Does eating peanuts cause acne breakouts? Dermatologist answers

Legend has it that eating peanuts causes acne to flare up, but is it true?

On Saturday's episode of "Pinoy MD," flight attendant Kimberly Angcay shared her breakout experience after finishing a pack of peanuts.

"Every time kumakain ako ng nuts, nagkaka-breakout talaga ako [Every time I eat nuts, I really get breakouts]," she told Pinoy MD.

When she noticed that her skin kept getting worse after consuming nuts, she decided to self-medicate by doing online research which had her resort to water fasting and switching to a healthy lifestyle.

READ: 5 things you can do to achieve clear pimple-free skin

But according to dermatologist Jean Marquez, fasting is not 100 percent reliable in curing acne breakouts.

"[Itong fasting,] it can actually help the skin and body as a whole," she said. "But, of course, kailangan din ng guidance kasi hindi lahat ng pasyente ay maaaring mag-undergo ng fasting."

("But of course, guidance is needed because not all patients can undergo fasting.")

According to Kimberly, the water fasting, healthy diet, and regular exercise helped her acne to subside for quite some time, but it came back. So, she decided to book an appointment with a dermatologist.

Acne is a common skin condition among men and women caused by blocked hair follicles, resulting in dead skin cells being unable to come out.

Now, does eating peanuts cause acne to flare up? Dr. Marquez said there is not enough study to answer that for sure. However, the saturated oil used in cooking peanuts, such as vegetable and canola oil, could be one of the causes of acne breakouts when eating peanuts.

"This [saturated oil] can actually cause an increase in insulin growth factor, which can cause an increase in androgen hormones resulting in pimples," the dermatologist explained.

Dr. Marquez advised that the best way to combat acne is to take care of the skin. Her recommendations included getting enough sleep, avoiding food that can cause inflammation, like sugar, cow's milk, saturated oils, and processed foods, and maintaining a good skincare regimen.

Watch "Pinoy MD" every Saturday, 6 a.m. on GMA Network.

—Hermes Joy Tunac/MGP, GMA News