Don’t blame chocolate for acne

It’s the end-of-year party season, when Americans probably scarf down more tasty treats than they do during the rest of the year combined.

And among Americans’ favorite holiday treats surely is chocolate, whether it’s enjoyed in cookies, cakes, hot beverages, kisses or individual pieces pilfered from packaged assortments.

However, for those who struggle with acne, chocolate’s ubiquity also makes this a particularly challenging time of year, and that brings us to this week’s question: Does eating chocolate cause, or worsen, acne?

Dr. Matthew Martin, a family practice physician and assistant professor at Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine, says generally speaking, there is no particular effect of a single food on acne, in and of itself.

But, Martin continues, some studies suggest that trends in the diet do affect acne to some extent.

For example, foods with a high glycemic index — containing carbohydrates, including refined sugars, that raise blood glucose more than lower glycemic index foods — seem to change some secretions in the skin, Martin says.

Conversely, there are studies that suggest eating a “reasonable diet lower in some of these refined foods would be of benefit,” Martin says. “Of course, it’s a good idea to eat a reasonable diet, anyway.”

“So, yes,” Martin says, “we suspect (diet) may have something to do with the appearance and severity of acne.”

And that alleged link between acne and chocolate? So far, there doesn’t seem to be slam-dunk evidence of one, Martin says, although pigging out on too much chocolate would fall under the general notion of avoiding high-glycemic foods with refined sugars and, instead, eating a nutritionally solid diet.

By the way, Martin adds, it would also be a good idea for acne sufferers — and, let’s be honest, the rest of us — to avoid overdoing all of the pastries and other treats heavy in refined sugar we’ll see this holiday season.

And by the way: Some studies have suggested that eating a diet high in dairy products can be a problem for some acne sufferers. However, because dairy foods are a good source of calcium, “we’d probably want to see them get calcium from other sources,” Martin says. “Certainly, lots of green, leafy vegetables are excellent sources of calcium.”

Otherwise, he says, osteoporosis is a real concern.