Does Pizza Cause Acne? Does Dairy Cause Acne?

A number of subscribers have asked if pizza causes acne. I always like to go back to the beginning of understanding acne. The first question is, “What is it that causes acne?” There are two primary things that are responsible for acne development. The first is hormones, the androgens cause the sebaceous glands to enlarge and produce more sebum, a natural body oil to lubricate the skin and hair follicles.

The problem arises when you realize that the bacterium that causes acne consumes the sebum and in that environment under the skin the bacteria are able to colonize leading to an inflammation under the skin and the development of a zit.

So hormones are the first cause and the second primary cause is dairy products. This group includes milk, cream, sour cream, ice cream, butter, cheese, etc… What is it in milk that causes acne flare-ups? It is actually the hormones in the milk. Have you ever realized how fast a baby cow grows and the strength that is present at birth? The milk for the baby calf is packed with substances for a baby cow to grow fast. In the human body it creates the same effect as a young person going through puberty.

Just to mention it, stress does have a direct relationship to acne. There are a number of acne or pimple myths and you want to make sure you are aware of them so you know what your boundaries should be for eliminating acne.

So back to the original question, “Does Pizza Cause Acne?” I guess the fair question would be, “Is there cheese on the Pizza?”

When someone wants to discover whether or now dairy products are affecting their skin they should do an elimination diet.

This would include the elimination of all dairy products from the diet for 2-4 weeks. Care should be taken to avoid hidden dairy items in foods like soups, crackers, salad dressings and other process foods. You would most likely find dairy on the ingredients list in the form of milk, cheese, whey, dairy cultures, and others so make sure you are aware of the presence of dairy products. It would be best to not go out to eat during this time.

In two weeks you may see the subsiding of the severity and frequency of acne. If not you can try eliminating dairy from your diet for another two weeks.

“Does pizza cause breakouts?” and “Does dairy cause acne?”

Yes, absolutely.