The good news? The study is hardly conclusive evidence that you need to back away from the chocolate to find your way to clear skin. Yes, the researchers found a link between acne and chocolate, but they’re not sure how many of the young adults surveyed were eating chocolate and how many were eating other sweets that could have contributed to skin problems. Plus, the researchers asked little about the rest of the participants’ diet and lifestyle habits, meaning it’s impossible to definitively connect the dots between chocolate and acne, in this case, at least. “There have been thoroughly and correctly conducted studies on chocolate and there’s never been anything that pointed to it causing acne,” says Diane Walder, MD, a cosmetic dermatologist based in Miami. But there is a food-acne connection: Foods with a high glycemic index (think white breads, pretzels, and potatoes) trigger a spike in your blood sugar that, in turn, triggers acne, Walder says. MORE: The Surprising Amount Of Sugar You’re Consuming Sugars and saturated fats are also on the zit list. “They cause the sebum in your pores to become thicker and less fluid, so instead of moving dead skin cells lining your pores to the surface, it forms a plug that clogs the pore, and eventually causes a blemish,” explains says Rachel Nazarian, MD, a dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology Group in New York City and New Jersey. Another not-so-fun fact: sugars make your collagen fibers stiffer, which accelerates the aging process, Walder says. That said, when a chocolate craving strikes, Nazarian recommends choosing dark chocolate, which contains 6% less milk fat than milk chocolate. “Personally, I consume a lot of dark chocolate,” she says. “As long as the rest of your diet is low in sugar and fat, you can definitely enjoy it in moderation.” MORE: The New Science Of Clear Skin
