Dairy, Iodine, and Acne

December 20th, 2005

In a recent post here on the Everything Acne.com blog we talked about the potential link between dairy intake and acne. The authors of the cited study conlcuded that “…the association with milk may be because of the presence of hormones and bioactive molecules in milk.”

In a follow up letter, another dermatologist hypothesized that perhaps the iodine content of milk may also be playing a role in the development of acne. Prior studies have shown that iodine can worsen acne and other evidence has shown significant levels of iodine in milk. This iodine content results from the fortification of animal feed with idoine and the use of iodine containing sanitizing solutions on the cows’ udders and milking equipment.

It is hard to know for sure, but perhaps these issues will be addressed in a prospective study in the near future.

Entry Filed under: General Acne News