Does Eating Egg Cause Acne?

Eggs are a popular breakfast staple around the globe, besides being loaded with vitamins, minerals, high-quality protein, and low calories. But, can you believe that such a fantastic food item can actually worsen your skin blemishes?

There is a cloud of doubt over eggs as an acne-causing food item. But, do eggs actually cause acne, or is this just a rumor? Let’s see what the components of an egg are and how they can impact your skin.

Highlights:

• What Nutrients Does An Egg Contain?
• How Does Egg Cause Acne?
• How To Know If Eggs Are Causing Acne?
• Precautions To Take If Eggs Cause Acne
• How Much Quantity Of Egg Is Recommended?

What Nutrients Does An Egg Contain?

Along with milk, eggs are also enriched with high-quality protein, saturated fats, multiple vitamins, minerals like iron, carotenoids, and several beneficial microelements. According to the record of the U.S. Department Of Agriculture[1], a large egg contains:

• Protein: 6.3g
• Vitamin A: 80µg
• Vitamin B2 (riboflavin): 0.229 mg
• Vitamin B12 (cobalamin): 0.445 µg
• Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid): 0.765 mg
• Vitamin B-6: 0.085 mg
• Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol): 0.525 mg
• Vitamin D (D2 + D3): 41 IU
• Vitamin K (phylloquinone): 0.15 µg

Along with protein and almost every vitamin, eggs also contain varieties of minerals, including calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, copper, fluoride, selenium, etc., in small amounts. A large egg contains about 72 – 75 Kcal energy, approx. 5 grams of fat and negligible amounts of carbohydrates.

Eggs also contain choline [2], which is a very important nutrient for brain development. They also have lutein and zeaxanthin; antioxidants that are beneficial in protecting your eyes [3]. An egg is also enriched with essential fatty acid, lecithin, which works as an emollient.

The retinol [4] of an egg is highly beneficial for the human skin in various ways. Similarly, the presence of selenium can protect your body from damage caused by free radicals.

How Does Egg Cause Acne?

Some of the components of an egg can indeed trigger acne under certain circumstances. Here are the key reasons that lead to acne in some people.

1. Biotin As A Culprit

Some people believe that the rich content of biotin in eggs is the reason behind causing acne. Biotin is a well-known component, influencing the good health of your hair and skin. However, in excessive proportions, it can cause harm.

Eggs contain biotin in high amounts, and it covers a significant portion of Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs). Excess amounts of biotin can influence the excess production of keratin, causing hyperkeratosis, which can ultimately lead to blemishes.

2. Iodine Content

Some people blame this halogen for causing acne. The iodine content of an egg can indirectly trigger acne. But that happens as a side effect of a positive fixation on your body. Confused? On average, an egg contains 25 µg of iodine. This amount of iodine is enough to trigger a fluoride purge.

Fluoride is a toxic mineral that doesn’t leave your body easily and can even lead to zits. Iodine can push out fluoride from the human body. As the fluoride gets eliminated from your system, your body removes it along the dead skin, sweat, or sebum. This can cause acne. So, while the iodine content in eggs is beneficial, it’s the fluoride in your system that triggers the acne during elimination.

3. Presence Of Excessive Progesterone

Progesterone in eggs can be another culprit to break out zits. While the human body synthesizes progesterone on its own, consuming extra hormones in a regular diet can disrupt the natural hormonal balance of your body. An abrupt increase in progesterone level can lead to blemishes.

Again, the result may vary from person to person. Different people have different tolerance levels and different modes of reactivity to certain things. If you are on medications like birth control medicine with high progesterone (the Rx version of progesterone) content, then excess egg consumption can lead to acne.

You may have seen people eating eggs for years without any acne issues. One possible reason is taking the right quantity of eggs as per your body's needs. So, it is better to keep track of your egg consumption and make the needful changes if you face any acne issues.

4. Excess Albumin

Albumin is a kind of protein that your liver synthesizes on its own. It is an essential protein that helps to carry vitamins, hormones, and enzymes to different parts of the body. But, overconsumption of external albumin can take a toll on your digestive system. So, excess albumin may not break down and deposit in your lymphatic system.

Egg white is a rich resource of albumin. When your system fails to break down albumin, it clogs up the lymphatic system causing inflammations. It may also lead to acne.

5. Leaky Gut Syndrome

This is a medical condition in which toxins in your stomach pass into your bloodstream. There are some known culprits of this gastrointestinal issue, such as milk products, corn, soy, gluten, and, of course, eggs.

Along with multiple other symptoms [5], inflammations in your body, skin problems like acne, rashes, or eczema are quite common expressions of a leaky gut syndrome.

How To Know If Eggs Are Causing Acne?

The best way to know whether eggs are the reason behind your acne or any inflammation is to stop consuming eggs for a month. If eggs were the trigger of your zits or rashes, they would reduce within 10-15 days of egg elimination from your diet.

SkinKraft Tip:

For the most effective testing, you should also avoid egg-containing baked items. If you confirm that egg is the culprit behind your skin zits, you can either completely avoid eggs or try to find out the egg tolerance capacity of your system.

When finding your egg tolerance threshold, remember that everybody is different and has their own unique threshold. Slow reintroduction can be an effective way to find your individual threshold. You can start with one egg and wait for a week to see if any visible effect is there. If eggs are the reason for your breakout, it will happen within three days of egg consumption.

In this way, you can start with one egg once a week. As the goal is to determine how much egg you can consume without any problem, you can slowly increase the number of eggs as the days pass and check. However, it is advisable to avoid consuming any food item that causes inflammation.

Precautions To Take If Eggs Cause Acne

If you have already identified eggs as your acne-causing factor, don't worry. Give your skin time to heal naturally, or try some home remedies to soothe your skin. Meanwhile, decrease your egg consumption to prevent any further irritation. Another more practical option is to immediately stop egg consumption and give your acne time to heal. Then, after one month, you can try reintroducing eggs to your meal, as explained above.

Note:

If you have already stopped consuming eggs and still have acne issues, then there might be something else causing inflammation in your body. It is better to consult a dermatologist to help with your acne without depriving yourself of the goodness of eggs.

How Much Quantity Of Egg Is Recommended?

There is no fixed or recommended quantity of egg consumption. Every person is unique, and everyone has different health conditions or egg tolerance capacities. According to a recent study, an average healthy person can consume up to seven eggs a week. One whole egg or two egg whites a day can be part of a balanced diet.

Wrapping up

Your habits of regular egg intake can impact your acne condition. Some of the components of eggs can trigger inflammation. If you encounter eggs as the culprit, stop egg consumption immediately and help your skin to recover from acne breakouts. After a month's gap, you can try to reintroduce eggs and find your individual egg tolerance capacity. Even after complete egg elimination, if your acne issue persists, do not hesitate to consult your dermatologist. Know your skin well to understand what ingredients best suit it.

Begin By Knowing Your Skin