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Does greek yogurt cause acne?
Photo: Amnah Mohammad / Pexels
Greek yogurt may add to breakouts if you eat it often or in large amounts.
One serving brings some glycemic load, a lot of dairy (milk hormones) and a little saturated fat or omega-6. It also gives omega-3, which the research links to calmer skin.
Why this score
- Glycemic: 6.1 g carbs at GI 12 = glycemic load 0.7 (low to medium). A small, slow rise in blood sugar.
- Dairy: 170 g. Milk proteins may act like growth signals; for some people they raise skin oil within a few days.
- Inflammation: 6.8 g saturated fat and 0.2 g omega-6, a small load.
- Skin Boost: 0.1 g omega-3, which small trials link to fewer inflamed spots (+0.8).
Evidence: Hoppe 2004 (n=24): 1.5 L of skim milk a day raised IGF-1 by 19% within 7 days (study). Caperton 2014 double-blind RCT (n=14): one dose of 100% cocoa increased acne lesions by day 4 (study). All 13 sources.
Score breakdown
| Axis | What it measures | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Glycemic | Glycemic load GL 0.7 | −1.3 / 50 |
| Dairy | Dairy grams (milk hormones) | −25 / 25 |
| Inflammation | Saturated fat + omega-6 | −8.7 / 25 |
| Skin Boost | Omega-3 + polyphenols | +0.8 / 25 |
| Skin Score | 66 / 100 · WARN |
Nutrition in one serving (170 g)
| Carbs | 6.1 g · GI 12 |
|---|---|
| Dairy | 170 g |
| Saturated fat | 6.8 g |
| Omega-6 | 0.2 g |
| Omega-3 | 0.1 g |
| Polyphenols | low |
Estimates for a typical serving eaten with a meal. Real foods vary by brand and recipe.
Try instead
- Oat milk version
- Almond milk swap
- Coconut yogurt
Compared with
- Greek yogurt vs plain yogurt 69
- Greek yogurt vs frozen yogurt 40
- Greek yogurt vs kefir 62
- Greek yogurt vs vanilla ice cream 49
- Greek yogurt vs cottage cheese 71
- Greek yogurt vs lassi 53
- Greek yogurt vs coffee creamer 92
Not medical advice. This score is for greek yogurt 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
- Whole milk 64
- Skim milk 68
- Cheddar cheese 71
- Mozzarella 71
- Parmesan 85
- Cream cheese 68
- Cottage cheese 71
- Feta cheese 72