Collected Data

Article 1

There Is No Evidence That Chocolate Itself Causes Acne It's good news for all you
chocoholics: eating chocolate does not cause pimples. There are no studies linking this
sweet treat to the development of acne. There is no evidence that cocoa beans, from
which chocolate is made, cause pimples. And while some point to the sugar that also
makes up a portion of all chocolate treats, even that evidence is weak.

Article 2

That means that eating an occasional chocolate bar, or two or three, will not cause
acne. Cutting chocolate out of your diet won't clear up a case of acne, either. Certain
Other Foods May Trigger Acne Chocolate may be off the hook. But, these days, more
attention is being paid to the link between diet and acne development. Surprisingly,
it's not any of the "usual" culprits getting the blame. Instead of French fries, soda, or
potato chips, it's things like dairy products and carbohydrates that are under the
microscope.

Article 3

Does that mean if you eat one ice cream bar you'll get one pimple? And eating two
donuts means two pimples? No, it doesn't work like that (thank goodness). Even the
most recent research on the diet and acne connection doesn't suggest that any specific
foods cause acne in an otherwise clear-skinned person. Rather, it shows that
consuming these foods may make existing acne worse for some people

Article 4

Got a New Breakout After Eating Chocolate? So, chocolate isn't on the shortlist of
possible acne triggers. But what about that pimple you got the day after eating a
chocolate bar? Most likely it's just a coincidence. You would have gotten that same
pimple, chocolate bar or none. Acne waxes and wanes on its own accord. Although
we would love to ascribe blame for our latest breakout, the truth is it's often
impossible to pinpoint a cause. Acne is a complex skin problem, and breakouts come
and go without a specific cause.

Article 5

Some studies point to chocolate as the acne culprit Some research suggests that
chocolate may exacerbate existing acne or encourage new breakouts in acne-prone
skin. A 2013 study on cells in a lab suggests that chocolate may increase the severity
and frequency of acne breakouts by encouraging the immune system to react more
aggressively to the two bacteria that cause acne. However, this reaction hasn’t been
proven in humans. Another small double-blind, placebo-controlled study from
2014Trusted Source had 14 acne-prone men take capsules that were filled with either
100 percent unsweetened cocoa, gelatine powder, or a combination of the two to
determine if chocolate, and the total dose, impacted acne. The study found that there
was a positive connection between the amount of cocoa ingested and an increase in
acne symptoms. A similar study in a different journal found that after eating 25 grams
of 99 percent dark chocolate every day, 25 acne-prone men had more acne after two
weeks, and the changes were still present after four weeks. A 2017 study found that
just 48 hours after eating chocolate, college students with acne had more new lesions
than their peers who ate a comparable amount of jelly beans.

Article 6

The Study Some of the 65 individuals were given a chocolate bar that contained over
10 times the amount of chocolate normally found in a candy bar. The rest of the test
group subjects were given an identical candy bar that contained no chocolate
whatsoever. The researchers counted the number of acne blemishes before and after
the candy bars were eaten, and what they observed seemed to indicate there was no
difference between the two groups. Because of this observation, the team decided that
chocolate consumption had no significant effect on the production of sebum, therefore
assuming that chocolate didn’t, in fact, make acne worse.

Article 7

Study Flaws The bar that contained no chocolate still had identical amounts of sugar,
fat, and calories, so there was no way to compare the difference in the consumption of
fatty, processed foods. The study was too short; they only studied their subjects for
around a month. Today, modern acne treatments can take at least three months before
seeing significant improvements in the skin. Chocolate and Acne Study: 1971 Just two
years later, another set of researchers set out to examine the effects of chocolate on the
skin.

Article 8

The Study According to the US National Center for Biotechnology Information

(NCBI), researchers gave 27 students four specific foods and drinks, all of which had
been reported as common acne triggers. These included chocolate, milk, roasted
peanuts, and soda. The researchers handed out these supplies for a week, and then
took a look at the results. They found no evidence of a significant change in acne.
However the study did have flaws, preventing them from getting an accurate
understanding of acne as explained below. Study Flaws It was too small and too short;
a week wasn’t nearly enough time to notice a remarkable difference. The researchers
didn’t track what the students ate other than these four items during the week. After
these two studies were performed and seemed to indicate that chocolate didn’t result
in breakouts, chocolate was given a clean slate. Imagine the glee: Finding out your
favorite treat didn’t actually cause your skin to break out. Dermatologists and their
patients rejoiced, and it would be another 40 years before some contradictory research
came out.
Article 9

Chocolate and Acne Chocolate has long been labeled a direct cause of acne, but the
science doesn’t fully support this claim. However, there is a connection between acne
and food; both dairy and sugar have been observed to cause fluctuations in blood
sugar and hormonal levels. With acne explained, it's easy to see why this fluctuation
can cause an increase in cell turnover and sebum production, which can lead to acne
and severe breakouts. Does Eating Chocolate Give You Acne? Chocolate won’t
necessarily make you break out, according to dermatologist Diane Walder: "There
have been thoroughly and correctly conducted studies on chocolate and there's never
been anything that pointed to it causing acne.” However, diets that are high in sugar
and fat can result in increased sebum production. Because sebum production is a main
factor behind what causes acne, it's important to watch the levels of oil your body
produces. High-sugar diets can also promote inflammatory response, which can result
in more severe acne breakouts. Bottom line? Go ahead and eat your candy bars, but do
so in moderation. Bottom Line: Chocolate doesn't directly cause acne, but the
ingredients in that chocolate bar could be doing your skin harm. We have to dig into
the past and look at the available research to discover how this sweet treat got on the
bad side of numerous dermatologists across the country.

Article 10

While it’s true some women may notice a breakout a few days after eating a chocolate
bar, sugar is to blame in this case, not chocolate. A diet high in fat and refined sugars,
like those found in candy and chocolate, can kick sebum production into high gear and
trigger inflammatory responses in the body—both of which are known to increase the
risk of breakouts. Women also tend to indulge in sweets (particularly chocolate)
during the premenstrual stage of our cycle, when hormones tend to be out of balance.
This means those cravings are accompanied by an increase in hormones that stimulate
sebum production. Add high-glycemic foods to that mix, and you’re in prime pimple
territory. Some types of chocolate, milk and white specifically, contain more sugar
and dairy fat than others, so it’s best to enjoy these in moderation. Instead, reach for
the dark chocolate when you find yourself impulse-buying a candy bar in the grocery
store check-out line. It tends to be lower in sugar and fat; plus, the higher cocoa
content means you’ll get a boost of antioxidants that are beneficial to skin while
satisfying your craving at the same time. In short—the notion that chocolate is to
blame for acne is somewhat misguided. Sticking to a well-rounded diet, rich in leafy
greens and low-glycemic foods is a safe bet for clear healthy skin. But we’re all
human; occasionally you find yourself halfway through a pint of chocolate ice cream
before you come up for air. If your sweet tooth gets the best of you and you discover a
pimple, you can check out our tips to treat zits overnight.

Article 11

The study found that there was a positive connection between the amount of cocoa
ingested and an increase in acne symptoms.

A similar study in a different journal found that after eating 25 grams of 99 percent
dark chocolate every day, 25 acne-prone men had more acne after two weeks, and the
changes were still present after four weeks.

A 2017 study found that just 48 hours after eating chocolate, college students with
acne had more new lesions than their peers who ate a comparable amount of jelly
beans.

Others dismiss the chocolate-acne link

However, a study from 2012Trusted Source that asked 44 young adults to keep a
three-day food diary found no link between chocolate and acne.

More research with larger, more diverse samples is needed to confirm the findings and
determine what compound in the chocolate may potentially increase inflammation and
worsen symptoms.
Chocolate’s effect on insulin has also been put forward as a possible influence on
acne. An Australian study from 2003

Trusted Source found that the participants who ate foods flavored with cocoa powder
had a higher insulin response than the control group who ate the same foods without
the cocoa.

A study from 2015Trusted Source looked at the blood levels of insulin and glucose in
243 acne-prone participants and 156 healthy adults to determine if insulin resistance
might play a role in acne. The study found a positive correlation between severe acne
and insulin resistance.

While there’s limited evidence that supports the idea that pure chocolate can give you
pimples or make a breakout more severe, the other ingredients in the bar or cake are a
different story.

Studies

Trusted Source have shown that acne is less common in people who don’t eat a
Western diet. On the flipside, high glycemic diets, those that are full of quick-
digesting carbohydrates and sugars, have been linked with acne.

One study

Trusted Source found that of the 1,200 Kitavan Islanders of Papua New Guinea and
115 Aché hunter-gatherers of Paraguay studied, not a single person had acne. Both
groups eat low glycemic diets that are rich in fish and fruits and don’t include refined
foods typically found in Western diets like bread, cookies, and cereals.

A 2017 study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests that
carbohydrate-heavy and sugar-rich foods (like bagels, white rice, and that chocolate
cake) may be related to acne and its severity.

So, will chocolate affect your skin?

Do you need to swear off that nightly indulgence and throw out the stash hidden in
your desk in the name of clearer skin? Not necessarily.
Whether chocolate affects acne comes down to the individual. Despite decades of
research, there has been little proof

Trusted Source that single foods like chocolate directly cause acne.

But that doesn’t mean that diet has no influence.

It’s more likely that the sugar in your chocolate bar or cupcake are to blame for new
pimples or deeper breakouts than the cocoa itself.

If you’re going to take a bite (or six), reach for dark chocolate and keep an eye on
added sugars and simple carbohydrates throughout the rest of the day.