Milkshake vs diet cola for acne
Milkshake scores 32/100 (AVOID) and diet cola scores 100/100 (GLOW) on SpotBite's Skin Score. Diet cola is the safer choice by 68 points, and the gap comes mostly from glycemic load.
Where the gap comes from
- Glycemic: Milkshake has glycemic load 20.8 (52 g carbs), Diet cola has 0 (0 g carbs). Faster sugar means more insulin, which can raise skin oil.
- Dairy: Milkshake has 320 g of dairy, Diet cola has 0 g. Milk proteins can act like growth signals in the skin.
- Inflammatory fats: Milkshake has 8.5 g saturated fat and 0.4 g omega-6, Diet cola has 0 g and 0 g.
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
| Milkshake | Diet cola | |
|---|---|---|
| Glycemic (of 50) | GL 20.8 −32.5 | no carbs 0 |
| Dairy (of 25) | 320 g −25 | 0 g 0 |
| Inflammation (of 25) | 8.5 g sat · 0.4 g ω-6 −11.2 | 0 g sat · 0 g ω-6 0 |
| Skin Boost (of 25) | 0.1 g ω-3 · low polyphenols +0.8 | 0 g ω-3 · low polyphenols 0 |
| Skin Score | 32 · AVOID | 100 · GLOW |
Estimates for a typical serving. Real foods vary by brand and recipe.
Verdict
If you are acne-prone, diet cola is the better pick of the two. A 68-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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