Did you know that the foods you are eating could be contributing to your acne breakouts? Studies have shown that salty foods and foods high in iodides could be making your acne even worse. Though these foods are likely not the direct cause of your acne breakouts, they could be a major factor in limiting your chance at clear skin.
Most of the foods on this list will include high levels of iodides. This ion state of iodine occurs naturally in dietary iodine, including potassium iodide or sodium iodide. If you are experiencing acne breakouts, try limiting the amount of these foods you consume.
Salt
When explaining foods that contain iodides it would be impossible not to bring up salt. In most cases, store-bought salt will be iodized as indicated on the label. ΒΌ teaspoon of this salt can contain up to 100 parts per million of iodides. To help limit this, it is recommended to utilize non-iodized salt, which only contains 19.
Seafood
If you are incorporating kelp into your diet, the iodide content found in this food could be greatly affecting your acne breakouts. Kelp contains 1,020 parts per million of iodides making it one of the highest sources of iodides in a typical diet. Other seafood like cod, squid and crab also contain moderate amounts of iodides.
Dairy
When dealing with dairy in your diet and suffering with acne breakouts, there are more than just iodides to worry about. Milk products will often cause a spike in hormones that directly contribute to pimples. However, milk also contains 11 parts per million of iodides which also be encouraging your acne breakouts.
Beef
All meat or poultry will contain some amount of iodides; however, beef tends to be higher on the spectrum with 325 parts per million. This means that having a diet high in beef can directly contribute to how severe or frequent your acne breakouts become. To limit beef intake, try focusing on poultry like turkey, which only contains 132 parts per million of iodides.
It would be unreasonable to cut out all iodides or iodine from your diet. This mineral is essential for normal thyroid function and the conversion of food into energy. Instead of completely removing iodine from your diet, focus on choosing foods that contain lower quantities.