For eons, women have had a love affair with chocolate.....sweet, creamy, melt-in-your mouth chocolate. And for almost as long, women have been told that the object of their affection could be one of the leading reasons why their skin is breaking out. And since some of you may have consumed more than the averge amount of chocolate last week, I thought I thought I would clear up the chocolate-causing-pimples myth once and for all.
Here's the deal, several studies have been published - most notably the report published in the Journal of Family Practice in 2005 by researchers at the University of Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia - that say that there is only a small connection between chocolate and skin blemishes. Of the various types of chocolate, dark chocolate appears to cause no blemishes. The incidence of blemishes caused by milk chocolate is slightly higher but its not due to the cocoa, its due its sugar content. There is definitely a skin-nutrition connection. Typically, the cleaner your diet, the clearer your skin. There are studies that show foods with a higher glycemic index such as refined carbohydrates (the "whites" - bread, potatoes, and pasta)and sweets may be linked with breakouts.
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study of men ages 15 to 25 that found that those who spent 12 weeks on a diet of protein and low-glycemic slow-metabolizing carbohydrates reduced their acne by twice as much as participants in a control group. Studies have also found that a low-sugar, low-refined-carb diet that reduces the level of insulin in the blood also lowers the level of androgens, a hormone that stimulates the glands in the skin to produce oil and, hence, zits. The increase in androgen toward the end of the menstrual cycle helps explain why some women get monthly breakouts.
So, if you are going to reach for a bite of chocolate - make it dark chocolate. In addition to having a low glycemic index, dark chocolate is high in antioxidants (anti-aging ingredients) and flavinoids - which keep cholesterol from gathering in blood vessels, reduce the risk of blood clots, and slow down the immune responses that lead to clogged arteries. And most importantly, no zits! Sweet!!
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