Acne and caffeine may be more closely linked than you thought. First of all, what is caffeine? Caffeine is a stimulant. It boosts your energy for a short period of time and then you experience the "crash" where your body is no longer being stimulated by the caffeine, and leaves you more tired than before. In addition, caffeine is a highly addictive substance. Don't believe it? Ask anyone who is trying to quit drinking coffee or caffeinated sodas. The withdrawal symptoms can be massive and can take many months to work out of your body.
So what's the connection to acne?
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Acne:
Avoid certain foods such as alcohol, caffeine
(affects liver detoxification), hydrogenated oils, fried
food, and cigarette smoking. While these do not cause
the problem, they may work to trigger or worsen acne.
Kimberly M Thompson, Overkill |
Since caffeine is a stimulant, it makes the body become constantly hyper. I could try to go into all the technical jargon and use medical terms to describe exactly what happens, but that really isn't relevant. You know what it feels like to have caffeine stimulate you, and drop you to a new low a short time later. Caffeine is such an easy thing to eliminate that it doesn't make much sense to keep in your diet.
Take a look at this next quote:
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According to
some experts, caffeine-containing foods and
beverages can cause or worsen acne. This may be
more of an inference by association, however, as the link
between the aggravation of rosacea (sometimes called adult acne), a type of skin inflammation in adults not
related to acne, can be traced to food
sensitivities or allergies associated with caffeine-containing
foods. It is also possible that the processed
sugar in caffeinated soft drinks aggravates acne.
Others claim that acne and rosacea are not
worsened by the caffeine contained in certain foods
but by the flushing effect of ingesting hot beverages, which can
make the conditions look worse.
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From this excerpt it can be seen that drinking coffee is a bad idea. If you need a cup of coffee (or several) to wake you up in the morning, your body is very out of sync. You shouldn't need any food or drink to wake you up in the morning. In fact, once your body is in order, you'll find you have the greatest amount of energy all morning by eating no food or drink, but only water. Once you get to this point, which comes after internal cleansing and correct eating as explained in the step by step acne guide, you will have no problem wake up at 5:30, and going to classes all morning without eating. In fact you'll find you have greater energy than anyone else around you. While most people have their heads in their hands or on their desks, still essentially sleeping, you will have been awake for 3 hours and fully ready for the day. See more about this with our detailed No Breakfast Acne Plan.
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Women who
consume caffeine-containing beverages each day, including
coffee, tea, and colas, or even caffeine-containing medications,
also might be more likely to have PMS and to suffer from severe
mood and physical changes, such as fatigue, irritability,
anxiety, headache, breast tenderness, food
cravings, constipation, and acne, than women who
consume less or no caffeine.
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This quote shows the especially dire consequences of caffeine consumption for women. Caffeine throws off your hormones, and women are particularly susceptible to hormone disruptions. If you are a woman, the last thing you want are hormone problems, as these can be difficult to correct.
Conclusion: Stop drinking caffeinated beverages - coffee and caffeinated sodas and the rest.
