Soy Triggers Acne

Did you know there’s a link between acne and soy consumption? Acne and other skin conditions can destroy your confidence. Which leaves you feeling helpless when you don’t understand what could be causing it. Most people are unaware of the huge acne culprit that soy is. Let’s talk about how soy triggers acne. Soy is in everything. Literally everything. Processed foods is where most soy can be found. You have to be an acne detective to really uncover all of the soy hidden in our products.

While the underlying causes of skin conditions or breakouts are different for each person, certain foods play a big role in our skin health. What most people don’t know is soy causes inflammation and inhibits the absorption of vital vitamins and minerals, contributing to breakouts. Soy is in almost everything we consume these days from what we eat, to what we drink to even what we put on our skin.

How Soy Triggers Acne

Soy is found in many products that you would never suspect. Soy comes from soybeans, a type of legume. Soybeans can be made into flour, soy milk, tofu, oil, and other products.

Other foods in the legume family include peanut, navy beans, kidney beans, lima beans, string beans, pinto beans, chickpeas (garbanzo beans), lentils, peas, black-eyed peas, and licorice. Some people with soy allergies may have a reaction after eating other legumes.

Over and above the obvious like miso soup and Soy sauce, other food products that have Soy in their ingredients include:

• Dressings, gravies, marinades, mayonnaise
• Seasonings, seasoning salt and seasoning blends
• Soups, broths and soups mixes
• Deli meat and processed meats e.g. burgers, meat substitutes, patties, wieners
• Baby formulas
• Baked goods and baking mixes like breads, bread crumbs, cereals, cookies
• Breaded foods
• Beverage mixes
• Chili, pastas, stews, taco filling, tamales
• Canned tuna, minced hams
• Chewing gum
• Chocolate candies and chocolate bars
• Cooking spray, margarine, vegetable shortening, vegetable oil
• Diet drinks, imitation milk
• Imitation crab and other imitation fish
• Snack foods like candy, candy bars, popcorn, energy bars
• Spreads, dips, mayonnaise, peanut butter
• Thickening agents
• Vegetarian dishes

All that being said means that you must read the ingredient label every time you buy or eat a product if you want to avoid consuming soy. When reading the ingredient list in products keep in mind that soy goes by other names including:

• Vegetable protein. Hydrolyzed plant protein (HPP), hydrolyzed soy protein (HSP), hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP)
• Bean curd (dofu, kori-dofu, soybean curds, tofu)
• Edamame
• Miso
• Nimame
• Okara
• Tempeh
• Yuba

Eating Out when Soy Triggers Acne

Unfortunately eating out can be very challenging because soy is hidden in so many foods. A pro tip for eating out with food sensitivity is to try and avoid soups, sauces, and salad dressings at restaurants. These are the places you’re most likely to find soy.

Soy was once a popular (and even somewhat trendy) vegan alternative to dairy, but it’s now more popular as a food sensitivity.

Soy products such as tofu, soy milk, and soy protein contain high-levels of phytoestrogens (naturally occurring compounds found in plants) that affect our body’s natural estrogen receptors. In excess, soy leads to decreased estrogen levels and increased levels of androgens (male hormones), which impact the formation of acne by causing our glands to produce more pore-clogging sebum. In other words, consuming soy triggers acne breakouts.

What to Eat Instead of Soy

Don’t worry – There are always alternative options to consuming soy. For instance, choose nut milk over soy milk, and replace tofu with beans or organic, grass-fed meat if you include animal products in your diet.

PS: If you’re a sushi lover, no cause for concern there either – you can replace soy sauce with coconut aminos, which can be found at any health food store.

All of these soy-free options are good for your skin because they’re less processed (which means they’re higher in nutrients), free from phytoestrogens, and are less likely to cause food sensitivities or breakouts.

So Long Soy

Soy is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to food that causes acne breakouts. Clean up your diet and get serious about your skin goals and watch your life transform. There are habits you can practice to get the healthy glow you desire – you just need to be disciplined and make necessary changes to your lifestyle.

Schedule your initial consultation today and let us help you get started on your clear skin journey and freedom from acne. You deserve it!

Cheers to clear!

Rene