Can Your Diet Cause Acne? What the Research Says About Food and Breakouts

What you eat can have an impact your tendency to develop on the acne, medical researchers have found. Over the years, our understanding of what foods really lead to acne has changed significantly.

“Our understanding of the relationship between diet and acne has definitely evolved,” says Ariel E. Eber, M.D., a dermatologist with the University of Miami Health System. “For many years, patients were told that foods like chocolate, pizza, or French fries caused acne, and then the pendulum swung in the opposite direction, and we largely dismissed diet as having much of a role at all. The evidence today suggests the truth is somewhere in between.”

What the research shows

This reassessment of the diet and acne relationship stems largely from a 2022 medical review of 34 studies on the topic that was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology International. The results of this review were then debated at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress in 2025, bringing renewed attention to the matter.  

The latest research shows that a high-glycemic diet, which is a diet high in sugar or simple carbohydrates like white bread, potatoes, and snacks that digest quickly, may cause a rise in inflammation that leads to a higher risk of acne. What’s more, diets high in lipids, or fats, may increase the activity of the sebaceous glands, further exacerbating acne.

“The most consistent evidence is for diets with a high-glycemic index or high-glycemic load, which is essentially foods that cause blood sugar and insulin levels to rise quickly,” says Dr. Eber. “This includes things like sugary drinks, candy, pastries, white bread, highly refined carbohydrates, and many processed foods. One proposed mechanism is that higher insulin levels can increase insulin-like growth factor 1, or IGF-1, and influence androgen signaling and oil production, all of which can contribute to acne.”

According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD), milk consumption may also lead to an increase in acne outbreaks, though the reason isn’t exactly clear.

“Some studies have found a stronger association with skim or low-fat milk than full-fat milk,” says Dr. Eber. “The data aren’t strong enough to say that everyone with acne should stop consuming dairy, however, and the relationship appears much less clear for cheese and yogurt.”

Should you change your diet to prevent getting acne?

In 2025, the European researchers concluded that there wasn’t enough evidence to indicate that foods that quickly raise blood sugar cause acne, and no specific dietary changes are recommended to resolve acne. In general, limiting high-glycemic foods can support overall health.

Dr. Eber agrees that diet shouldn’t be altered drastically to avoid acne outbreaks.

“I generally don’t recommend highly restrictive diets for acne, especially in teenagers who need adequate nutrition for growth and development,” she says. “A more reasonable approach is to focus on an overall balanced diet with fewer highly processed, high-glycemic foods and more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, healthy fats, and protein. Swapping sugary beverages and highly refined carbohydrates for less processed alternatives is a simple place to start.”

However, if you’re having issues with acne, Dr. Eber says eliminating or substituting certain foods is a reasonable thing to try. But only if you are getting adequate nutrients from the rest of your diet.

“For someone who consumes a large amount of cow’s milk or cow’s milk protein (whey) and has difficult-to-control acne, reducing intake could be a reasonable experiment, provided they are getting calcium, vitamin D, and other important nutrients elsewhere,” she says. “Your diet should be thought of as one potential piece of acne management rather than a substitute for proven acne treatments.”

Written by Wyatt Myers. Reviewed by Ariel E. Eber, M.D.

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