Viral posts claim that eating chocolate causes acne; Fact Check

There are multiple factors that can cause acne and severe breakouts on the skin. These include pollution, water intake, hormones, genetics, and food. However, one food item is notoriously known for causing acne. That is chocolate.

Multiple social media posts, skin influencers, and health influencers claim that the consumption of chocolate causes acne. Such claims have been making rounds on social media for quite some time.

Digiteye India received a request on WhatsApp to fact check this viral claim.

FACT CHECK

In order to check the veracity of this viral claim, Digiteye India team looked at the available medical literature to see if chocolate has a link with acne and pimples. Multiple studies state that a spike in insulin and blood sugar levels can cause acne.

One of the earliest studies, which was supported by the Chocolate Manufacturers Association of the United States, found that excessive intake of chocolate and fat did not alter the composition or output of sebum. In the study, 65 subjects with moderate acne were given a bar containing ten times the amount of chocolate in a typical bar, or an identical-appearing bar which contained no chocolate. The scientists counted the breakouts and found no difference between the two groups.

In 2016, researchers studied the link between acne and dark chocolate. Subjects were given 99% dark chocolate to consume every day for four weeks. The study by Saivaree Vongraviopap and Pravit Asawanonda showed that dark chocolate can ‘exacerbate’ acne. However, they said, “We did not conclude that chocolates cause acne, as this condition is caused by multifaceted factors,” said study author Dr. Pravit Asawanonda, professor and chair of dermatology at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand.

Another study conducted in 2012 found no link between acne and chocolate. The subjects were asked to keep a food diary and follow a high-glycemic diet. The subjects drank milk and ate ice cream. Their diet established a definite link between the food they ate and acne. However, links between chocolate and acne weren’t established.

Angela Lamb, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and associate professor of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai says, “It is the sugar and also the saturated fat content that contribute to acne, not necessarily the chocolate. Also, many chocolates have dairy in them, which has also been linked to acne.”

Dr Patricia Farris, a fellow at the American Academy of Dermatology said, “There’s a buildup of skin cells at the opening of the hair follicle that causes sebum to be trapped inside. Bacteria proliferate in the sebum and trigger inflammation around the hair follicle. You’ve got this four-pronged pathogenesis, and that’s what makes it so complicated to tease out independent variables. But nutrition plays a role. I think we can safely say that avoiding chocolate addresses only one piece of a very large puzzle.”

Acne occurs when the skin pores are clogged by oil, bacteria, dead skin cells, and dirt. Dairy, processed sugar, foods rich in glycemic index, and fatty food can cause an increase in sebum production. Increased sebum can lead to pimples. Hormonal changes, PCOD, stress, cigarettes, medications, and genetics also contribute to acne production.

CLAIM: Eating chocolate causes acne.

CONCLUSION: Numerous studies have shown no direct correlation between chocolate consumption and acne breakouts.

RATING: – Misleading

[Also See: Viral message claims that Cadbury uses gelatine derived from beef in its Indian products; Fact Check]