Provided by: DrWeil.com
Q: Do dairy products cause acne? I recently heard that they can. -- Josie
The study, reported in the February 2005 Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, analyzed responses from more than 47,000 women participating in the national Nurses Health Study II. Researchers from Harvard asked the women about their consumption of dairy food when they were teens, particularly about the type of milk they drank, and whether they had experienced severe teenage acne.
The women who drank more than three servings of any type of milk per day were 22 percent more likely to report having had severe acne than those who drank only one (or less) servings per week. Those who consumed two or more glasses of skim milk daily were 44 percent more likely to say that they had been diagnosed with severe acne as teenagers.
Other dairy foods that were associated with acne in this study include instant breakfast drinks, sherbet, cream cheese and cottage cheese. However, the researchers did not find as strong a link between whole or low-fat milk and acne.
These findings are not likely to be the last word on the subject. More studies will be needed to confirm the association between some dairy products, particularly skim milk, and acne. I've long advised parents to keep children off cow's milk and other dairy products at an early age, especially if the family history includes allergies, asthma, bronchitis, sinus conditions, or autoimmunity.
In any event, I recommend calcium-fortified soy milk, almond milk, or rice milk for those teens and anyone else who habitually drinks a lot of milk. Remember that rice milk contains little protein, and other sources should be added to the diet, especially in growing adolescents or teenagers. Regarding soy milk, I would recommend buying organic products and looking for brands that don't have carageenan, a thickening agent which may not be safe.
Andrew Weil, MD
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