Vitamin Supplements For Acne

There is really no good that can be derived from acne. Acne does not look good on any type of skin. They?re dirty to look at and are even ickier to the touch. Unfortunately for some of us, acne persists well into adulthood. And while it is easy to say that beauty is just skin deep, the fact is, very few people will give you a second look if you have zits all over your face.

People develop acne when androgenic hormones (particularly testosterone) and premenstrual hormones trigger massive production of sebum in our sweat glands. When the pores are clogged with sebum and dead skin cells, it creates a very fertile breeding ground for bacteria. Bacteria and sebum byproducts cause irritation and inflammation in the pores, resulting in blackheads, whiteheads, pustules, and skin cysts. Some of the things that you can do to prevent acne is through proper hygiene, a change in diet, vitamin supplements for acne and acne-control medicines. Consistently maintaining a regiment that combines all aspects related to dieting, vitamin supplements for acne and anti-acne medicines can forever put acne at bay.

Vitamin Supplements For Acne

The best vitamin supplements for acne are the ones that are specifically taken for skin care: Vitamin A, Zinc, and Omega-3 acids.

Vitamin A is necessary for skin healing. If you are having acne breakouts, take 25,000 units of vitamin A vitamin supplements for acne twice a day. Applying vitamin A derivatives (retinoids) topically on your skin normalizes the way skin grows and sheds. It also stabilizes the openings of pores. Retinoid products like Retin-A have an anti-bacterial effect when applied to the skin, although you might suffer slightly red skin and peeling, and sensitivity to the sun.

Zinc aids in tissue healing and assists in preventing scarring. It also helps the body resist infection and inflammation. In one scientific study, zinc was the only mineral to be beneficial for treating acne. Take 50 mg of zinc in combination with 5 mg of copper, which becomes deficient when you supplement with zinc. Do not take more than 100 mg of zinc supplements per day.

Omega-3 fatty acids have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. They are responsible for maintaining healthy cell membranes and ensure the normal transport of nutrients into cells. It is for those reasons that you may need to supplement with Omega 3 fatty acids if you?re having breakouts. Take one tablespoon of cod liver oil everyday. If that?s not up to your taste, take concentrated fish oil capsules with 1,500 mg EPA each day.

For people with very oily skin, digestive or pancreatic enzymes are important, aside from vitamin supplements for acne. Fats may not be fully digested and taking supplements with meals will provide the enzymes lipase, protease, and amylase for properly breaking down fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, and improving the digestion.

Vegetarian Vitamin Supplements And Vegetarian Body Builders

There are many myths surrounding the vegetarian diet, yet it is one type diet that has been proven time and again to prevent many diseases and delay aging.

The vegetarian diet, however, is not without its challenges. For one, being a vegetarian means you will have to manage the lack of certain nutrients in your diet, including iron, protein, Vitamin D, and Vitamin B12.
It should be said, however, that these nutrients are found in vegetables and grains. You just need to make sure you that their food sources are found in your home and that they are eaten raw as much as possible.

If you are a body builder who’s trying to maintain a vegetarian diet, you will often need to supplement your diet with vegetarian vitamin supplements to maintain muscle mass.

Protein

Protein is found in adequate amounts in all beans, grains, and vegetables. You can find an especially high level of protein in adzuki beans, brown rice, kale, millet, mung beans, and quinoa. A pound of kale has more protein than one pound of beef. Hemp and rice protein powders are other good sources of protein. You can also supplement protein through vegetarian vitamin supplements. There are many brands of them including Biochem, LifeTime Life’s Basics, NOW, and Source Naturals.

Iron

Apart from meat, iron can be found in broccoli and other green leafy vegetables, along with vitamin C which helps the absorption of iron. Herbs like the dandelion leaf, yellowdock root and nettle are also high in iron content. One of the more popular brands of iron vegetarian vitamin supplements is Country Life Easy Iron, which is said to be more bio-available than other sources of iron.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D has gotten much press lately for being a so-called key ingredient in the body. Food sources of Vitamin D are cod liver oil, fish, and fortified milk. For most vegetarians, Vitamin D supplementation is needed more than for any other nutrient. NOW, Country Life, and Pure Essence are all excellent Vitamin D supplement brands. When you supplementing Vitamin D, make sure it is D3 not D2.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is another important nutrient that is often deficient in vegetarian diets and must be included in your repertoire of vegetarian vitamin supplements. Food sources of B12 include meat, fish, dairy, eggs, tofu and raw bran. You can also add B12 in your diet by adding nutritional yeast in your food or by taking B-complex supplements. Country Life is but one good source of vegetarian Vitamin B supplements.

Vitamin E: Benefits and Side Effects

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that you can find in oils, nuts, and seeds. Although it is considered an anti-oxidant vitamin, nutrition experts still need to determine what the specific metabolic function of this vitamin is. Large doses of Vitamin E act as blood thinner or anti-coagulant.

The Different Forms

There are different forms of Vitamin E: gamma-tocopherol and alpha tocopherol. As an anti-coagulant, it could be used to prevent and dissolve blood clots. Doctors use Vitamin E to celiac disease, cystic fibrosis, relieve leg cramps, and reduce angina pain.

Some studies suggest that using Vitamin E supplements may reduce the risk of heart disease and other chronic diseases, although these studies are not yet conclusive. As an antioxidant, Vitamin E is known to protect the body’s tissues from damage caused by free radicals. Vitamin E is also vital in forming red blood cells. It also helps the body utilize vitamin K.

Food Sources

Vitamin E can be taken from these food sources: wheat germ, corn, nuts, seeds, olives, spinach and other green leafy vegetables, asparagus, corn oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, and cottonseed oil. Products made from these foods also contain Vitamin E.

Side Effects

A November 2004 study by the American Heart Association indicated that high amounts of vitamin E at 400 IU per day or higher increases death risk. Taking smaller amounts, like those found in a typical multivitamin supplement, was not harmful.

Vitamin B’s – Benefits and Side Effects

The Vitamin B that we know is actually composed of eight water-soluble vitamins that play a vital role in cell metabolism. In the past, the eight Vitamin B’s were thought to be on Vitamin B. It was later discovered that they were different vitamins with distinct chemical compositions that co-existed in the same food sources. Vitamin supplements that contain Vitamin B complex contain all eight.The eight vitamin B’s are:

* Vitamin B1 or thiamine
* Vitamin B2 or riboflavin
* Vitamin B3 or niacin,
* Vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid,
Vitamin B6 or pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine,
Vitamin B7 or biotin or Vitamin H
Vitamin B9 or folic acid or Vitamin M
Vitamin B12 or cobalamins or cyanocobalamin

Food Sources

The different Vitamin B’s can come from different natural sources, including potatoes, bananas, lentils, chili peppers, tempeh, liver oil, liver, nutritional yeast or brewer’s yeast, tuna, turkey, and molasses. Because of its high brewer’s yeast content, beer is a source of the Vitamin B’s, although it should be said that the alcohol in beer impairs the body’s ability to activate vitamins.

Symptoms of Vitamin B Deficiencies

Deficiencies in the different Vitamin B’s often lead to different distinct symptoms. Vitamin B1 thiamine deficiency, for example, causes beriberi, a disease of the nervous system. Beriberi symptoms include include weight loss, Wernicke’s encephalopathy (impaired sensory perception), weak and painful limbs, periods of irregular heartbeat, and edema or swelling of bodily tissues.

Deficiency in the other Vitamin B’s include:

Vitamin B2 riboflavin
Deficiency condition: Ariboflavinosis
Symptoms: cracks in the lips, extreme sensitivity to sunlight, inflammation of the tongue, seborrheic dermatitis or pseudo-syphilis, pharyngitis, hyperemia, and edema of the pharyngeal and oral mucosa.

Vitamin B3 Niacin

Deficiency condition: Pellagra (if you are also deficient in tryptophan)
Symptoms: aggression, dermatitis, insomnia, weakness, mental confusion, and diarrhea.

Vitamin B5 pantothenic acid
Deficiency condition: acne and paresthesia

Vitamin B6 pyridoxine
Deficiency condition: anemia, depression, dermatitis, high blood pressure (hypertension), water retention problems, and elevated levels of homocysteine.

Vitamin B7 Biotin
Deficiency condition: impaired growth and neurological disorders in babies

Vitamin B9 folic acid
Deficiency condition: macrocytic anemia, elevated levels of homocysteine, and birth defects

Vitamin B12 Cobalamin
Deficiency condition: macrocytic anemia, elevated homocysteine, peripheral neuropathy, memory loss, mania and psychosis

If you are not getting enough Vitmin B complex in your diet, then you should buy Vitamin B supplements.

Vitamin A – Benefits and Side Effects

Vitamin A belongs to the family of fat-soluble vitamins. Vitamin A is most known for maintaining healthy vision, but it also plays an important role in bone growth, reproduction, cell division and cell differentiation. Vitamin A is responsible for maintaining the surface linings of your eyes, and your urinary, respiratory, and intestinal tracts. When these linings break down, you become more susceptible to bacterial infection.Of the many forms of Vitamin A, retinol is perhaps the most active, usable vitamin A, and is found in liver and eggs. Retinol can be converted to retinal and retinoic acid, which are other forms of vitamin A. Plants containing orange pigments have provitamin A carotenoids which the body’s liver can convert to retinol. Beta-carotene is a provitamin A carotenoid found in many foods.

Foods That Provide Vitamin A

Humans cannot produce Vitamin A in their own bodies so they must take it from external sources like food and vitamin supplements. (The liver stores Vitamin A and uses it when your Vitamin A intake is too low.) Whole eggs, whole milk, and liver are only few of the many food sources of Vitamin A. Since Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin, you cannot find it in fat-free milk.

Vitamin A Deficiency

Deficiency in Vitamin A is the leading cause of childhood blindness. You can tell if you have a deficiency in Vitamin A if you suffer from night blindness, extremely dry skin, dry hair, broken fingernails and a great susceptibility to infections. Vitamin A deficiency can also cause pneumonia, because without Vitamin A the cells that line the lungs lose their ability to remove disease-causing microorganism.

Liver, which is very rich in Vitamin A, was popular in ancient Egypt for being able to cure night blindness. A deficiency in Vitamin contributes to night blindness by making the eyes very dry, damaging the corner and the retina.

Vitamin C – Benefits and Side Effects

Vitamin C is a water-soluble antioxidant that is essential for at least 300 metabolic functions in the body. There are very few, if any, of the body’s functions that do not require Vitamin C.

Vitamin C plays a vital role in keeping the body’s immune system working efficiently. It also helps build collagen, muscle and skin. As an antioxidant, Vitamin C is one of the boy’s best defenses against the damaging effects of free radicals on our cells.

Except for humans and a small number of other animals, most animals and plants are able to produce their own Vitamin C in their bodies. Since the human body cannot manufacture its own Vitamin C, it must be obtained from other sources, from the diet and from supplements.

There are many forms of Vitamin C supplements. The most popular forms are:

Ascorbic Acid Crystals

Pure ascorbic acid crystals either have a tart or sour taste depending on the person’s palate. Being 100% vitamin C, they are the most concentrated form of Vitamin C. You can get 4 grams of vitamin C for every level teaspoon of the crystals.

Ascorbic acid crystals are used for maintaining the fresh appearance of fruits and meats and in canning and preserving (1 or 2 grams of ascorbic acid crystals per jar). This form of Vitamin C is not for people with sensitive stomachs.

Ascorbic Acid Tablets

Each ascorbic acid tablet typically contains 500 mg of Vitamin C and 50 mg of citrus bioflavonoids. Ascorbic acid tablets need binders to hold the tablet together, and lubricants so the tablets don’t stick in the tablet machine during manufacturing.

Ascorbic acid tablets should not be used for megadoses of vitamin C. When you take in dozens of tablets per day, your body has to handle an excessive amount of the tablet’s binder and lubricant. Never chew ascorbic acid tablets as tooth enamel damage can happen over the years. It’s best to take a tablet with some food and water. An un-chewed tablet may cause some local irritation to a sensitive stomach until the tablet finally breaks up.

Sodium Ascorbate Crystals

People with sensitive stomachs can use sodium ascorbate as Vitamin C supplement. Sodium ascorbate has a slightly salty taste and many use it as a substitute for table salt. However, its sodium content (at 131 mg per gram of Vitamic C) may not go well with people who have hypertension or water retention problems. Sodium ascorbate can be added to food without affecting the taste. You can also use it as a substitute for toothpaste (never chew ascorbic acid as it can damage your teeth). Sodium ascorbate is usually used for megadoses of vitamin C.

Other forms of Vitamin C are calcium ascorbate crystals, chewable Vitamin C, C-salts, potassium ascorbate, magnesium ascorbate, and ascorbyl palmitate.

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