[my big fat greek wedding]Gold Circle Films * YOUR PROTEIN POWDER OF CHOICE MIGHT BE CAUSING YOU TO BREAKOUT. * A DERMATOLOGIST TOLD INSIDER THAT HIGH CONSUMPTION OF WHEY PROTEIN HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH ACNE. * THERE IS, HOWEVER, NO EVIDENCE THAT MODEST AMOUNTS OF WHEY CAUSE BREAKOUTS. * CUTTING WHEY OUT TEMPORARILY OR SWITCHING TO A PLANT-BASED POWDER MIGHT HELP. ------------------------- Acne could be caused by everything from stress to skincare products. Now, Women's Health reports that your whey protein powder might cause acne. According to dermatologists, however, the relationship between acne and food is complicated. Here's what you should know before cutting this time-saver out of your diet. WHEY PROTEIN MIGHT BE RELATED TO BREAKOUTS, BUT _SPECIFIC_ RESEARCH IS INCONCLUSIVE. [Man Drinking Protein Shake]OlegPhotoR / iStock Dermatologist Dr. Kathleen C. Suozzi, assistant professor at Yale School of Medicine, told us in an e-mail that no large-scale controlled study has been done to determine if whey protein directly causes breakouts. There are, however, reports that show there is an _association_ between whey protein and acne. This means that although the two are related, there is no definitive proof that whey protein_ causes_ acne. Suozzi told us that the reports in question often focused on bodybuilders. These patients drank the equivalent of six to 12 liters of milk daily and had acne mainly on their chest and back. Suozzi noted, however, that there are other variables that could have caused this acne flare-up. Bodybuilders, for example, typically have a high use of anabolic steroids and high BMIs — both associated with acne, Suozzi said. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ACNE AND FOOD IS COMPLICATED. [fried eggs]Mike McCune/Flickr "Diet and acne is always a controversial topic," Suozzi said. Some foods are known to make you breakout, while there are other foods that can reportedly help with your breakouts. Although there is some data to support it, Suozzi said there is no complete certainty that specific foods directly cause acne. "We have data to support that diets with high glycemic index, high in carbohydrates and or high in dairy may be associated with acne," she said. "These studies are all limited by their methodology in that it is very hard to design a randomized controlled trial to look at the effects of diet on acne; these studies show association but cannot determine causality." Everything from insulin levels, carbohydrates, and dairy are also associated with acne, according to Suozzi. The link between protein powder and breakouts is likely due to it being a milk byproduct, Suozzi said. According to Self, whey can indirectly stimulate insulin which, not only regulates blood sugar, but sebum production too. Sebum, an oily substance your glands secrete, can clog your skin and cause acne, a previous INSIDER story reported. Suozzi doesn't know of other dietary proteins being linked to acne. One study even found that a general high-protein diet resulted in an improvement of people's skin. This research, unfortunately, doesn't make the conclusion any clearer as to the relationship between food and breakouts. YOU DON'T HAVE TO QUIT PROTEIN POWDER ALL-TOGETHER. [protein shake]Shutterstock Although you might not have to ditch protein powder completely, Suozzi recommended temporarily cutting it out to see how doing so affects your skin. She especially recommended this if you have been over-doing it on the powder and have seen new or worsening acne. You might not have the same reaction to whey as others, for example, so it's best to test it. There are also other types of protein powders that you can use instead of whey, like plant-based powders. You don't have to give up this time-saving option completely. Test how it affects your skin and plan from there. NOW WATCH: A dermatologist explains what causes acne and how you can prevent it
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