Does chocolate cause acne

Reason for concern or…

Even though many timesyour parents have warned you about the possible dangerous effects of chocolateand this resulting in your conviction that the irresistible treat is somehow tobe blamed for the invasion of pimples and acne befalling your face, the actualmyth is just that – a foolish myth. This was, of course, something that issuspected to be rooted in medicine of the 50's and the journals that werepublished back then. Out of unknown reasons, they put forward the above-mentionedmyth and they did not only make it official, but they also managed to imprint it in just aboutany person’s brain at that time. In order to explain why this is a myth and notthe fact, what should be first delved into is the complete background of theacne themselves, including their most common underlying causes andmanifestations.

Main culprits

One of the underlyingcauses for the occurrence of acne is considered to be genetics. That is to sayit depends greatly on the type of the person’s skin, which he/she were endowedwith from the birth, and also upon hormones and their balance. This means thatexcessive hormone production is regarded as the top most cause of acne inpeople, since the increase in the production of hormones initiates the productionof excess oil by the skin. And once a buildup of this oil takes place, theskin pores become clogged and the sebum that is supposed to go to the surfaceof the skin remains in the pores instead. Furthermore, this causes the increasein numbers of bacteria, ending with a pimple.

The revelation

One in the line ofstudies that was conducted in America by Dr. Natasha Cook investigated exactlythe effect of chocolate on the secretion of sebum. Prior to the onset of the experiment, theparticipant’s average sebum count had been recorded and it amounted to 178milligrams. The person in question was then submitted to a chocolate diet forseven days, in order for it to be determined which side effects, if any, chocolate consumption may cause. As it turned out, the person’s sebum count did notincrease but, as a matter of fact, it lowered significantly and at end it was 138milligrams. In addition, person’s face suffered no changes whatsoever, and itwas acne and pimples-free just as it was prior to the experiment. What this implies isbut one thing, chocolate does not cause acne, but on the other hand, it can improveyour overall health.