something to do with hormones. One of the symptoms of excessive androgen levels is sudden onset of acne. I could also see how sugar in that situation aggravates the skin. Have you gotten your hormone levels tested? Do you have any other symptoms of PCOS?
It’s also possible you have Candida infection in the gut, which gets aggravated by sugar intake. Do you have any often symtoms related to yeast infections?
My new years resolution is to cut down the sugar drastically. I am 16 years old, and have had bad acne and inflamation for most of my life. After reading your article, i look back and I have loved and consumed alot of sugary food, drinks, etc. Thank you so much Seppo, because until now, i didnt believe sugar was the cause of my acne. Also, thank you Sandra Hiser, because you have motivated me to give it a try and see the results!
Rachel,
Glad to hear if I was able to help you. Just remember that acne is rarely a black and white thing. Yes, sugar can make acne worse, but it’s probably not the sole cause of anyone’s acne.
I’ve been starting to eat healthier the last six months (almost eliminating processed sugar) but I think it was a mistake to include juicing of orange juice and carrot juice in my diet. I kept telling myself that it was healthy fruit sugar, but if I have candida, I now think that any type of sugar can aggravate that. I’ve basically eliminated meat and am eating high raw, with oatmeal for breakfast, fruit meals for lunch, and lentil soup or guacamole and tortilla strips for dinner. With the juicing, I think the carrot juice with ginger may have actually been helping me, since it is loaded with Vitamin A. I think the orange juice was hurting me. I have also heard of using sugar to bait cancers or bacteria and then deliver a hidden ingredient that attacks the infection. Molasses and baking soda is an example. I wonder if I could combine carrot juice with another powerful antioxidant to fight acne. Sorry this got so long. Do you think I should switch to smoothies for a more even delivery of sugar to my system or just get rid of fruit all together? My results from eliminating meat and processed sugar have been encouraging, but I’m not quite there yet. I know I’m doing something wrong with my diet.
Sugar is sugar is sugar. All the sugar is processed the same way and your body doesn’t really care where it came from. Of course in fruits the sugar comes with vitamins and antioxidants, so that’s good, but it’s still sugar.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having a glass of fruit juice with breakfast, but I wouldn’t drink more than a glass a day, and preferably even less than that.
I know you probably won’t believe me, but let me just start by saying that I used to be where you are now. There was a time in my life when I was eating most of my foods as raw, raw vegan type of thing. It didn’t end up well for me. I almost gave myself a diabetes in the process, but luckily my symptoms got so bad that I just couldn’t ignore them anymore (ridiculous joint pains, constantly tired, etc).
Anyway, my point is that the raw food diet is based on some massive fallacies. It can be healthy, but it’s not something I would recommend to anyone anymore. Just something to keep in mind if you run into symptoms.
Also, don’t put too much faith into diet. Most people can’t cure acne with diet alone. There are so many other factors involved. Diet helps, but it’s not a miracle cure by anymeans. And I would argues that worrying too much about your diet does more harm than good.
I’ve written a few posts about Candida. Maybe you can read them to get a different point of view. Because as far as scientific evidence is concerned the whole Candida thing looks very, very weak. I admit that there’s not enough science to say for sure, but what we have suggests that the alt-med claims about Candida are grossly overstated.
As to smoothies, I don’t think there’s any reason to avoid them. I still regularly have a green smoothies. But if I were you, I would avoid excessive carbohydrate intake. There’s good evidence to show that replacing a portion of carbohydrates with healthy fats is good for insulin and blood sugar levels, and for acne by extension.
I don’t think it’s a good idea to cut meat from your diet. At least if you have no ethical objections to it. Meats actually have quite a bit of healthy fats also, especially grass-fed and pastured meats.
I’ll be happy to guide you a bit. Just understand that what I recommend may not agree with a lot of what you believe about health now. Based on what you wrote you remind me of myself a couple of years back, and during those days I wouldn’t have believed much of what I say now
Thanks for your response. I’m skeptical about the raw vegan diet myself, and I’m not married to that or any other dogma. The scientific evidence is very lacking for the case to eat everything raw. I’m not against cooking. I decided to stop eating meat at home, just because it is everywhere and I was trying to get a better balance. I still eat meat outside of the home (I just had a double cheeseburger yesterday in fact). I have read that animal protein increases IGF-1 levels (nutritionfacts.org), so I think it is pro-inflammatory. And meat comes with a lot of baggage like cholesterol and slow digestion. For now I’m simply limiting my consumption. I agree that the evidence for candida is also limited, but even though the mechanism might turn out to be false, it still seems like eating a low glycemic diet is a good idea for those trying to reduce acne. Thanks for creating this site. I’ve already started drinking more green tea!
Glad to hear that you are keeping an open mind. And it wasn’t my intention to imply anything. Some of the things you mentioned just raised some red flags on my head.
I think I know that meat increases IGF-1 study you refer to. The study actually showed that milk and dairy proteins increase IGF-1 levels but other forms of animal foods don’t. Anyway, I’m not advocating eating too much meat. There’s a lot of evidence to show that too much saturated fat is not good for you. Just that in a context of balanced diet there’s nothing wrong with eating meat or animal foods.
Agree with you on low GI diets. My point about Candida is to argue against excessively strict diets and spending a lot of money on Candida killing supplements. But cutting out sugar and refined carbs can only be good for you.
I wrote a long reply but it didn’t seem to go through for some reason. Basically, I’m not married to the raw vegan diet, I am skeptical myself as there is very little data to back up their claims. I often eat cooked food for dinner. I’m just willing to experiment until I find what works best for my body. There are studies suggesting that animal protein raises IGF-1 levels, making it pro-inflammatory. I’m not totally avoiding meat, but significantly reducing it. I used to eat frozen food a lot, so I know the quality of that meat was bottom of the barrel, antibiotic infused anyway. If quality meat wasn’t so expensive, I might enjoy it more often. I think the greatest benefit I have experienced so far has been from eliminating processed foods and sugars, which seems to be the common denominator to many currently popular diets including paleo. A lot of people in the “raw movement” say they were vegan but still unhealthy until they went raw. I think the elimination of processed foods like soy burgers was the biggest factor in their newfound health, not the theory that cooking reduces the amount of vitamins or enzymes in food. Thanks for creating this site, I’ve already stepped up my green tea consumption!
Thank you sooo much for clarifying things – pun intended ; ) I have noticed that after eating sugary stuff my skin has bad issues, but part of me was probably in denial. At least now I know it’s true, and I love the fact that science is backing it up. Rather than just sounding like an old wife’s tale.
Thank you very much : ) : ) : )
I am a living evidence that sugar (a lot in my case) is a primary cause of acne!
I assure you that this is true. there might be many reasons for pimples on your face (and probably on other parts of the body) but I figured that in my case, it is much sugar.
Why am I so sure about this? because I “experimented” on myself.
I’m 25, I have a history of zits, I always had them but it was changing, sometimes I had a lot on my face and other times just a few.
I started noticing that when I eat more sugar, I see more zits (especially on my face) in the following 2-3 days.
So I did an experiment, I stopped eating all the sweets I love, which include chocolates, gummy snakes, ice cream etc.. (btw I only drink water, so cutting sodas wasn’t a problem for me & I only eat full grain bread, pasta, brown rice etc.. so the white rice, bread etc was not part of my problem).
I started noticing MUCH improvement on the 4th and 5th days. it was like they were dry and vanishing.
then I did it again, I sinned again by eating LOTS of candies (lots of candies for me = ~500 grams of chocolate a day) then I got off sugar once again, guess what? same results –> looked like a 13 year old with my face full of zits and after being sober for 4 days my face got much better!
I was a smoker once, I used to smoke for 6 years. I quit smoking when I decided I really wanted to quit smoking.
Now I decided I really wanna quit eating unhealthy sugary foods & I’m sure I’m gonna succeed!
Respect your bodies by eating healthy foods & exercising regularly (minimum 2 times a week).
Good Luck everyone!
Thanks for sharing your experience, Mike!