French fries vs sweet potato for acne
French fries scores 51/100 (WARN) and sweet potato scores 73/100 (GOOD) on SpotBite's Skin Score. Sweet potato is the safer choice by 22 points, and the gap comes mostly from inflammatory fats.
Where the gap comes from
- Glycemic: French fries has glycemic load 26.3 (35 g carbs), Sweet potato has 18.9 (30 g carbs). Faster sugar means more insulin, which can raise skin oil.
- Inflammatory fats: French fries has 2.3 g saturated fat and 4.5 g omega-6, Sweet potato has 0.1 g and 0.1 g.
- Skin boost: French fries gets +0.8 from omega-3 and polyphenols, Sweet potato gets +5.
Evidence: Caperton 2014 double-blind RCT (n=14): one dose of 100% cocoa increased acne lesions by day 4 (study). All 13 sources.
Score breakdown, side by side
| French fries | Sweet potato | |
|---|---|---|
| Glycemic (of 50) | GL 26.3 −35.8 | GL 18.9 −31.8 |
| Dairy (of 25) | 0 g 0 | 0 g 0 |
| Inflammation (of 25) | 2.3 g sat · 4.5 g ω-6 −14.5 | 0.1 g sat · 0.1 g ω-6 −0.4 |
| Skin Boost (of 25) | 0.1 g ω-3 · low polyphenols +0.8 | 0 g ω-3 · medium polyphenols +5 |
| Skin Score | 51 · WARN | 73 · GOOD |
Estimates for a typical serving. Real foods vary by brand and recipe.
Verdict
If you are acne-prone, sweet potato is the better pick of the two. A 22-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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