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www.ascpskincare.com 25 expertadvice FEED YOUR FACE Sugar Coated Culprits What those "healthy" desserts really do to your skin by Alex Caspero Ah, frozen yogurt. With live and active cultures and a rainbow of fresh fruit toppings, it's practically a health food, right? Not quite. Many national fro-yo chains add sweeteners to the yogurt base; a typical ingredient list can include fructose, dextrose, corn syrup, and cane sugar. While frozen yogurt may be lower in fat than ice cream or a hot fudge sundae, it's not exactly health food for your skin. Think I'm being a little hard on the fro-yo? I'm actually picking on simple sugars and dairy, the basis of our favorite summertime treats. Especially if you're acne-prone, these two common ingredients may be the culprits of increased outbreaks. Researchers are revisiting the connection between diet and pimples, and a growing body of evidence suggests that eating a diet rich in high-glycemic-index foods may be tied to breakouts. While the literature has refl ected mixed results between diet and acne for decades, there is enough research to suggest that diets containing high-glycemic- index foods, and milk in particular, appear to aggravate the condition. Glycemic load is a measure of a certain food's eff ect on blood sugar levels. High-glycemic foods, like frozen yogurt, sugar, and white pasta produce a spike in blood glucose after eating. This process triggers the body to send out the hormone insulin to help cells absorb the sugar. Recurrent spikes in insulin promote infl ammation and can contribute to not only acne but also diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. Filling up on foods with a low glycemic index—like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains—keeps blood sugar steady and can reduce acne fl are-ups. In addition to reducing sugar, cutting out dairy can also have an eff ect on acne-prone skin. The hypothesis is that since the majority of milk in the United States comes from pregnant cows, the hormone levels in milk may play a role in excess sebum production, which promotes acne. Sebum production is infl uenced by androgens and hormonal mediators, such as insulin- like growth factors found in milk and other animal products. Just like sugar, there are some studies that show associations between dairy and acne, but not necessarily a cause and eff ect relationship. Either way, there's enough evidence to warrant a trial of removing both sugar and dairy from the diet to see if skin clears up.