It has been a custom to give gifts during this occasion and chocolates almost always are a part of Valentine's. When I was in high school and being labeled as an "ugly girl", I used to sour grape all the time whenever the other ladies received chocolate and I had none (of course). I used to say to myself, "ha, go and eat those sweets and you'll have a ton of pimples like me". It's an old wives' tale and I believed it too: chocolate can cause acne.
So bitter or not (pun intended), can chocolate break you out?
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| Behold, the standard Filipino-middle-class-high-school- bought-by-mom's-cash Valentine's day chocolate! Image from walmart.com |
I am no expert in nutrition so what I did is to look up various internet write-ups on the matter. And guess what? The opinions are mixed. This article from BBC says a recent study suggests a link between eating chocolate and acne, while refuting earlier studies which said chocolate does not cause acne.
Meanwhile, some articles such as this one from Huffington Post argues that there is no evidence that chocolate can directly worsen acne, although a high-sugar diet may possibly lead to it. (I'm guessing their interviewee is still referencing the earlier chocolate studies.) It goes further to suppose that the myth may have originated from the coincidence of women on PMS (best day for acne) and are on a chocolate binge.
You know, anything excess is bad for you and your skin. So for those who will be getting a lot of chocolate tonight, why not share some of your sweets to your friends and family?
Maybe it depends on what type of chocolate? Hahaha. Some legumes (e.g., peanuts) can cause inflammation, one of the requirements of acne to exist. Maybe there are some types of chocolates, or ingredients in those chocolate bars that trigger inflammation.
ReplyDeleteBut I doubt that chocolate itself (sans everything else) causes acne.
Me too. Everything is gray for now as more research is needed.
DeleteOr maybe not. I mean, a little chocolate is fine, but a binge? Sure, some may not get acne, but their blood-sugar or weight might bear the consequence. :))
Nakakaliw lang, the more we learn, the more we realize that we don't know, which makes us more careful in spreading information. This is why I like this blog. :D
Delete"the more we learn, the more we realize that we don't know, which makes us more careful in spreading information" - Sinabi mo! Salamat!
DeleteBtw, paulas choice launched in the Philippines na. Their local site is paulaschoice.com.ph, you don't need to pay customs taxes etc. Soon they'll be available at zalora or lazada na din ata.
ReplyDeleteReally? That's good to know!
Delete