Acne Despite a Conscious Diet? Animal Products Might Play a Role
You avoid sugar and highly processed foods.
You focus on quality ingredients.
And yet your skin remains inflamed, reactive, or breaks out without a clear reason?
Then it may be worth taking a closer look at a factor that is often overlooked when it comes to acne: animal-based foods.
Not because they are inherently “bad” —
but because they can trigger processes in the body that show up on the skin.
Acne Is Rarely Just a Skin Problem
Acne usually doesn’t appear by chance. In many cases, it is the result of internal processes — especially the interaction between:
- the gut
- hormones
- inflammation
- stress
Animal products can influence all of these systems. For some people strongly, for others hardly at all. This individual variability is one reason the connection often goes unnoticed.
Why Animal Products Can Promote Acne
Animal-based foods differ fundamentally from plant-based foods. They contain:
- animal proteins
- saturated fats
- natural hormones and hormone-like substances
- often residues from farming, feed, or processing
This combination can promote inflammatory processes in the body — particularly when the gut and metabolism are already under strain.
The Impact on the Gut
Animal products contain no dietary fiber. Fiber, however, is the primary food source for beneficial gut bacteria.
A diet high in animal products can lead to:
- an overgrowth of inflammation-promoting gut bacteria
- increased putrefaction processes in the gut
- toxic metabolic byproducts
- a weakened intestinal barrier
The skin
