Health And Fitness

November 3, 2010

Chocolate Acne – Does Chocolate Cause Acne?

J Jones asked:

As a self confessed chocoholic, when I first started getting acne the most important question to me was "Does chocolate cause acne?"

There are conflicting opinions about eating chocolate and whether it does or doesn't cause acne. It's a common question that I'm sure many acne sufferers would like to know so here's some details about the effects of eating chocolate and how certain chocolate may actual contribute towards clearing your skin.

Chocolate in general will not be the sole cause of your acne but the sugar and chemicals in it could contribute to acne if you consume too much. It's the same for any other foods in your diet if you eat far too much unhealthy food it will affect your body which can in turn affect your acne.

The cocoa in chocolate is actually great for your skin because it contains antioxidants among other beneficial ingredients. If you like drinking chocolate I'd opt for organic cocoa which has less sugar. Also look for cold compressed cocoa in particular because this has more of the good stuff like vitamins and minerals.

The best type of chocolate bar for your skin is dark chocolate as it contains more cocoa. Although the cocoa in chocolate can help your skin it's not a miracle cure. It's one of those little steps you can do as part of an overall acne treatment plan.

You know better than anyone if certain foods cause breakouts more than others. Trying to avoid consuming chocolate that is high in sugar and opting for an organic dark variety so that you don't need to feel guilty when you indulge in your chocolate addiction. If you like milk chocolate then there's no harm in alternating between the two kinds - it's just dark chocolate is better for you.