Vitamins for Acne - can vitamins treat and prevent acne outbreaks?
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We all know that vitamins are essential for our health. But they
are also very important for maintaining healthy skin. What are vitamins
for acne? While the skin defends the body organs against outside
infectious agents, it is also the organ where different toxic compounds
given out through glands and pores. So for proper healing it is
very important to take right vitamins.
There is no singularly vitamin that can miraculously heal acne
affected skin. However, taking certain vitamins can help your skin
natural ability to fight acne. We need to take more than on kind
of important vitamins for acne, as described below.
Vitamin A to treat and prevent acne
Vitamin A is successfully used to treat acne, and its deficiency
can lead to acne outbreaks. The main mechanism by which vitamin
A prevents or reduces acne is by reducing the production of sebum
(natural body oil that is produced beneath the skin and lubricates
it.
But vitamin A also serves another vital function for the skin and
over all health and that is acting as an antioxidant. It relieves
the body of the toxic free radicals. Carrots, green leafy vegetables
and yellow or orange fruits are the best natural sources to get
vitamin A.
Vitamin B
Vitamin B includes several different vitamins such as Thiamine
(vitamin B1), Riboflavin (vitamin B2), Niacin (also called Nicotinic
Acid/Niacinamide, vitaminB3), Pantothenic Acid, Pyridoxine (vitamin
B6), and Cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12). The B vitamins together keep
the skin healthy. Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) is especially important
due to its antioxidant character and B6 (Pyridoxine) too has been
found helpful against acne. Still, the whole B group has great natural
vitamins for acne and very low level of any of these can cause acne.
Natural food sources of vitamin B group include bananas, blackcurrants,
watermelons, green pepper, sweet potatoes, avocados and chickpeas.
Vitamin B5 was particularly proven to work to stop acne.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is important for producing collagen in the body. Collagen
is the connective tissue found in skin and bones. In addition, vitamin
C enhances immunity and protects against infection (of which acne
is one). Vitamin C also helps in the absorption of iron and boosts
healing from within. Remember that you'll need more vitamin C if
you are a smoker or use antibiotics or birth-control pills. Natural
sources of vitamin C are blackcurrant, oranges, blackberry, grapefruit,
and lemon.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is very important for good skin. You can find it added
to most skin care products it has antioxidant properties that work
to heal and repair skin tissues. Vitamin E protects cells from damage
by checking the oxidation of fats and also by inhibiting the formation
of free radicals. Recommended daily dose of vitamin E is 400 IU.
Besides these vitamins for acne, zinc and chromium are minerals
that are useful against acne.
Eating balanced diet would probably supply most of the acne vitamins
you need. You can also take a good multivitamin. Not only it will
bust your immune system and protect you from common cold and other
unpleasant diseases, but it will also keep your skin healthy and
acne free.
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