Pork pie vs ham for acne
Pork pie scores 68/100 (WARN) and ham scores 96/100 (GLOW) on SpotBite's Skin Score. Ham is the safer choice by 28 points, and the gap comes mostly from glycemic load.
Where the gap comes from
- Glycemic: Pork pie has glycemic load 9 (18 g carbs), Ham has 0 (1.3 g carbs). Faster sugar means more insulin, which can raise skin oil.
- Inflammatory fats: Pork pie has 9 g saturated fat and 2.1 g omega-6, Ham has 2.1 g and 0.5 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
| Pork pie | Ham | |
|---|---|---|
| Glycemic (of 50) | GL 9 −16.2 | no carbs 0 |
| Dairy (of 25) | 0 g 0 | 0 g 0 |
| Inflammation (of 25) | 9 g sat · 2.1 g ω-6 −16.3 | 2.1 g sat · 0.5 g ω-6 −3.8 |
| Skin Boost (of 25) | 0.1 g ω-3 · low polyphenols +0.8 | 0 g ω-3 · low polyphenols 0 |
| Skin Score | 68 · WARN | 96 · GLOW |
Estimates for a typical serving. Real foods vary by brand and recipe.
Verdict
If you are acne-prone, ham is the better pick of the two. A 28-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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