Marshmallows vs dark chocolate for acne
Marshmallows scores 78/100 (GOOD) and dark chocolate scores 89/100 (GOOD) on SpotBite's Skin Score. Dark chocolate is the safer choice by 11 points, and the gap comes mostly from glycemic load.
Where the gap comes from
- Glycemic: Marshmallows has glycemic load 12.4 (20 g carbs), Dark chocolate has 3.2 (14 g carbs). Faster sugar means more insulin, which can raise skin oil.
- Inflammatory fats: Marshmallows has 0 g saturated fat and 0 g omega-6, Dark chocolate has 7.5 g and 0.3 g.
- Skin boost: Marshmallows gets +0 from omega-3 and polyphenols, Dark chocolate gets +5.
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
| Marshmallows | Dark chocolate | |
|---|---|---|
| Glycemic (of 50) | GL 12.4 −21.7 | GL 3.2 −5.8 |
| Dairy (of 25) | 0 g 0 | 0 g 0 |
| Inflammation (of 25) | 0 g sat · 0 g ω-6 0 | 7.5 g sat · 0.3 g ω-6 −9.8 |
| Skin Boost (of 25) | 0 g ω-3 · low polyphenols 0 | 0 g ω-3 · medium polyphenols +5 |
| Skin Score | 78 · GOOD | 89 · GOOD |
Estimates for a typical serving. Real foods vary by brand and recipe.
Verdict
If you are acne-prone, dark chocolate 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.
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