Dr Bollmann, Anti-Aging and Skin Care Specialist
Does chocolate cause acne? And what about body fat? While the role of chocolate and other sugars in causing acne continues to be debated, new evidence is coming to the fore in reference to causing body fat. Chocolate and sugars causing acne might have different causes - such as affecting stress and cortisol levels - and might be more pronounced in certain individuals. In my case, whenever I eat too much candy or sugars, I tend to break out.
The University of Granada researchers from the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Physical Activity and Sports Sciences have scientifically disproven the outdated belief that eating chocolate is fattening. If you don't enjoy exercising, you may also appreciate that the research was independent of diet and physical activity.
In an article published in the journal Nutrition, the authors have shown that higher consumption of chocolate is associated with lower levels of total fat (fat deposited all over the body) and central fat (abdominal), independently of whether or not the individual participates in regular physical activity and of diet, among other factors.
The pleasurable experience of eating chocolate can alter mood by directly producing a feeling of well-being and by distracting us from feelings such as anxiety and depression. In turn, relief from distressing mood states could reinforce liking for chocolate.
In a recent study by Dr. Penny Kris-Etherton of Pennsylvania State University, subjects who followed a diet rich in cocoa butter saw no rise in their blood cholesterol levels.
These results were independent of the participant’s sex, age, sexual maturation, total energy intake, intake of saturated fats, fruit and vegetables, consumption of tea and coffee, and physical activity.
In fact, chocolate is rich in flavonoids--especially catechins--which have many healthy properties: "they have important antioxidant, anti-thrombotic, anti-inflammatory and ant-ihypertensive effects and can help prevent ischemic heart disease".
Recently, another cross-sectional study in adults conducted by University of California researchers found that more frequent chocolate consumption also associated with a lower body mass index. What’s more, these results were confirmed in a longitudinal study in women who followed a catechin-rich diet.
Despite their results, the authors insist that chocolate consumption should always be moderate. "In moderate quantities, chocolate can be good for you, as our study has shown. But, undoubtedly, excessive consumption is prejudicial. As they say: you can have too much of a good thing".
Some things to keep in mind when selecting a chocolate bar:
1) The darker the better
2) stay away from chocolate with soy, soy lecithin, palm oil, natural flavor, whey, yeast, polyglycerols and other nasty chemicals that don't belong in the ingredient list
3) No refined sugar is necessary to make a great tasting chocolate bar
4) Cacao should be preferably stone ground and preferably organic (if it's not raw the lower the antioxidant value)
5) cacao beans should NOT be gas dried (know your source).
The effect could be partly due to the influence of catechins on cortisol production and on insulin sensitivity, both of which are related with overweight and obesity.
Recently, another cross-sectional study in adults conducted by University of California researchers found that more frequent chocolate consumption also associated with a lower body mass index. What’s more, these results were confirmed in a longitudinal study in women who followed a catechin-rich diet.
So whether you believe that chocolate will increase your acne or not, the best treatment for acne I have found is still Bare Skin Care products. We have two programs for acne in men and women, the mini-acne program and the regular program.
