If you want a clear complexion, step away from the mashed potatoes and drop that piece of cheese, suggest the results of a new study.
After analyzing studies between 1960 to 2012 investigating diet and acne, researchers from the New York Medical College and New York University concluded that the consumption of foods such as white bread, pasta, and rice — which fall high on the glycemic index — as well as milk and cheese can cause and aggravate the development of acne.
The glycemic index measures how quickly blood sugar levels pike after eating certain foods.
In the U.S., more than 17 million Americans suffer from acne.
Meanwhile, research presented last year at the Society for General Microbiology’s Spring Conference in Dublin found that natural, herbal preparations of thyme applied topically can help kill acne-causing bacteria and also have a greater antibacterial effect that benzoyl peroxide.