Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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I have been Paleo for a few months and have had occasional flare ups of acne. Its been quite bad these past few days so I went in search of the cause. I heard Chocolate caused acne, but found a study that found no link a few weeks back, so I ruled it out.

I reconsidered my position after thinking about how my Dark Chocolate has increased a lot this past week and my flare ups have increased at the same time. After finding another hack with a similar experience to mine I did some research on google and found the following article describing a study that found a link:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/737037

How has your experience with chocolate been? Has it caused acne for you? Now that I think about it the flare ups have always coincided with my intake of chocolate.

flag	asked Mar 20 2012 at 18:25 Denis 1,019●3●20

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Absolutely. And this was my experience with 85% and 99%. – Mscott Mar 20 2012 at 21:55

Medis · Accepted Answer · 2012-03-20 19:14:41Z UTC

I'm noticing the same reaction in myself, and I think it's the caffeine!

I don't know how much dark chocolate has, but I have the 85% Lindt bars and they make me quite hyperactive. I've noticed myself breaking out in small pimples on my forehead after eating them, which is usually something that happens with stress. Caffeine makes me feel stressed out so I think it might be the cause (quite sensitive to it). Stopped eating it and the pimples are dying down.

It's probably the quantity I eat too... I mean the fact that it's all cocoa is not enough to deter me from chomping through nearly the whole bar. I make myself sick on it and get really jittery and crazy and later, stressed out.

Mark Field · Answer 2 · 2012-03-20 19:01:00Z UTC

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Does your chocolate have sugar in it? For me, at least, it's not the chocolate, it's the sugar. I eat 99% dark chocolate (Scharffenberger) with no problems.

answered Mar 20 2012 at 19:01

Mark Field
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	It does, but not much. I eat 85% Lindt bars which has about 1 gram of sugar per square. When I was still transitioning I ate about 10 grams of sugar per day to get me by and my acne was fine. – Denis Mar 21 2012 at 11:32
	If you're only eating one square per day, then I doubt sugar is the problem. My own experience was that when I gave up sugar, grains, and seed oils, I stopped getting acne, even though I eat other things sometimes associated with it like dairy and chocolate. – Mark Field Mar 21 2012 at 15:57
	I am wondering if its some additive in Lindt that is not listed as an ingredient or I am just sensitive since I never did a Whole30. – Denis Mar 21 2012 at 17:44
	so eat the sugar alone. Sugar is also in whole foods, so how can this be a problem. It's tiny amount of sugar in 85 % – Paul Mar 22 2012 at 14:38

Canis Minor · Answer 3 · 2012-03-20 23:21:24Z UTC

Going low-carbish paleo cleared my (adult, cystic) acne in a month, that was over three years ago. I introduced 100% dark Ghirardelli about a year ago -- your mileage may vary, but I've still had no skin problems in all this time.

Caffeine, soy lecithin and sugar seem to be triggers for some people.

Bill · Answer 4 · 2012-03-20 19:01:52Z UTC

I have eaten a piece of 85% dark chocolate about 5 times a week or used raw cacao powder in coffee or smoothies for the past 3 weeks and my skin looks great... I have also been super stressed with my thesis and still my skin looks great... Maybe the phytic acid is a thing for some people. I do eat oysters and liver at least once a week so my mineral status is probs good. With acne and skin issues... it's always individual and YMMV.

August · Answer 5 · 2012-03-21 13:49:20Z UTC

I think it is the soy lecithin. Lindt changed their recipe last year and started including soy lecithin in some of their bars that hadn't had them previously. When I can find bars that are free of grains, legumes, and dairy, I have zero problems, even if there is more sugar in them than I like. I find bars that don't list them as ingredients but mention they are made in factories that use them- these sometimes cause problems, sometimes they don't as one might guess.

FED at LiveCaveman.com · Answer 6 · 2012-03-21 20:05:23Z UTC

I eat approximately 1oz of 100% chocolate (Baker's) daily and have had no issues with acne. I have noticed a relationship with dairy consumption and skin problems however.

Perhaps milk, soy, sugar or other ingredients found in chocolate bars (with less than 100% cacao) are confounding factors in your chocolate-breakout experience?

Janry · Answer 7 · 2012-03-22 12:18:54Z UTC

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Any chocolate that has soy lecithin makes me break out. I tried making my own chocolate which solved that.

answered Mar 22 2012 at 12:18

Janry
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raydawg · Answer 8 · 2012-03-22 09:51:41Z UTC

I can be a chocolate fiend, but only eat 85%+, though rarely that low, it's mostly either 100% Ghirardelli baking bars, or 90% Lindt. I also use about a teaspoon or two of unsweetened cocoa in coffee daily. Never had an issue with acne from it.

However, recently, I've had two cups of goat's milk kefir in one sitting because it's been sitting around in the fridge for too long and didn't want it to go bad - had acne the next day. Not a lot, just a zit or two on my arm and one on my belly.

If I dip lower than 85%, and eat more than a few squares - i.e. white chocolate, I do see acne form the next day, sometimes as boils.

Are we sure it's the chocolate and not the dairy? Or perhaps chocolate when there's dairy in the diet as well? I'm a bit skeptical of this article - at least for this n=1. :)

Mary · Answer 9 · 2012-10-22 03:11:45Z UTC

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Cocoa isn't causing the acne. It's the lecithin that's mixed with the cocoa and sugar. Take lecithin out of the equation and you can enjoy chocolate without getting acne.

answered Oct 22 at 3:11

Mary
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Chocolate (100% Cocoa) has been linked to acne. Your experience?

9 Answers