There are some people that stay away from dairy due to allergies or a lactose intolerance, but, even if you do not suffer from either of these, you may still find it beneficial to cut back on the amount of dairy that you consume. From inflammation and acne to accelerated aging, dairy can have such a negative impact on your skin, which is why eliminating this from your diet could soon result in the healthy and flawless complexion that you have never previously been able to quite achieve.
A Trigger for Acne
While dairy is unlikely to be the sole cause of your acne, it is definitely likely to be a significant trigger. No matter where your dairy comes from, even if it is from well-raised grass-fed, organic cows, it will still be full of testosterone-like hormones. Not only are these naturally occurring, but they are also a result of the synthetic hormones that cows are injected with in order to increase milk production. Once this ends up in your system, it alters the way in which your body functions, resulting in excess production of sebum, clogged pores and acne breakouts.
Premature Aging
As mentioned above, dairy is packed with hormones and growth factors, and this causes inflammation and oxidation within the skin. Several studies have pointed to these issues as being one of the top causes of premature aging, as it causes significant degeneration within skin cells.
Digestive Problems
Even if you have managed to develop a tolerance to lactose, the human body is not able to naturally break this down without the enzyme lactase. While this is present in human breast milk, it is not found in dairy products, which means that the lactose can cause a range of problems to your digestive tract. Whenever your body is dealing with issues internally, this will often manifest itself on your skin in so many different ways, making it important to pay attention to the way in which your skin reacts each time you consume dairy products.
Skin Irritation
Being so inflammatory, it comes as no surprise that dairy can cause several skin conditions to flare up, including eczema, psoriasis and rosacea. This is due to the way in which dairy causes internal inflammation, and the skin is simply responding to this. The best way to prevent this from happening is by eliminating the trigger, which, in this case, would be dairy.
Dairy Alternatives
Whether due to lactose intolerance or allergies, more and more people are now shunning dairy in favor of healthier alternatives. The alternatives that you choose depend on what you are using it for, as each one has its own set of advantages. For those that simply enjoy drinking a glass of milk, try opting for an unsweetened nut milk instead, as these are also fantastic sources of healthy fats that will boost the health of your skin, rather than damaging it in the way that dairy does. In addition to milk, there are so many other dairy-free products out there, from ice creams to cheeses, so take the time to explore what is available near you.
While dairy is often touted as being extremely beneficial, this is far from the truth, and you are likely to look and feel much healthier if you cut back on the amount of dairy that you consume. Fortunately, there are so many other alternatives easily available, which will make the change much easier.
