Ketchup vs bBQ sauce for acne
Ketchup scores 100/100 (GLOW) and bBQ sauce scores 87/100 (GOOD) on SpotBite's Skin Score. Ketchup is the safer choice by 13 points, and the gap comes mostly from glycemic load.
Where the gap comes from
- Glycemic: Ketchup has glycemic load 2.8 (5 g carbs), BBQ sauce has 9.9 (18 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
| Ketchup | BBQ sauce | |
|---|---|---|
| Glycemic (of 50) | GL 2.8 −5 | GL 9.9 −17.8 |
| Dairy (of 25) | 0 g 0 | 0 g 0 |
| Inflammation (of 25) | 0 g sat · 0 g ω-6 0 | 0.1 g sat · 0.1 g ω-6 −0.4 |
| Skin Boost (of 25) | 0 g ω-3 · medium polyphenols +5 | 0 g ω-3 · medium polyphenols +5 |
| Skin Score | 100 · GLOW | 87 · GOOD |
Estimates for a typical serving. Real foods vary by brand and recipe.
Verdict
If you are acne-prone, ketchup is the better pick of the 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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