Kent State Interns

Have you ever considered how the foods you eat can effect acne? When we think of factors contributing to acne, we often times think it's hormone-related and out of our control. While it's true that acne is hormone-related, the foods you eat directly impact hormone production in your body. Therefore, what you eat can have a large impact on your acne. The good news is- you have control over what foods you put in your mouth and making a few small changes to your diet can help your acne tremendouly. Foods Fueling Acne 1. Diets high in sugar can cause acne breakouts to occur more frequently and more severely. When there is an excess amount of sugar in the bloodstream, the hormone, insulin, rises and causes other hormones in the body to rise as well. As a result, sugar intake directly impacts many hormone levels, indirectly impacting acne production. Sweets and sodas are two of the most popular souces of sugar that increase blood sugars and fuel the production of acne.

Coca-Cola and other sodas on the market are notorious for completing the cravings of that "sweet fizz taste". It’s an obsession but those taking a sip are not having their health in mind. Soda has high amounts of added sugars and drinking it often can lead to vicious cycles of unhealthy behaviors such as drinking or eating foods with added sugars. The recommended intake of added sugars daily is less than 10% of your total daily calories. For example, if you consume around a 2,000-calorie diet, you shouldn’t consume more than 200 calories from added sugars. That is 12 teaspoons (50 grams). To make matters worse, soda has 36.8 grams according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Kelly Kenney, RD, a dietitian, for Everyday health says, “it's about 1.5 times more than the American Heart Association recommends a woman to have in an entire day.” It’s hard to avoid added sugar in drinks, so what are some better choices? Whether you want to change the