Our skin reflects what we eat ? If you’ve ever looked in the mirror and noticed a new pimple or sallow skin, it’s natural to wonder if the food you eat is somehow responsible.
“Our diet absolutely affects our skin,” said Dr. Lauren Ploch, a dermatologist in Aiken, S.C. The skin is an organ, just like your heart or liver, and it’s built and maintained by nutrients from food, she said.
Protein, for example, is used to make collagen, which plumps and maintains the skin and helps heal wounds; and antioxidants like vitamins C and E protect the skin from air pollution and the sun, she said.
But can eating certain foods, like fruits or vegetables, lead to glowing, clear skin? And can other foods, like soda or white bread, worsen acne or “make your skin look terrible,” as someone on TikTok have said? Here’s what we know.
A deficiency in vitamin C, for example, can cause scurvy, which leads to symptoms including easy bruising, poor wound healing and rough, thickened skin. And protein deficiencies can cause flaky, discolored skin.
A few small trials — mostly conducted in teen boys and young men — found that cutting back on sugary and starchy foods, like sodas, sweets, white breads and pasta, helped with acne, Dr. Chang said. And some reports suggest that consuming dairy products or whey protein powder is associated with more severe acne, she added.
The Mediterranean diet may also benefit those with psoriasis, a condition that causes thick, dry and itchy patches of skin, Dr. Ploch added.
Our skin reflects what we eat some times, but in general, though, evidence that dietary changes can treat skin conditions is limited, said Dr. Aaron Drucker, a dermatologist and an associate professor of medicine at the University of Toronto. And even if dietary changes help, he added, you may still need medications.
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