Although doctors and nutritionists will never fully agree on which foods cause pimples, they do agree on one thing—there is a strong but mysterious connection between food and clear skin.

The fact is, during puberty, we all had problems with pimples. This is simply a time when our bodies and sebaceous glands cleanse themselves due to increased activity, and it's not a good idea to try to avoid it. It's part of a normal and healthy growing process. Hiding pimples with powder and similar products can just make the sebaceous glands even oilier and temporarily conceal the problem, but this can develop into much more painful subcutaneous acne.

It's best to let teenage pimples resolve on their own.

But what about when pimples appear in adults?

Pimples in adults are much more problematic. Because they reveal things about the body that are hard to notice, every pimple deserves attention.

Many appear due to stress. In such cases, taking a few days off is the most helpful thing.

Many pimples are caused by your favorite pastries, too much cake, too many sweets, and they can also appear after an excessive meal of pasta or fries... Always keep in mind that pimples are the result of chemical processes triggered by consuming certain foods.

Some people get pimples when they eat too much greasy and/or spicy food. Problematic foods can also include those high in artificial sweeteners and colorings (white bread, chips, salted sticks). Insulin also increases the activity of sebaceous glands, so any type of food that raises blood sugar is risky (besides sugar, this can also be foods high in carbohydrates). In general, it is believed that foods with a high glycemic index (over 70) cause pimples. Unfortunately, chocolate is on the list of foods to be careful with, and so are all other foods with a lot of dairy additives (processed milk is among the most dangerous triggers for pimples). But the story isn't all negative: dark chocolate (chocolate with over 70% cocoa) has opposite effects, because antioxidants help cleanse the body and get rid of pimples.

Among the most dangerous foods are also alcohol, industrial juices (especially carbonated drinks), instant breakfast cereals, all salty snacks...

Don't forget one more important characteristic: the most dangerous combination is cow’s milk and hormones.

Hormones from milk, together with calcium, stimulate the activity of sebaceous glands, which may help cleanse the body, but it doesn’t help with the formation of pimples, especially the painful ones. That's why nutritionists recommend avoiding yogurt, cheese, and ice cream.

Another dangerous group of foods are those with trans fatty acids (waffles, chips, fried meat). Deep frying is especially problematic, since it creates quite a few carcinogenic substances—pimples are the last thing on your mind compared to that. Avoid creamy donuts, puff pastry, pizzas...

Foods high in saturated fatty acids are also risky for pimples. This group includes nearly all kinds of meat, sausages, milk, cheese, mayonnaise... In some cases, pimples can also result from high cholesterol, so pimples could also indicate problems with cardiovascular health...

Finally... There are many products on the market designed to hide pimples, but food isn't the only thing to watch—sleep quantity is also important. Regular and healthy sleep is the best remedy against the internal inflammatory processes that cause pimples.