Pumpkin seeds vs chia seeds for acne
Pumpkin seeds scores 89/100 (GOOD) and chia seeds scores 100/100 (GLOW) on SpotBite's Skin Score. Chia seeds is the safer choice by 11 points, and the gap comes mostly from skin boost (omega-3 and polyphenols).
Where the gap comes from
- Inflammatory fats: Pumpkin seeds has 2.4 g saturated fat and 5.8 g omega-6, Chia seeds has 0.4 g and 0.7 g.
- Skin boost: Pumpkin seeds gets +5.8 from omega-3 and polyphenols, Chia seeds gets +20.
Evidence: Khayef 2012 (n=13): fish oil for 12 weeks cut inflammatory lesions from 10.1 to 5.8 on average (study). All 13 sources.
Score breakdown, side by side
| Pumpkin seeds | Chia seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Glycemic (of 50) | GL 0.3 −0.5 | GL 0.8 −1.3 |
| Dairy (of 25) | 0 g 0 | 0 g 0 |
| Inflammation (of 25) | 2.4 g sat · 5.8 g ω-6 −15.9 | 0.4 g sat · 0.7 g ω-6 −2.3 |
| Skin Boost (of 25) | 0.1 g ω-3 · medium polyphenols +5.8 | 2.1 g ω-3 · medium polyphenols +20 |
| Skin Score | 89 · GOOD | 100 · GLOW |
Estimates for a typical serving. Real foods vary by brand and recipe.
Verdict
If you are acne-prone, chia seeds 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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