Nutrition Hotline
This month's Nutrition Hotline addresses vegan diet and acne
By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD
QUESTION: I recently went vegan and notice that my skin looks better. Does what I eat affect acne? P.B., via e-mail
ANSWER: It's possible that your dietary change did affect your acne, but other factors could also have played a role. For example, hormonal changes, stress, genetic predisposition, and possibly diet can all affect the risk or severity of acne. While there's little or no evidence that foods traditionally associated with acne like chocolate, greasy foods, or pizza lead to an outbreak of acne in many people, individuals may notice that these or other foods make their acne worse. One way to begin to identify foods that could trigger an acne flare-up is to keep a food and symptom diary.
Some foods or categories of foods, especially dairy products and diets that cause a quick rise in blood sugar, are associated with an increased risk of acne.
A meta-analysis (a technique that combines results from many studies) that included 14 studies of dairy products and acne reported that all dairy products, yogurt, and cow's milk (whether whole, lowfat, or skim) were associated with a higher risk of acne.1 Whey protein, which is sometimes used in protein shakes, also may worsen acne. A small study of only five adolescent males identified the onset of acne shortly after they started to use a whey protein supplement, with improvement in acne seen when the supplement was discontinued.2
Some studies report that diets with a low-glycemic load are associated with fewer symptoms of acne.3,4 These diets are based on complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, beans, and vegetables and have a smaller effect on blood sugar levels than do diets that contain more sweets and sugary foods. Despite the benefits seen in individual studies, a meta-analysis did not find a significant benefit of low-glycemic load diets in acne management.5 The small number of subjects and other issues with individual studies suggest that additional research is needed. Foods commonly used in vegan diets have a low-glycemic load. Whether the beans, whole grains, and vegetables that are the basis for a vegan diet affect acne, they have many other health benefits.
REFERENCES:
1 Juhl CR, Bergholdt HKM, Miller IM, Jemec GBE, Kanters JK, Ellervik C. Dairy intake and acne vulgaris: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 78,529 children, adolescents, and young adults. Nutrients. 2018;10(8):1049.
2 Silverberg NB. Whey protein precipitating moderate to severe acne flares in 5 teenaged athletes. Cutis. 2012;90(2):70-72.
3 Ismail NH, Manaf ZA, Azizan NZ. High glycemic load diet, milk and ice cream consumption are related to acne vulgaris in Malaysian young adults: a case control study. BMC Dermatol. 2012;12:13.
4 Çerman AA, Aktaş E, Altunay İK, Arici JE, Tulunay A, Ozturk FY. Dietary glycemic factors, insulin resistance, and adiponectin levels in acne vulgaris. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2016;75(1):155-162.
5 Cao H, Yang G, Wang Y, et al. Complementary therapies for acne vulgaris. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;1.
