Acne is never any fun for anyone. Fortunately, you can eat the best foods for clear skin. Basically, if you eat certain foods, your skin can transform itself thereby becoming less riddled with acne. As the old saying goes, you are what you eat!
While facial acne is the most common form of acne for people to fret over, acne can frequently occur on the neck, back and shoulders as well. Regardless of where you have reoccurring and prevalent acne, eating the right foods can reduce breakouts and better your skin in the long run.
Certain foods raise your blood sugar quickly which results in the body releasing insulin causing more oil on your skin leading to an increased risk of acne. Here are some quick tips:
- Pasta, white rice, white bread and sugar all cause spikes in insulin. Absolutely steer clear of these foods.
- Milk has also been linked to acne in some individuals, it is wise to steer clear of milk too.
- Keep in mind that everyone’s body is unique, what works for one person’s diet and skin may not necessarily work for another.
- You may have to experiment a little to find out what works for you. Try keeping a journal while you experiment by writing down what you eat and any changes in your skin.
Of course, not all foods have poor effects on your body causing acne, below is a list of nine best foods for clear skin. Start chomping away to acne free skin!
1. Whole Wheat
Unlike foods that cause spikes in insulin, whole wheat and grains are considered to be a complex carbohydrate as opposed to a simple carbohydrate. Complex carbohydrates have a low glycemic index which is believed to help your skin.
Whole wheat can be enjoyed in a variety of ways, such as in bread and pasta. Next time you’re out for a bite to eat, swap the regular white bread to whole wheat bread, your clear skin will thank you!
2. Unprocessed Fruits and Vegetables
Similarly to whole grains, fruits are complex carbohydrates which are known to reduce the risk of developing acne. Thankfully fruit is sweet and delicious!
A close relative to fruits, vegetables are also complex carbohydrates that reduce the risk of developing acne. Vegetables can easily be added to any dish for some additional nourishment or eaten raw. Either way, you’re taking a step towards clearer skin!
More specifically, yellow, green and orange fruits and vegetables are known to improve skin health. Examples include bananas, carrots, spinach, apricots, kale and sweet potatoes. Other skin friendly choices include tomatoes and blueberries.
3. Legumes
You may be thinking: what the heck is a legume?! There are many different types of foods that fall under the category of legumes. A few examples are chickpeas, lentils, peas, kidney beans, black beans and soybeans. Any of these types of legumes are linked to clear skin.
4. Nuts
Not only do nuts contain healthy fats that are great for our bodies overall, they are known as the best foods for clear skin. Peanuts and pumpkin seeds are both excellent options. Try snacking on them alone or adding them to a salad!
5. Fatty Fish
Salmon and mackerel are both examples of fatty fish, although, any other type will work too. Both of these fish are delicious and will get you closer to your goal of being acne free!
6. Grains
More often than not, grains don’t cause a spike in your blood sugar which is what we want. There are many grains out there, brown rice and quinoa are both great options. Try your best to stay away from any “white grains”, such as white rice, as these are the ones that will spike your blood sugar.
7. Antioxidants Rich Foods
Many foods contain antioxidants, there are too many to list! Antioxidants are known to reduce inflammation in the body which can help keep skin clear. Examples of foods that are rich in antioxidants are dark chocolate, pecans, strawberries, artichokes, blackberries and raspberries.
8. Vitamin E and Vitamin A Rich Foods
As with antioxidants, vitamin E and vitamin A are known to reduce inflammation in the body. You can find foods with these vitamins by looking on the nutrition label.
Common foods with vitamin E are almonds, spinach, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds and broccoli. On the other hand, foods rich in vitamin A are liver, cantaloupe, mackerel, squash and salmon.
9. Zinc Rich Foods
As with the vitamins, you can find foods rich in the mineral zinc by looking at the nutrition label. Zinc also helps reduce inflammation in the body. Legumes, seeds, nuts, dairy, eggs and whole grains all are rich in zinc. You can hit two birds with one stone with these foods as they have multiple skin benefits!
