Your diet is a bank account. Good food choices are good investments.
—Bethenny Frankel
We all have heard the old saying, 'You are what you eat', and it definitely stands true when it comes to our skin.
A delicious meal put together should bring a smile to your face, and not decrease the life of your skin. Certain foods can cause an outbreak of acne, and even make the skin bumpy and itchy. Some of them can also lead to the outbreak of hives, eczema, or an extremely sensitive rash.
Now, health experts have always pointed out the negative effects that fried foods have on the skin. However, there are some more food items that can wreak havoc on the body. Buzzle enlists the names of foods that can be harmful to the skin.
Foods Bad for Skin
Alcohol
Alcohol is powerful natural diuretic; this means the more it is consumed, the more it dehydrates the body. It also sucks up all the natural moisture from the skin, making it dry and flaky, and ultimately giving rise to wrinkles. People with sensitive skin can also experience rosacea due to alcohol.
Coffee
You might want to go easy on your cup of Joe. Gulping down 2 to 3 cups of coffee increases the level of cortisol (stress hormone) in the body. Rising levels of cortisol accelerate the aging process of the skin and also cause significant damage. As caffeine acts as a diuretic, consuming it in excess dehydrates the body, and leaves the skin with a dry and lackluster appearance.
Milk
Although its effects are not that disastrous, milk does harm the skin. Excess consumption of milk leads to acne. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, milk overstimulates the production of sebum, eventually leading to the outbreak of acne.
Salt
Without salt, there would be no taste, but in excess, salt, especially iodized salt, is pretty damaging to the skin. It swells up the tissues, gives a bloated appearance, and adversely affects the overall health of an individual. In worst cases, it can also lead to an acne outbreak.
Soft Drinks
To give the skin a healthy and radiant look, it is important that the level of sugar in the blood is under control. An average glass of Coke contains more than 50g of sugar, which is enough to trigger dryness and acne. Try to make these carbonated beverages a weekly or monthly treat, and get in the habit of quenching thirst with fruit juice or water.
Heavy Gluten Foods
Gluten is basically a protein that is found in wheat, and all major grains that come under the phrase, 'Staple Diet of the United States'. Ironically, according to research conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and The University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center, between 5% to 10% of the total US population suffers from gluten intolerance. Gluten intolerance has many side effects, but the most visible ones often show up on the skin, in the form of swelling, dryness, and acne. The best examples of high gluten foods are pasta, white bread, pastries, cakes, pizza, and oats.
Chocolate and Candy
As much as they are hard to ignore, sugary foods, like chocolate and candy are very unhealthy for your skin. Consuming them in excess spikes up the blood sugar levels, which directly speeds up the production of sebum, leading to acne. These foods also adversely affect collagen and elastin, which help in making the skin look young and radiant.
Cut back on these foods if you want your skin to feel healthy and radiant, and try to follow a balanced diet for optimal health.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is solely for educating the reader. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a medical professional.