Does Chocolate cause acne and

pimples?

By
 Ron Michael Blancaflor
 Kylle Dhuztin Mercado
Abstract
This review focuses on the effects of chocolate on acne. Acne has various
psychosocial effects that impact patients’ quality of life. Treatments vary widely and
treatment should be tailored specifically for each individual. We review websites,
articles, and families to see if chocolate has really an effect on acne

Introduction
Acne vulgaris (AV) is a disease of the pilosebaceous unit that causes noninflammatory
lesions (open and closed comedones), inflammatory lesions (papules, pustules, and
nodules), and varying degrees of scarring. AV is an extremely common condition with
a lifetime prevalence of approximately 85% and occurs mostly during adolescence
(Bhate and Williams, 2013). AV can persist into adulthood, with a 50.9% prevalence
rate of acne in women ages 20 to 29 years versus 26.3% in women ages 40 to 49 years
(Collier et al., 2008). Female patients account for two-thirds of visits made to
dermatologists for acne, and one-third of all dermatology office visits for acne are by
women who are older than 25 years (Yentzer et al., 2010).

Acne leads to significant morbidity that is associated with residual scarring and
psychological disturbances such as poor self-image, depression, and anxiety, which
leads to a negative impact on the quality of life (Cunliffe, 1986, Ramos-e-Silva et al.,
2015, Shuster et al., 1978). In one epidemiologic study by Yentzer et al. (2010), 8.8%
of patients with acne reported depression with women suffering from depression twice
as often as men (10.6% vs. 5.3%), but this was unrelated to acne severity.

The word "chocolate" comes from the Classical Nahuatl word chocolātl, and entered
the English language from the Spanish language.

[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_chocolate]
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, a 101-g bar of dark
chocolate with 70–85 percent cocoa solids provides:

 604 calories
 7.87 g of protein
 43.06 g of fat
 46.36 g of carbohydrates
 11.00 g of dietary fiber
 24.23 g of sugar
 12.02 milligrams (mg) of iron
 230.00 mg of magnesium

The history of chocolate began in Southern Mexico. Fermented beverages made from
chocolate date back to 450 BC. The Aztecs believed that cacao seeds were the gift of
Quetzalcoatl, the god of wisdom, and the seeds once had so much value that they were
used as a form of currency. Originally prepared only as a drink, chocolate was served
as a bitter liquid, mixed with spices or corn puree.

[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_chocolate]

If we eat too much chocolate, it can cause diabetes to our body which is a common
effect on our body if we eat sweets. But eating chocolate can cause acne and pimples
to our bodies?
Data Analysis
Well, our first article from VeryWellHealth states that there is no evidence that chocolate
can't cause pimples because the first problem is that there is no proof that cocoa beans, from
which chocolate is made, cause pimples. And while some people point to the sugar that also
makes up a portion of all chocolate treats, even that evidence is very weak.

That means that eating an occasional chocolate bar, or two or three, will not cause
acne. Cutting chocolate out of a diet won't clear up a case of acne, either. There are
many other foods that may trigger acne, but chocolate may be off the hook. But, these
days, more attention is being paid to the link between diet and acne development.
Surprisingly, it is not any of the "usual" criminals getting the blame. Instead of fast
foods like French fries, soda, or potato chips, it is things like dairy products and
carbohydrates that are under the microscope.

Historically, studies have been dismissed due to additional ingredients in the chocolate
-- like milk and sugar -- that may also impact the skin. Early studies on chocolate and
acne actually used chocolate bars and control bars (candies that were loaded with
sugar, often with even more sugar than the chocolate versions). These inconsistencies
led to contradictory results and suspect study methods, all of which have kept the
chocolate debate alive. So it’s no surprise that after decades of research, there is still
no clear answer.

Some studies point to chocolate as acne culprit. Some research suggests that chocolate
may exacerbate existing acne or encourage new breakouts in acne-prone skin. A 2013
study on cells in a lab suggests that chocolate may increase the severity and frequency
of acne breakouts by encouraging the immune system to react more aggressively to
the two bacteria that cause acne. However, this reaction hasn’t been proven in
humans. Another small double-blind, placebo-controlled study from 2014 had 14
acne-prone men take capsules that were filled with either 100 percent unsweetened
cocoa, gelatin powder, or a combination of the two to determine if chocolate, and the
total dose, impacted acne. The study found that there was a positive connection
between the amount of cocoa ingested and an increase in acne symptoms. A similar in
a different journal found that after eating 25 grams of 99 percent dark chocolate every
day, 25 acne-prone men had more acne after two weeks, and the changes were still
present after four weeks. A 2017 study found that just 48 hours after eating chocolate,
college students with acne had more new lesions than their peers who ate a
comparable amount of jelly bean.

Palmer, A. (2020, January 23). Should You Avoid Eating Chocolate If It Causes

Acne? Verywell Health.  https://www.verywellhealth.com/does-chocolate-cause-acne-
15519

Some of the 65 individuals were given a chocolate bar that contained over 10 times
the amount of chocolate normally found in a candy bar. The rest of the test group
subjects were given an identical candy bar that contained no chocolate whatsoever.
The researchers counted the number of acne blemishes before and after the candy bars
were eaten, and what they observed seemed to indicate there was no difference
between the two groups. Because of this observation, the team decided that chocolate
consumption had no significant effect on the production of sebum, therefore assuming
that chocolate didn’t, in fact, make acne worse. The bar that contained no chocolate
still had identical amounts of sugar, fat, and calories, so there was no way to compare
the difference in the consumption of fatty, processed foods. The study was too short;
they only studied their subjects for around a month.

Vinas, A. (2019, December 21). Does Chocolate Cause

Acne? BioClarity. https://www.bioclarity.com/blogs/clear-skin/does-chocolate-cause-
acne

Today, modern acne treatments can take at least three months before seeing
significant improvements in the skin. Chocolate and Acne Study: 1971 Just two years
later, another set of researchers set out to examine the effects of chocolate on the skin.
According to the US National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI),
researchers gave 27 students four specific foods and drinks, all of which had been
reported as common acne triggers. These included chocolate, milk, roasted peanuts,
and soda. The researchers handed out these supplies for a week, and then took a look
at the results. They found no evidence of a significant change in acne. However, the
study did have flaws, preventing them from getting an accurate understanding of acne
as explained below. It was too small and too short; a week wasn’t nearly enough time
to notice a remarkable difference. The researchers didn’t track what the students ate
other than these four items during the week. After these two studies were performed
and seemed to indicate that chocolate didn’t result in breakouts, chocolate was given a
clean slate. Dermatologists and their patients rejoiced, and it would be another 40
years before some contradictory research came out.

So, chocolate isn't on the shortlist of possible acne triggers. But what about that
pimple you got the day after eating a chocolate bar? Most likely it's just a coincidence.
You would have gotten that same pimple, chocolate bar or none. Acne waxes and
wanes on its own accord.

Palmer, A. (2020, January 23). Should You Avoid Eating Chocolate If It Causes

Acne? Verywell Health.  https://www.verywellhealth.com/does-chocolate-cause-acne-
15519

Conclusion
I, therefore, conclude that, no it can’t. Chocolate cannot be directly faulted for
breakouts, but high sugar/high-fat foods (which chocolate has in spades) can increase
the body's sebum production, which then creates inflammatory responses in the body
-- sometimes in the form of acne. Additionally, this myth is partly rooted in
coincidence: many women's craving and consumption of chocolate coincide with
breakouts. To stay on the safe side, load up on fruits and vegetables, and when you
need a chocolate fix, try to stick to dark over white or milk varieties. Kitchens, S.
(2012, October 11). Does Chocolate Really Cause Acne? We've Got The Answer.
HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/does-chocolate-cause-acne_n_1566076

Bibliography
1. (Bhate and Williams, 2013)

2. (Collier et al., 2008)

3. (Yentzer et al., 2010)

4. Cunliffe, 1986

5. Ramos-e-Silva et al.
6. Shuster et al., 1978

7. [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_chocolate]

8. Palmer, A. (2020, January 23). Should You Avoid Eating Chocolate If It

Causes Acne? Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/does-

chocolate-cause-acne-15519
9. Vinas, A. (2019, December 21). Does Chocolate Cause

Acne? BioClarity. https://www.bioclarity.com/blogs/clear-skin/does-chocolate-
cause-acne
10. Kitchens, S. (2012, October 11). Does Chocolate Really Cause Acne? We've

Got The Answer. HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/does-chocolate-

cause-acne_n_1566076