FoodsComparisons

Spam vs ham for acne

By SpotBite · Sources: 13 studies · one typical serving of each, on its own · Updated 2026-09-16

Spam scores 88/100 (GOOD) and ham scores 96/100 (GLOW) on SpotBite's Skin Score. Ham is the safer choice by 8 points, and the gap comes mostly from inflammatory fats.

Spam 88 GOOD

Spam

one serving · 56 g

Ham 96 GLOW

Ham

one serving · 85 g

Where the gap comes from

Evidence: Caperton 2014 double-blind RCT (n=14): one dose of 100% cocoa increased acne lesions by day 4 (study). All 13 sources.

Score breakdown, side by side

SpamHam
Glycemic (of 50)no carbs
0
no carbs
0
Dairy (of 25)0 g
0
0 g
0
Inflammation (of 25)6 g sat · 2.1 g ω-6
−12.7
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 Score88 · GOOD96 · 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.

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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