Why do I develop pimples on my face whenever I use butter on bread? What causes this and what alternatives can I use to make my bread tastier? Gideon

Dear Gedeon,

What is your age? Pimples are more common in adolescence and teen years. Puberty causes hormone levels to rise, especially testosterone. These changing hormones cause skin glands to start making more oil i.e. sebum. Oil is released from the pores to protect the skin and keep it moist. Acne begins when oil mixes with dead cells and clogs the skin’s pores. Bacteria can grow in this mixture and if this mixture leaks into nearby tissues, it causes swelling, redness, and pus. This swelling is called a pimple.

Though common in teenagers, acne and pimples can develop at any age. Even middle aged and elderly can have it, though it is uncommon. A new born can get acne if the mother has passed higher levels of testosterone to him. At times, stress of birth can cause release of hormones causing acne in a new born.

Certain hormonal disorders like polycystic ovarian syndrome, Cushing’s syndrome can lead to acne and pimples as manifestation. Certain drugs like corticoids, antidepressants like lithium can cause acne as adverse effect. Apart from all these, a genetic predisposition is also present. It was postulated that oily and fatty food induce and aggravate formation of acne and pimples. However this has not been proved scientifically in recent studies,

Butter does make the bread tastier, but is also rich in cholesterol and fat. Unless one is physically very active, it tends to augment weight. This tends to cause obesity related diseases like diabetes high blood pressure and heart problems and hence not a good choice to use regularly. Alternate healthy choice would be to use fresh vegetables like tomato, cabbage, cucumber, e.t.c. with bread. Fruits like avocado, mango, e.t.c. can be cut into slices and used as bread spread. Salt, black pepper, e.t.c. any flavoring substance can be used to enhance their flavor. Regular physical exercise is also helpful.