If you’ve experienced acne, you’ve likely been suggested to cut back or give up dairy. Dairy is really tough to give up, because it’s in ALMOST EVERYTHING! Today there are tons of dairy-free options, which taste good! And it makes it so much easier to eat the yummy foods you love while also prioritizing your wellness. Dairy is literally addictive though, so when trying to give it up, it requires a bit more endurance.
All highly processed foods work in similar ways to addictive drugs. Dairy contains a protein called casein, which breaks down into the body into casomorphin.
Casomorphin is an opioid peptide, that quite literally is derived from digestion of the milk protein, casein.
This is all about pleasure. It feels good to eat the foods that aren’t so great for you! We all know that. However, inflammation doesn’t feel good. And if you are dealing with any sort of inflammatory skin condition, more than likely the issue is stemming from a gut imbalance. Is dairy the absolute culprit? Maybe not. But it can still increase inflammation which can trigger skin conditions such as acne.
My advice, start slow. Maybe cut back on dairy for 2 weeks to see if it can help you. Speaking from personal experience, my body does really well with almost any food if I take digestive enzymes with meals. Most times the conditions we see on the surface are an indicator of what’s happening inside, so for acne, I always like to start with healthy digestion!
Thank you for reading!
This article of the Skinsider Scoop was graciously written by Aesthetician and Holistic Nutritionist, Tatiyana Canady and edited by the Clean Skin Club team. If you're interested in more from Tatiyana, follow her Instagram @skinybytatiyana