Welcome to Debate Club! Please be aware that this is a space for respectful debate, and that your ideas will be challenged here. Please remember to critique the argument, not the author.
Is Dairy linked to acne?
kjesprs
Posts: 5 Member
in Debate Club
Growing up i believed acne was caused my dairy products but I just watch Jeff Nippard's video say that studies are inconclusive and not enough data support the fact that acne is caused by dairy products. Women mostly! But men can chime in too, what do you think? I recently just switched to a lower hormone count contraceptive but i still implement dairy products like cheese and my whey protein. I cant seem to find out why my skin broke out all of a sudden 
3
Replies
-
Are you exercising more?
There are hormonal changes that can occur when you start to lose weight. Weigh loss or diet changes can cause your hormones to fluctuate.3 -
I've just been looking up this stuff for my gf.
Short answer: nobody really knows; acne is a mystery.
Most likely: Skim milk probably has something to do with it. Full fat milk, cheese, yogurt, etc. = probably not. Maybe the fat moderates something somehow. Good luck
3 -
From this meta-analysis, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6115795/,Intake of any dairy, any milk, full-fat dairy, whole milk, low-fat/skim milk, and yogurt regardless of amount or frequency were associated with a higher odds ratio for acne compared to no intake in individuals aged 7–30 years.
I've seen studies that say that it's specifically non-fat milk that is responsible and I've seen studies that say that there is not enough evidence to say one way or another.3 -
Growing up i believed acne was caused my dairy products but I just watch Jeff Nippard's video say that studies are inconclusive and not enough data support the fact that acne is caused by dairy products. Women mostly! But men can chime in too, what do you think? I recently just switched to a lower hormone count contraceptive but i still implement dairy products like cheese and my whey protein. I cant seem to find out why my skin broke out all of a sudden
Did the breakout happen shortly after you switched contraceptive?3 -
I'm vegan and developed acne 6 months ago.4
-
Well you just switched contraceptives, so that's probably causing a hormone fluctuation. Is the dairy new to your diet? If you have always had dairy, I don't know why it would be that.
2 -
-
Growing up i believed acne was caused my dairy products but I just watch Jeff Nippard's video say that studies are inconclusive and not enough data support the fact that acne is caused by dairy products. Women mostly! But men can chime in too, what do you think? I recently just switched to a lower hormone count contraceptive but i still implement dairy products like cheese and my whey protein. I cant seem to find out why my skin broke out all of a sudden
I think it's far more likely that it is a result of changing contraceptives...if you've been eating dairy without issue, why would it suddenly be one?5 -
I absolutely think it does for me. If I eat yogurt or ice cream I get a huge pimple on my chin the next day. I did food intolerance testing and dairy, whey, casein were my top 3.2
-
I heard eating lots of candy/sweets can make you break out.2
-
For me it definitely does. I have it up to see what would happen, within a fortnight people were asking me what I was doing.
Skin had always been awful before that.
I was already on full fat, organic, etc so that made no difference to me.
Why not try going without for 3 weeks to see?0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »Growing up i believed acne was caused my dairy products but I just watch Jeff Nippard's video say that studies are inconclusive and not enough data support the fact that acne is caused by dairy products. Women mostly! But men can chime in too, what do you think? I recently just switched to a lower hormone count contraceptive but i still implement dairy products like cheese and my whey protein. I cant seem to find out why my skin broke out all of a sudden
I think it's far more likely that it is a result of changing contraceptives...if you've been eating dairy without issue, why would it suddenly be one?
Allergies and sensitivities can change over time.6 -
I often wonder if it's not the Phthalates. They are in any dairy -- even dairy alternatives if the plastic tubes aren't recent, but more prevalent in real dairy. There was a serious movement away from use of plastic tubing with Phthalates and to make most of it free of the chemical. Still yet, many dairy producers still have it.
It messes with your hormones is the short answer. It's a "xenoestrogen". I think that's why there's a lot of acne bloggers that have had tremendous success with DIM, which blocks xenoestrogens. DIM is ridiculously cheap as a supplement and very harmless. Might be worth looking into.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phthalate3 -
I havent read studies but do know that my sisters skin improved a lot when she cut out dairy. Do worry about her bone health though1
-
Dairy has never caused my skin to break out. I hardly ever eat chocolate these days, and if I do I may get a spot. Mostly for me it is hormonal. I am in perimenopause and I am getting some cracking huge spots on my chin now and then. Oh joy. I strongly suspect the changed contraceptive is what has triggered your latest break out.1
-
I am dairy free and still break out. No correlation for me.7
-
Perhaps Dairy just doesn't agree with you. The skin is the communicator for the body to show that something's wrong.2
-
-
Dermatologists claim that both the alleged dairy connection and the chocolate connection are myths.3
-
"Some evidence suggests that a person can reduce or prevent acne breakouts by consuming more omega-3 fatty acids, fewer dairy products, and fewer foods with a high glycemic index." from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322639.php
"The emerging evidence has prompted dermatologists to reexamine the possibility that certain foods can worsen or trigger acne. However, dermatologists agree that diet should not be used as a sole treatment for acne but rather as a complement to proven acne treatments" "The exact cause of acne is unknown, but there are a number of factors that can bring on acne or make it worse, including hormones, genetics, and emotional stress." From: https://www.aad.org/media/news-releases/growing-evidence-suggests-possible-link-between-diet-and-acne2 -
Cows don't have them, cats don't get them....
0 -
There is abundance of a hormone called IGF-1 in milk, which is really good for baby cows, but not for you. IGF-1 is a growth hormone. It makes baby cows grow up big and strong, but in humans, it tends to make your acne grow big instead. IGF-1 is one of several factors that cause inflammation in humans, and which eventually lead to acne (and the ugly redness and swelling that makes acne so annoying). Milk and dairy products cause an insulin spike in humans that cause the liver to produce even more IGF-1, leading to even more acne. Dairy causes your skin to produce excess sebum (oil), leading to – you guessed it! – more clogged pores, more acne, and a breeding ground for bacteria, which feed on your sebum and spew out inflammatory by-products. Dairy glues together dead skin cells inside your pores, so they can’t exit naturally, leading to clogged pores (and thus more acne).
The milk and acne effect is well documented in medical literature. In the last decade or so, a number of studies have found a strong link between the consumption of milk and increased occurrence of acne. For example, one such study found that teenage boys who drank milk broke out more often, and more severely, than those who didn’t drink milk. At least five other studies have confirmed that, in general, the more milk you drink, the worse acne you’ll get.
3 -
BoxerBrawler wrote: »There is abundance of a hormone called IGF-1 in milk, which is really good for baby cows, but not for you. IGF-1 is a growth hormone. It makes baby cows grow up big and strong, but in humans, it tends to make your acne grow big instead. IGF-1 is one of several factors that cause inflammation in humans, and which eventually lead to acne (and the ugly redness and swelling that makes acne so annoying). Milk and dairy products cause an insulin spike in humans that cause the liver to produce even more IGF-1, leading to even more acne. Dairy causes your skin to produce excess sebum (oil), leading to – you guessed it! – more clogged pores, more acne, and a breeding ground for bacteria, which feed on your sebum and spew out inflammatory by-products. Dairy glues together dead skin cells inside your pores, so they can’t exit naturally, leading to clogged pores (and thus more acne).
The milk and acne effect is well documented in medical literature. In the last decade or so, a number of studies have found a strong link between the consumption of milk and increased occurrence of acne. For example, one such study found that teenage boys who drank milk broke out more often, and more severely, than those who didn’t drink milk. At least five other studies have confirmed that, in general, the more milk you drink, the worse acne you’ll get.
This is literally the opposite of my family's experience I eat several servings of dairy every day and don't deal with acne. My daughter who's completely dairy free has really bad acne. I think age/hormones and genetics are the big factors for if you'll have acne or not. 4 -
SarahAnne3958 wrote: »BoxerBrawler wrote: »There is abundance of a hormone called IGF-1 in milk, which is really good for baby cows, but not for you. IGF-1 is a growth hormone. It makes baby cows grow up big and strong, but in humans, it tends to make your acne grow big instead. IGF-1 is one of several factors that cause inflammation in humans, and which eventually lead to acne (and the ugly redness and swelling that makes acne so annoying). Milk and dairy products cause an insulin spike in humans that cause the liver to produce even more IGF-1, leading to even more acne. Dairy causes your skin to produce excess sebum (oil), leading to – you guessed it! – more clogged pores, more acne, and a breeding ground for bacteria, which feed on your sebum and spew out inflammatory by-products. Dairy glues together dead skin cells inside your pores, so they can’t exit naturally, leading to clogged pores (and thus more acne).
The milk and acne effect is well documented in medical literature. In the last decade or so, a number of studies have found a strong link between the consumption of milk and increased occurrence of acne. For example, one such study found that teenage boys who drank milk broke out more often, and more severely, than those who didn’t drink milk. At least five other studies have confirmed that, in general, the more milk you drink, the worse acne you’ll get.
This is literally the opposite of my family's experience I eat several servings of dairy every day and don't deal with acne. My daughter who's completely dairy free has really bad acne. I think age/hormones and genetics are the big factors for if you'll have acne or not.
I also don't think there is sufficient evidence to make that correlation between dairy and acne. Personally, I also eat dairy daily (like 2-4x a day) and never have had acne.
Also going to wage the poster is either vegetarian or more likely vegan. The bold is a pretty standard argument in that community, but it's a flawed argument. Just like human babies, even if baby cows were fed an alternate diet, they would grow big and strong. That is genetics and natural progression.9 -
SarahAnne3958 wrote: »BoxerBrawler wrote: »There is abundance of a hormone called IGF-1 in milk, which is really good for baby cows, but not for you. IGF-1 is a growth hormone. It makes baby cows grow up big and strong, but in humans, it tends to make your acne grow big instead. IGF-1 is one of several factors that cause inflammation in humans, and which eventually lead to acne (and the ugly redness and swelling that makes acne so annoying). Milk and dairy products cause an insulin spike in humans that cause the liver to produce even more IGF-1, leading to even more acne. Dairy causes your skin to produce excess sebum (oil), leading to – you guessed it! – more clogged pores, more acne, and a breeding ground for bacteria, which feed on your sebum and spew out inflammatory by-products. Dairy glues together dead skin cells inside your pores, so they can’t exit naturally, leading to clogged pores (and thus more acne).
The milk and acne effect is well documented in medical literature. In the last decade or so, a number of studies have found a strong link between the consumption of milk and increased occurrence of acne. For example, one such study found that teenage boys who drank milk broke out more often, and more severely, than those who didn’t drink milk. At least five other studies have confirmed that, in general, the more milk you drink, the worse acne you’ll get.
This is literally the opposite of my family's experience I eat several servings of dairy every day and don't deal with acne. My daughter who's completely dairy free has really bad acne. I think age/hormones and genetics are the big factors for if you'll have acne or not.
I also don't think there is sufficient evidence to make that correlation between dairy and acne. Personally, I also eat dairy daily (like 2-4x a day) and never have had acne.
Also going to wage the poster is either vegetarian or more likely vegan. The bold is a pretty standard argument in that community, but it's a flawed argument. Just like human babies, even if baby cows were fed an alternate diet, they would grow big and strong. That is genetics and natural progression.
Yep, diary is public and I took a peek.
I have several servings each of HWC, butter and then cheese every day (so more than your intake), and the only time I really had acne was in my teens, many years ago. Dairy doesn't have a negative impact on my digestion either.0 -
BoxerBrawler wrote: »There is abundance of a hormone called IGF-1 in milk, which is really good for baby cows, but not for you. IGF-1 is a growth hormone. It makes baby cows grow up big and strong, but in humans, it tends to make your acne grow big instead. IGF-1 is one of several factors that cause inflammation in humans, and which eventually lead to acne (and the ugly redness and swelling that makes acne so annoying). Milk and dairy products cause an insulin spike in humans that cause the liver to produce even more IGF-1, leading to even more acne. Dairy causes your skin to produce excess sebum (oil), leading to – you guessed it! – more clogged pores, more acne, and a breeding ground for bacteria, which feed on your sebum and spew out inflammatory by-products. Dairy glues together dead skin cells inside your pores, so they can’t exit naturally, leading to clogged pores (and thus more acne).
The milk and acne effect is well documented in medical literature. In the last decade or so, a number of studies have found a strong link between the consumption of milk and increased occurrence of acne. For example, one such study found that teenage boys who drank milk broke out more often, and more severely, than those who didn’t drink milk. At least five other studies have confirmed that, in general, the more milk you drink, the worse acne you’ll get.
There really isn't an abundance of IGF-1 in milk. Your blood normally circulates concentrates over 100 times higher than the concentration of that in milk, and your blood is far higher volume. For the IGF-1 to be significantly altering your blood chemistry by shear volume, you'd need to be drinking gallons (plural) a day, and I think most people get sick thinking of doing just a gallon a milk a day diet.
http://sciencedrivennutrition.com/hormones-milk/
And dairy as a category doesn't cause insulin spikes - it includes cheese that is essentially just lipids with a relatively minimal amount of protein, the protein fraction it retains is casein - there could almost be case for insulin production if the whey fraction was still in cheese, but making cheese is exactly where whey as a byproduct comes from.8 -
healingnurtrer wrote: »"Some evidence suggests that a person can reduce or prevent acne breakouts by consuming more omega-3 fatty acids, fewer dairy products, and fewer foods with a high glycemic index." from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322639.php
"The emerging evidence has prompted dermatologists to reexamine the possibility that certain foods can worsen or trigger acne. However, dermatologists agree that diet should not be used as a sole treatment for acne but rather as a complement to proven acne treatments" "The exact cause of acne is unknown, but there are a number of factors that can bring on acne or make it worse, including hormones, genetics, and emotional stress." From: https://www.aad.org/media/news-releases/growing-evidence-suggests-possible-link-between-diet-and-acne
Hello! So I had severe cystic acne fpr 15 years and tried every imaginable cream and face mask, three (!) rounds of Accutane and three different antibiotics. It cleared once I started to take Dianette and stopped eating refined carbs and sugar as well as other processed food and dairy. I have always been vegetarian so I can't share any experience about cutting out meat. I went off Dianette about a year ago and was really worried my acne would come back. So far no acne (fingers crossed). I wonder if it's gone because I changed my diet to completely vegan (plus a B12 supplement) and no refined/processed food with daily exercise. That's just my experience, though. Hope everyone finds a solution!2 -
I dont think there is any legit research on foods being an acne trigger, but I know anecdotally that if you are sensitive to certain foods (like mild intolerance/allergy), it can show up as acne. My moms skin has a lot of inflammation and breaks out when she eats dairy but she had to do an elimination diet to find out.
If you just switched contraceptives i would guess its probably a hormonal issue, a change in hormones can cause your skin to go a little bit off until you adjust to it
2 -
My other half gave up dairy about three years ago to see if it helped her acne - The difference was like night and day for her obviously it won’t work that dramatically for everyone but within a week it was like she had never had it1
-
I have been dairy free for 9 months now and still break out the same as before.0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.1K Introduce Yourself
- 43.7K Getting Started
- 260.1K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 419 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.9K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.5K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions