Acne and Vitamins A & E

In general, traditional medicine does not recognize that dietary factors can have anything to do with acne. Recent research appearing in Clinical & Experimental Dermatology (2006; 31(3): 430-3) may show that there is a nutrient connection. In the study, 100 subjects who were recently diagnosed with acne were compared to 100 healthy controls. The subjects with acne had lower serum concentrations of vitamins A and E when compared to the subjects without acne. Also, subjects with severe acne had much lower serum concentrations of the two nutrients than subjects with mild acne.

Nutrients and the Treatment of Acne

            Research appearing in the journal Cutis (July, 1981;28:41-42) shows that a nutritional approach to acne may be useful. The researchers treated 98 acne patients who had not been treated with antibiotics. The subjects took vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin B6 (for women with acne that is worse during menses). They were told to not eat a lot of refined sugar and fat, to avoid soft drinks, avoid female hormones (including birth control pills), avoid iron, avoid iodine (including iodized salt), avoid vitamin B12 and limit dairy consumption. Ninety of the 98 patients improved significantly and 42 of the patients had a 90 – 100% improvement within two months.  

Zinc and Acne

 Zinc may be beneficial to acne patients. Research appearing in Acta Dermato-Venereologica Stokholm (1989;69:541-543) showed that zinc supplementation may help improve acne. Patients taking 30 milligrams of elemental zinc (as zinc gluconate) per day showed more improvement in their acne when compared to controls not taking zinc. Other research appearing in Acta Dermato-Venereologica Stokholm (1989;69:541-543) and in the Archives of Dermatolology (January, 1977;113:31-36) both show zinc supplementation to help acne patients. Research appearing in the International Journal of Dermatology (October, 1982;21(8):481-484) found that men and women with severe acne had a significantly lower serum zinc than subjects in the control group. Within the same sex group, those with severe acne had much lower serum zinc than subjects with minor acne.

Zinc deficiency is common

Researchers have found that supplementation with vitamin A, iron and zinc helps the immune systems of children in developing countries. Little attention has been paid to the body’s zinc requirement because it is difficult to measure zinc levels in the blood. .

According to the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), the immune system of young children shows a clear reaction to shortages of one of the three substances (iron, zinc or vitamin A). Research has shown that zinc deficiency leads to a reduction in the number of white blood cells and that a lack of vitamin A weakens the cell’s immune response.

The NWO researchers conclude that children probably have better resistance to disease if they consume enough iron, zinc and vitamin A.  Zinc deficiency in developing countries is often due to the same causes as iron deficiency. It is the result of one-sided nutrition consisting of cereals, pulses and vegetables, without animal products. This type of diet contains a lot of phytateswhich bind iron and zinc and make it difficult for the blood to absorb them. Half of all pregnant women in developing countries suffer from anaemia because of a deficiency of iron. The NWO study indicates that a shortage of zinc might be just as common.