Local Dermatologist Says Skim Milk Causes Acne

DETROIT (WWJ) -- There are many theories to what causes acne -- stress, hormones and even chocolate -- and now there's another possible cause: milk.

Approximately 85 percent of people between the ages of 12 and 24 experience acne. A number of factors can trigger an outbreak such as hormones and stress. Now new research is looking at a possible link between milk and acne.

Beaumont hospital and Farmington Hills dermatologist Wendy Sadoff says new evidence suggest milk, especially skim milk, causes acne.

"There is some increasing evidence that milk, and particularly skim milk not full-fat milk, has an impact on acne," Sadoff told WWJ Newsradio 950's health reporter Deanna Lites.

So why does skim milk cause acne? Sadoff says it's a result of skim milk being a "more biologically active product."

"We think that skim milk may be a more biologically active product," Sadoff said. "In other words it may stimulate something called insulin growth factor, and this may have a stimulatory effect on the Sebaceous glands, which are your oil glands that are involved in active acne."

Sadoff's comments are backed by a study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology conducted last year. That study took a look at 225 teenagers -- ranging in ages from 14-19 -- with moderate to no acne. The participants completed three 24-hour diet recall interviews using the Nutrition Data System for Research software. The results indicated that those drinking skim milk had a positive association with acne.

So while drinking skim milk may be healthier for you, it does have it's drawbacks when it comes to your skin care.