Dried cranberries vs raspberries for acne
Dried cranberries scores 83/100 (GOOD) and raspberries scores 100/100 (GLOW) on SpotBite's Skin Score. Raspberries is the safer choice by 17 points, and the gap comes mostly from glycemic load.
Where the gap comes from
- Glycemic: Dried cranberries has glycemic load 12.6 (21 g carbs), Raspberries has 2.3 (7.2 g carbs). Faster sugar means more insulin, which can raise skin oil.
Evidence: Smith 2007 RCT (n=43): a low-glycemic-load diet for 12 weeks lowered acne lesion count by 23.5 on average, versus 12 on the control diet (study). All 13 sources.
Score breakdown, side by side
| Dried cranberries | Raspberries | |
|---|---|---|
| Glycemic (of 50) | GL 12.6 −22 | GL 2.3 −4.1 |
| Dairy (of 25) | 0 g 0 | 0 g 0 |
| Inflammation (of 25) | 0.1 g sat · 0.1 g ω-6 −0.4 | 0 g sat · 0.1 g ω-6 −0.3 |
| Skin Boost (of 25) | 0 g ω-3 · medium polyphenols +5 | 0.1 g ω-3 · medium polyphenols +5.8 |
| Skin Score | 83 · GOOD | 100 · GLOW |
Estimates for a typical serving. Real foods vary by brand and recipe.
Verdict
If you are acne-prone, raspberries is the better pick of the two. A 17-point gap is the kind of swap that can show up in your skin within a week or two.
Not medical advice. Both scores are for the food on its own. What you eat with it changes the result, and breakouts usually show up 3 to 7 days after a meal. Diet is one factor among many.
See your own pattern
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