Vitamins help in acne prevention

Like various other body disorders and diseases, diet in general and “vitamins” in particular, play a key role in the prevention, management and rapid healing of acne. While all vitamins are considered beneficial for our health and the body, there are some specific vitamins that have been proved to be highly beneficial in the treatment of acne or prevention against its out breaks. Similarly, scientific data has proved that the deficiency of these “acne vitamins” has been found to be closely linked with the “aggravation’ or increase in severity of acne attacks.

What are vitamins?

Vitamins are certain “micro nutrients” that can only be obtained through diet (and by sunlight) and are considered “essential” for the growth, development and maintenance of general health of the human body.

What are acne vitamins?

Scientific evidence has shown that the presence of certain vitamins or their deficiency in the diet is closely linked the development of regression of acne. This group of vitamins can be called as “acne vitamins” and include (but is not limited to) vitamin A, vitamin C, Vitamin E and some vitamins of B complex.

Vitamin A (Retinol)

Vitamin A is, perhaps, the important vitamin in preventing the development of acne, but none quite as important as Vitamin A. This is because Vitamin A is essential for the conversion of the fatty acids in the blood stream into the oil of the sebaceous gland in a form that is normal and healthy.

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

A chief co-factor for Vitamin A is riboflavin. Without enough Vitamin B-2, no matter how much vitamin A is taken, much of it will remain inactive and ineffective. Even adequate supplies of Vitamin A in the diet will not insure healthy skin without an adequate intake of Vitamin B-2. Riboflavin is also valuable for more than just making Vitamin A more effective. Several studies have found it to be essential for the overall good health of the skin, and deficiencies soon lead to skin problems. If riboflavin is deficient in your diet and the body, this results in cell glucose accumulation and food for the growth of bacteria within the skin pores, which in turn leads to pimples and acne.

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)

Vitamin C, found abundantly in citrus fruits and vegetables, is highly beneficial for healing of skin and inflammation because of its high anti-oxidant properties. Likewise, it has shown significant effects in acne- patients by promoting rapid healing and prevention against scarring.

Vitamin E (Tocopherol)

Vitamin E is a vitamin that works wonders on Acne as it protects Vitamin A from being destroyed by oxygen, or allowing it to become toxic. Research indicates that vitamin E can also reduce the appearance of acne scars. The properties of vitamin E improve the look of skin by promoting antioxidant activity.

Vitamin B3 (Niacin)

Vitamin B3 promotes healthy skin by improving circulation. It also helps the body metabolism carbohydrates, proteins and fat. Like riboflavin, niacinamide is an absolutely essential nutrient which assures your body and its skin of improved cell respiration and increased energy production in each of your skin cell. By speeding up the conversion of glucose into energy in the mitochondria of the cell, it helps remove the surplus sugar in the skin cells, and so that the bacteria in the skin pores will find themselves starving for a lack of food.

Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)

Vitamin B5 is naturally found in eggs, yeast, whole-wheat products, broccoli and red meat. Remember, acne occurs because the pores on your face become clogged with oil. Vitamin B5 increases your body's ability to break down oil. As you increase the amount of Vitamin B5 you ingest, you are able to break down and metabolize more and more oil until there isn't enough to clog pores and cause acne.

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)

Vitamin B6 is beneficial in the improvement of everyone’s skin, because without it, the proteins so essential in the daily replacement of skin cells cannot be produced. But, it is especially helpful for females. Most women find acne gets a lot worse in the week before their menstrual period. Researchers have found that when women experiencing this problem supplemented with 50 mg of Pyridoxine (Vitamin B-6) each day, it eliminated this pre-menstrual flare up.