I was just a kid enjoying a chocolate spread and scrambled egg sandwich when my cousins told me that they had given up chocolate. As an eleven year old, the idea of attempting to cancel chocolate out of life was the most preposterous and horrifying thing that anyone could ever do. Chocolate was absolutely delicious. It was a way of life. I had no knowledge of nutrition and health beyond ‘too many sweeties rot your teeth’; and neither did I ever anticipate that in the next seven years I would turn into a nature loving vegan.
I remember questioning my cousins about this, them being only a couple years older themselves could hardly have known the science behind their mythical claim, but I believed them. I really did. And as I got older, I began to believe that perhaps it was true… chocolate was unhealthy so perhaps it was the factor behind my awful pubescent teenage acne. It’s not until I changed my diet into a much healthier one that I had actually begun to question the science behind this myth that everyone seemed to believe. That’s when I came to find the answer:
No.
Chocolate does not cause spots. It does not contribute to acne tortured skin. It doesn’t! It all really comes down the quality of chocolate! All the bad condiments thrown into the chocolate bar production is really the only thing about chocolate that can somewhat link to bad skin; mainly being the low grade animal fats and large quantities of refined white sugar and high dairy content. There have been plenty of studies to validate this. But bottom line is that good chocolate does not directly link to the flaring of acne, though healthy diet is an important factor, don’t get me wrong! (This is no excuse to binge on chocolate!)
It comes down to genes in the end, and individuality of skin. Some of us have acne-prone skin, some of us don’t. The best thing you can do for yourself is eat well, keep hydrated, get those vitamins in, and keep your face clean. And of course, see a dermatologist for your individual needs!
If you don’t believe me, check out Clearasil’s same opinion on this! http://www.clearasil.co.in/expert/healthyEating.php
Sara Assumani
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Image Credit- T.A via Flickr
