As the popularity of energy drinks is increasing every day, the concern for their adverse effects after consumption is also increasing.
Energy drinks are usually highly caffeinated beverages that are developed for enhancing your attention as well as improving your mental and physical performance.
Rumor has it that energy drinks cause acne and pimples, however, is it true?
Well, there isn’t any concrete evidence that associates energy drinks with face breakout, however, it’s observed that overconsumption of drinks that are extremely high in sugar can contribute to breakouts.
Caffeine is the chief ingredient of energy drinks, its responsibility is to increase alertness and give a boost to energy levels. While caffeine may not cause acne and pimples, it has been under the radar for causing health complications which include:
- Restlessness and shakiness
- Insomnia
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Fast heart rate
- Dehydration
- Anxiety
- Dependency
In this article, you’ll get to discover if energy drinks actually contribute to worsening face breakouts.
Let’s dive in!
Contents
Does Caffeine Cause Acne?
Caffeine is a stimulant that is present in every energy drink, it stimulates your brain and the central nervous system.
Moreover, it keeps your mind alert and concentrated, as well as gives you an energy boost that keeps you productive throughout the day.
Moreover, there is another side effect of caffeine that isn’t common, but some people experience it. Caffeine has been observed to cause and worsen acne.
Caffeine makes you alert and awake, however, it can also heighten stress response in your body.
Stress hormones, like cortisol, increase the amount of oil which is produced by your sebaceous glands, which means that you can be more prone to breakouts or if you already have acne it can worsen it.
Other than that, if you consume caffeine daily and started having breakouts, I would suggest you to cutback gradually because an abrupt cutback can result in caffeine withdrawal symptoms:
- Headaches.
- Tiredness.
- Difficulty concentrating.
- Nausea.
- Muscle pain.
- Irritability.
What Factors Worsen Acne Outbreaks?
Face breakout or acne is classified as a skin disorder in which sebum or skin oil and dead cells clog the follicles of your hair which results in pimples, whiteheads, and blackheads.
Teenagers are more likely to suffer from acne, however, breakouts can be a nightmare for every age.
The signs of acne are different for every individual as it depends on the skin severity, such as blackheads, red spots, whiteheads, or pimples.
Acne can appear in almost every part of your body, however, often it appears on cheeks, foreheads, and on the back.
There’re several factors that cause acne or if you already have it, these factors can worsen it. Here’s a list of those factors:
- Diet
- Hormones
- Stress
- Medications
Let’s go through them to learn more about them.
| Factors | Effect |
| Diet | According to research, consuming certain foods that are rich in carbohydrates like bread, may have the potential to aggravate acne. Thus, people who’re suffering from severe acne should try to not consume these kinds of foods. |
| Hormones | Puberty hormones such as Androgens can cause your skin to create more sebum, which would lead to acne outbreaks. This hormone can affect women as well as men. |
| Stress | Stress can potentially cause acne by drying out your skin and increasing the production of oil. |
| Medication | Drugs that contain testosterone, lithium, and corticosteroids can worsen acne outbreaks |
Can Energy Drinks Cause Skin Problems?
As most energy drinks are high in sugar content, and sugar has been proven to be the cause of acne. Therefore, sugary energy drinks can cause acne.
However, if you keep your sugar intake in moderation it may not affect you that much.
Furthermore, when your blood sugar levels increase, your body gets inflamed, which leads to increased production of sebum, resulting in acne outbreaks.
While the downside of energy drinks is that they contain sugar, the upside is that some drink contains antioxidants. Antioxidants help your skin cells repair and decrease the inflammation which was caused by pimples, resulting in less production of acne.
What Foods Trigger Acne?
Ance is a widespread skin issue that affects about 10% of the population. It suddenly affects your skin, because you may not know what is causing these outbreaks, thus here’s a list of food that can trigger acne.
- Refined Grains and Sugars.
- Dairy Products.
- Fast Food.
- Foods Rich in Omega-6 Fats.
- Chocolate.
- Whey Protein Powder.
These foods have the biggest effects on your skin, so keep reading to learn more about them.
Refined Grains and Sugars
Foods that are rich in refined carbohydrates include:
- White flour food.
- Energy drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages.
- Sweeteners such as cane sugar.
A study found that people who often consume added sugars had about a 30% increased risk of developing acne, while people who have a regular intake of pastries and cakes had a 20% greater risk.
Refined carbohydrates absorb very quickly into the bloodstream, which increases blood sugar levels rapidly. And when blood sugar levels rise, insulin levels rise up to help shuttle the blood sugars out of the bloodstream and into the cells.
In addition, high levels of insulin aren’t good for people with acne.
Dairy Products
Many studies have found a connection between milk products and acne severity in mostly teenagers.
As milk increases insulin levels, this can lead to the formation of acne.
Fast Food
Acne has been firmly linked with the consumption of fast food.
Chocolate
Chocolate is considered a suspect for triggering acne, several surveys have been linking eating chocolate with a greater risk of developing acne.
Watch this video if you are interested to know more.
What To Eat To Reduce Acne?
There’re several acne treatment options, but often acne can be stubborn. For some people pimples and bumps take much longer to heal, and as one fades, another appears.
Pimples are often caused by two things: the reaction to bacteria or excess production of oil. The production of sebum in our body regulates by hormones, however, when they fail to do so, acne can appear on different parts of the body.
There’re innumerable foods and nutrients that can help keep your skin clear which include:
- Omega-3 fatty acids: Omega-3s are anti-inflammatory, and consuming them daily has been associated with a reduced risk of developing acne.
- Probiotics: Probiotics help keep your gut healthy and balance the microbiome, which is connected to reduced inflammation and a lower risk of the development of acne.
- Green tea: Green tea contains polyphenols which are linked with reduced inflammation and lowered production of sebum. Green tea extracts are found to lower acne severity when applied to the skin.
Other than that, you can also try to do the things listed below to help the process:
- Wash your face twice a day.
- Avoid harsh scrubbing.
- Avoid popping or picking on pimples.
- Apply topical treatments.
- Avoid fancy treatments.
- Wear sunscreen outdoors.
Alternatives To Sugary Energy Drinks
Energy drinks have been found to be the cause of acne, however the sugar content in some energy drinks is high and sugar is said to cause acne, thus I would suggest you drink sugar-free energy drinks.
Here is the list of energy drinks that are sugar-free:
Conclusion
- Sugar in energy drinks is to be blamed for face breakouts.
- Skin acne is an increasing concern for 10% of the population, and believe me, this number is increasing day by day.
- Other than sugar, there’re four things that can be causing acne which include: diet, hormones, stress, and medications.
- Caffeine has been observed to cause acne as it heightens stress response which leads to increased production of oil, resulting in acne development.
- Moderate consumption of energy drinks means intake of antioxidants that are good for the skin.
- Moreover, there’re several foods that you can eat to avoid acne, such as Omega-3 fatty acids and Probiotics.
- Certain foods can also be the cause of your acne which include: refined grains and sugars, dairy products, fast food, foods rich in omega-6 fats, chocolate, and whey protein powder.