This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.

Low-fat, skim milk consumption linked to moderate acne in teens

Consumption of low-fat or skim milk, but not full-fat milk, was positively associated with moderate acne among adolescents, according to study results.

“Early research into a link between diet and acne yielded mixed results,” Caroline L. LaRosa, MD, from the Pennsylvania State College of Medicine and colleagues, wrote. “Dairy and diets high in iodide were suggested to worsen acne. Other studies tested foods commonly thought of as acne triggers and found no association. Subsequent studies suggested an association between dairy, particularly skim milk, and acne.”

The researchers noted much of this previous study into the link between acne and diet was insufficient due to design errors, small sample size, recall bias, and use of nonvalidated food diaries for data gathering.

LaRosa and colleagues investigated the link between dairy consumption and acne in teenagers. They conducted a case-control study among 225 participants, aged 14 to 19 years, with either no acne or moderate acne. Moderate acne was determined by a dermatologist using the Global Acne Assessment Scale. After meeting inclusion criteria, participants completed up to three 24-hour diet recall interviews using the Nutrition Data System for Research software. The researchers then compared food and nutrient intake between the groups.

The amount of low-fat/skim milk consumed by participants with acne was significantly higher (P = .01) than those with no acne, they found. The total dairy consumption in the acne group was slightly higher than that of the control group (P = .02). The group with acne consumed 0.61 servings of low-fat/skim milk per day compared with 0.41 servings in the control group (P = .01). There were no significant differences in the consumption of whole or reduced-fat milk between the two groups

The researchers observed that when low-fat/skim milk was removed from total dairy consumed, the difference between the acne and control groups lost statistical significance. There were no significant differences in total dairy intake, saturated fat or trans-fat, or glycemic load and no significant difference was found for total energy intake or BMI.

“Low-fat/skim milk consumption was positively associated with acne, whereas other types of milk and dairy products had no association,” the researchers wrote. “Further investigation, particularly studies showing the impact of skim milk elimination, are needed before making specific dietary recommendations for patients with acne.”– by Savannah Demko

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.