Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study Assessing the Effect of Chocolate Consumption in Subjects with a History of Acne Vulgaris.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the effect of chocolate on acne exacerbation in males between the ages of 18 and 35 with a history of acne vulgaris.

DESIGN

Double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, controlled trial.

SETTING

Single-site, outpatient, research, clinical facility at an academic research institution.

PARTICIPANTS

Fourteen men between the ages of 18 and 35 were assigned to swallow capsules filled with either unsweetened 100-percent cocoa, hydrolyzed gelatin powder, or a combination of the two, at baseline.

MEASUREMENTS

Lesions were assessed and photographs were taken at baseline, Day 4, and Day 7.

RESULTS

Of the 14 subjects, 13 completed this Institutional Review Board approved study. A statistically significant increase in the mean number of total acneiform lesions (comedones, papules, pustules, nodules) was detected on both Day 4 (p=0.006) and Day 7 (p=0.043) compared to baseline. A small-strength positive Pearson's correlation coefficient existed between the amount of chocolate each subject consumed and the number of lesions each subject developed between baseline and Day 4 (r=0.250), while a medium-strength positive correlation existed between baseline and Day 7 (r=0.314). No serious adverse events occurred.

CONCLUSION

It appears that in acne-prone, male individuals, the consumption of chocolate correlates to an increase in the exacerbation of acne.