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Does diet cola cause acne?
Photo: alleksana / Pexels
Diet cola is one of the more skin-friendly foods you can eat.
One serving adds almost no sugar, dairy, or inflammatory fat.
Why this score
- Glycemic: no meaningful carbs, so no insulin spike from this food.
- Dairy: none.
- Inflammation: almost no saturated fat or omega-6.
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
| Axis | What it measures | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Glycemic | Glycemic load (no meaningful carbs) | −0 / 50 |
| Dairy | Dairy grams (milk hormones) | −0 / 25 |
| Inflammation | Saturated fat + omega-6 | −0 / 25 |
| Skin Boost | Omega-3 + polyphenols | +0 / 25 |
| Skin Score | 100 / 100 · GLOW |
Nutrition in one serving (355 g)
| Carbs | 0 g |
|---|---|
| Dairy | 0 g |
| Saturated fat | 0 g |
| Omega-6 | 0 g |
| Omega-3 | 0 g |
| Polyphenols | low |
Estimates for a typical serving eaten with a meal. Real foods vary by brand and recipe.
Compared with
- Diet cola vs cola 65
- Diet cola vs energy drink 68
- Diet cola vs latte 61
- Diet cola vs hot chocolate 54
- Diet cola vs milk tea 35
- Diet cola vs chai latte 45
- Diet cola vs chocolate milk 58
- Diet cola vs milkshake 32
- Diet cola vs yakult 66
- Diet cola vs lassi 53
Not medical advice. This score is for diet cola on its own. What you eat with it changes the result: protein and fat slow the sugar spike, and breakouts usually show up 3 to 7 days after a meal, which is why SpotBite tracks your meals over time rather than judging one food. Diet is one factor among many (hormones, genetics, skincare, stress, sleep).
See your own pattern
Scan what you actually eat and SpotBite shows which foods line up with your breakouts a few days later. Free on iPhone and Android.
Related foods
- Cola 65
- Orange juice 82
- Apple juice 83
- Lemonade 81
- Sweet iced tea 76
- Energy drink 68
- Sports drink 72
- Latte 61