Does Dairy Cause Acne?
Canadian Dermatologist Reports Dairy Linked to Acne
It was a recurring argument in our household - maybe in yours too?
Husband: “I can’t believe my back! Look at this!” he’d say while pointing to what looked like an angry bee sting right by his shoulder blade or off to the side of his lower back.
Wife: “Maybe that welt (actually acne) has something to do with all of the cheese you’re so fond of?”
Husband: “What?! No way! I asked a dermatologist in South Africa if there was any link between cheese or dairy and acne and he said no!”
Wife: “Why don’t you cut down on your cheese intake and see what happens?”
Husband: (reluctantly) “Yeah… (sounding less than enthusiastic and willing).”
Dairy Linked to Causing Acne
So, it is with much interest and eye-brow raising that we bring you this article by Canadian dermatologist Dr. F.W. Danby, who writes in a 2005 piece published in the medical journal Dermatology, dairy has been linked to causing acne!
In his paper, Dr. Danby posits, "But how could milk cause acne? Because drinking milk and consuming dairy products from pregnant cows exposes us to the hormones produced by the cows’ pregnancy hormones that we were not designed to consume during our teenage and adult years. It is no secret that teenagers’ acne closely parallels hormonal activity..."
On his excellent site Dr. Danby offers FAQ answers and other concerns brought about by his recommendation of a “No Milk Acne Diet” for those wanting to stop dairy caused acne. For example, some people might think that replacing milk with lactose-free or organic milk will skirt the problem.
Dr. Danby quickly points out that this in fact is not the case. He says, “No. Lactose intolerance has nothing to do with acne, and "organic" simply means that the pesticides and insecticides the cows are exposed to in their food are less toxic than usual.”
One Pint of Ice Cream Per Day Counts as Dairy
Dr. Danby even mentions the case of one client who couldn’t understand why in his 60s he had severe back acne. When asked what he ate every day, the patient mentioned 1 pint of ice cream- yes, every day! Dr. Danby said it took about 1 year for this man’s back to “cool” and for the oil plugs (that turn into acne) triggered by the consumption of hormones in dairy/milk products to subside.
Old habits die hard though, especially for the resident “mouse” in our house, but as Dr. Danby says, it’s all about finding your personal threshold so that you can eat what you enjoy without your skin paying the price.
** For more information about Dr. Danby's study, to learn how milk/dairy triggers acne and to read about his "No Milk Acne Diet," click here. To read Dr. Danby's Dermatology piece, click here.
