Does Chocolate Really Give You Pimples? Find Out from a Dermatologist

‘Chocolate gives you pimples’, it’s an expression that we all have stored somewhere in our brain. But is that actually true? Does chocolate give you pimples?

According to hthe scientific journal Quest Science has been addressing this issue for a long time. Because we sometimes claim something very strong, such as that chocolate would be bad for a night’s sleep, but are those things correct?

Research on chocolate and pimples

As for the chocolate and pimples story, opinions are divided. As it turns out American research from 1969 that chocolate doesn’t cause pimples. But opposite shows another small-scale US study from 2014 that young men, with acne sensitivity, are more likely to get pimples from chocolate. And a 2016 Thai study concludes that eating dark chocolate causes pimples.

In other words, different theories. However, the latest studies only examined men. Because hormonal fluctuations can also cause acne in women and that makes research difficult.

Dermatologist about chocolate and effect skin

Dermatologist Francis Wu explains to the scientific magazine that there are major differences in the types of chocolate. “A Mars has a completely different composition than Swiss chocolate. And Belgian chocolates are different from dark chocolate.”

They also point out that your entire lifestyle and diet influences your skin. And stress and hormones also play a role in this. Blaming chocolate alone is not right, she says.

Milk, proteins and carbohydrates

But it is known that what you eat can also be seen on your skin. “There is a link between diet and pimples, especially milk and proteins play a role,” says Wu. But she also lists pasta, cake, white rice, and fast food as “food” for pimples. “That is mainly due to the carbohydrates and unhealthy saturated fats.” The dermatologist emphasizes that carbohydrates activate certain hormones, which can cause inflammation in the skin.

A pimple is an inflammation of the hair sebaceous gland, explains Wu. And according to her, there are several reasons that contribute to this. Such as, for example, overproduction of the hormone androgen, which stimulates sebum production. And pores get clogged. “This creates an airtight environment and the acne bacteria thrive in that environment, causing the skin to become inflamed. When the bacteria multiplies in the clogged pore, it can further exacerbate the inflammation and contribute to the formation of a pimple.”

Pimples from other substances

So to come back to the chocolate, you have to look at all the substances in the sweet stuff. A milk chocolate bar or bonbon also contains carbohydrates and milk (powder). According to Wu, it may be that you get a pimple from it. But the dermatologist emphasizes that a piece of chocolate once in a while really can’t hurt.

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