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What foods cause acne? Dermatologist suggests removing these from your diet for clearer skin: Biscuits to white bread

If you suffer from breakouts often, consider removing some foods which trigger your acne, affecting skin extensively because of their poor nutritional content.

Updated on: Mar 27, 2026 09:26 pm IST
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Do you struggle with acne on a daily basis? You have got all the essentials in place, light-weight creams, active serums, gels, acne spot correctors and more. But, even with a well-planned skincare routine, those pesky zits may still show up.

Find out what to eat to beat acne. (Shutterstock)

Instead of blaming your skincare, it is time to reconsider what you are putting on your plate. Acne care begins from the inside, as what you eat impacts your skin in more ways than one.ALSO READ: Dermatologist shares 5 everyday mistakes that damage your skin: ‘Resting chin in palms...’

HT Lifestyle reached out to Dr Ridhima Arora, dermatologist at Malik Radix Healthcare Pvt. Ltd, who shed light on how diet impacts your skin, as it is not just about surface-level treatment.“The food you eat causes the inside of your body to change, and this in turn affects the severity of your acne,” she explained. It suggests that acne is not a skin-deep issue; it is much more than that. So prevention and treatment need to consider diet as well.

What foods do you need to avoid to prevent acne?

Remove white bread as it is high on glycemic index. (Pexel)
Flax seeds contain omega-3s. (Shutterstock)

One of the main causes of acne, the dermatologist reminded, is inflammation. The goal should be to reduce inflammation so that the skin can be treated from within. Dr Arora shared a few foods that help to reduce inflammation and eliminate acne-causing bacteria:

  • Omega-3-rich foods: Walnuts, flaxseeds, and fish help to reduce inflammation.
  • Zinc-rich foods: Pumpkin seeds and legumes directly eliminate acne-causing bacteria.
  • Antioxidant-rich foods: Spinach, carrots, and tomatoes
  • Beverage: Green tea naturally decreases the amount of oil (sebum) production on skin.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adrija Dey

Adrija Dey’s proclivity for observation fuels her storytelling instinct. As a lifestyle journalist, she crafts compelling, relatable narratives across diverse touchpoints of the human experience, including wellness, mental health, relationships, interior design, home decor, food, travel, and fashion that gently nudge readers toward living a little better. For her, stories exist in flesh and bones, carried by human vessels and shaped through everyday endeavours. It is the small stories we live and share that make us human. After all, humans and their lores are the most natural and raw repositories of stories, and uncovering them, for her, is akin to peeling an orange under a winter afternoon sun. Always up for a chat, she believes the best stories come from unfiltered yapping, where "too much information" is kind of the point. A graduate of Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi, and an alumna of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi, Adrija spends her idle hours cocooned with herbal tea and a gripping thriller, scribbling inner monologues she loosely calls poetic pieces, often with her succulents in attendance. On lazier days, she can be found binge-watching, for the nth time, one from her comfort-show holy trinity: The Office (US), Brooklyn Nine-Nine, or Modern Family. Dancing by herself to her peppy playlists, however, is an everyday ritual she swears by religiously.

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Catch your daily dose of Fashion, Taylor Swift, Health, Festivals, Travel, Relationship, Recipe and all the other Latest Lifestyle News on Hindustan Times Website and APPs.
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