Vitamins For Acne: Which Vitamins Help Cure Acne?

Vitamin A (with carotenoids)

Vitamin A strengthens the skin’s protective tissue and prevents acne. It helps reduce sebum production. Vitamin A is essential for the maintaining and repairing tissue, of which the skin and mucous membranes are made of. Vitamin A is also a powerful antioxidant for getting rid of toxins. A deficiency in vitamin A can actually cause acne? To fight acne, take 10,000 IU? of Vitamin A everyday. However, if you are pregnant, do not take more than 5000 IU.

Vitamin B Complex

The B vitamins help to maintain healthy skin tone. They are also helpful in relieving anxiety and stress. Stress can be a major player in causing acne. The B vitamins should always be taken together. The vitamins in the B complex are Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin (Nicotinic Acid, Niacinamide), Pantothenic Acid, Pyridoxine and Cyanocobalamin. Each one of these vitamins has a specific role in promoting healthy skin, as well as overall health.

* Thiamine (Vitamin B1) acts as an antioxidant ridding your body of toxins. It enhances circulation and assists in proper digestion. Recommended dosage to fight acne: 100 mg 3 times daily.

* Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) Riboflavin works together with Vitamin A to maintain and improve the mucous membranes in the digestive tract. It is also essential for healthy skin, hair and nails. Acne is a symptom of Riboflavin deficiency. Recommended dosage to fight acne: 100 mg 3 times daily.

* Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) is vital for healthy skin by improving circulation and helping your body with the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. A deficiency in Niacinamide will cause acne. To fight acne, take 200 mg 3 times daily.

* Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5) is popular for reducing stress. It is needed for the adrenal glands to function properly. Recommended dosage to fight acne: 100 mg 3 times daily.

* Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) is important in the functioning of your immune system and your antibody production. A deficiency of vitamin B6 can result in acne. Recommended dosage to fight acne: 100 mg 3 times daily.

Vitamin C with bioflavonoids

Vitamin C is a super antioxidant vitamin? that is required for at least 300 of the body’s metabolic functions, including tissue growth and repair. Vitamin C protects against infection and enhances the immune system. Bioflavanoids, on the other hand, have an antibacterial effect. Recommended dosage to fight acne: 1000 to 1600 mg 3 times daily. Ask your doctor about the proper dosage if you have diabetes.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an antioxidant vitamin that enhances healing and tissue repair. It prevents cell damage by inhibiting the oxidation of lipids (fats) and the formation of free radicals. To fight acne, take 400 IU daily.

Chromium

For acne, Chromium aids in reducing infections of the skin. To get the adequate amount of chromium in your diet, chromium should be taken in supplemental form called chromium picolinate or chromium polynicotinate. Chances are you are chromium deficient because the form of chromium in foods is not easily absorbed and is lost during processing; and high quantities of sugar in the diet cause a loss of chromium from the body. Recommended dosage to fight acne: 150 mcg per day.

Zinc

Zinc aids in tissue healing and helps prevent scarring. It helps prevent acne by regulating the oil glands. Zinc promotes a healthy immune system and the healing of wounds. It is also an antioxidant which helps to fight and prevent the formation of free radicals. Acne can be a sign of Zinc deficiency. To fight acne, take 25 to 30mg per day.

Vitamin D Deficiency: What Happens When You Lack Vitamin D?

Simply put, your body will seem like it is bursting at the seams when you lack Vitamin D. Studies indicate there is a link between Vitamin D deficiency and insulin problems, high blood pressure, diabetes risk, obesity, among other conditions.

The link between Vitamin D deficiency and pancreatic cells is evident in the fact that Vitamin D receptors are found on pancreatic cells that produce insulin. It is also known that people are more prone to hear attacks in winter, when people stay inside for the most part of the season and thus lower their Vitamin D levels, and that cancer patients have better chances of survival during summer, when Vitamin D levels in the body are at their peak.

Although we do not fully understand how Vitamin D works inside the body, the fact remains that we need to have adequate Vitamin D levels within our body. If your Vitamin D level is lower than 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D, then you have a Vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D Deficiency and Death

In a study conducted on 13,331 adults in the United States, the people with the lowest Vitamin D levels had a 26% increase in death risk compared to the people with the highest levels of vitamin D. Researchers also believe that vitamin D deficiency is an independent risk factor for heart disease and should be considered with other risk factors like high blood pressure, family history, or weight. Vitamin D deficiency may also be a factor in the development of cancer as well.

Vitamin D Deficiency and Growing Old

It is a known fact that many older adults have Vitamin D deficiency, however, it is not known whether deficiency in Vitamin D is caused by the body itself (the body cannot produce Vitamin D anymore) or the behavior of seniors (they don?t go out as much in the sunlight). One research suggests that senior citizens who get out in the sun more often have the same Vitamin D levels as that of a young adult. It should be noted, however, that your body does not get Vitamin D from the sun itself. Rather, the sun?s rays only help your body absorb Vitamin D. The best sources of Vitamin D are natural foods like egg yolks.
Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms

Do you have Vitamin D deficiency? Here?s a checklist of Vitamin D deficiency symptoms:

* You experience muscle pain
* You have weak bones and fractures
* You have low energy and feel constant fatigue
* You have low immunity to diseases (you get sick often)
* You suffer from constant depression or mood swings
* You have irregular sleeping patterns

Becoming Well In One Of Those Naturopathy Schools

by Dani Choi

It’s a rare occurrence in the country and quite an oddball in the landscape. The dome shaped structure is a tantalizing oddball in the off-road wilderness. Anyone who sees it would certainly be curious.

But I wasn’t curious when the taxi stopped at the grill gate ? I knew what I came here for. When I had paid the driver, I proceeded with the ritual of coming to a place for the first time ? unloading my luggage and ringing the doorbell. A bearded man in full orange opened the gate for me (in this country of blue jeans, he was, oddly enough, wearing an orange skirt that went down to his heels). He had an expecting smile. “Dada Dharma?,” I asked.

This was the Ananda Marga Wellness Center, only the second naturopathy school in the Philippines. The first natural healing center in the country, called The Farm, is located up north in Luzon. This wellness center is located off a dirt road in Pagsabungan, Mandaue City in Cebu.

I had come here because I knew working the night shift for a long time had taken its toll on my body. I generally was always feeling tired and wanted to sleep all the time. I guess it should be a favor that my mother forced me to resign and had me checked here at the ?homeopathic hospital? as she called it, having heard about it on the local cable channel. While I would?ve loved to go to The Farm, price comparisons proved that the Ananda Marga Wellness Center was ten times cheaper.

I settled my things and myself in one of the 22 rooms of the center. It was directly across a small enclave where a whole wall was decorated with bas relief art work. It was soothing enough to the eyes, but the whole structure itself seemed to soothe all my senses. I guess it was because there were no sharp edges inside this dome shaped structure.

Dada Dharma introduced me to the staff as a new “student” at the center. He later explained that people who come here are not called patients, but students in the healthy lifestyle. I shrugged my shoulders at the thought. I frankly couldn’t care less; I just wanted to rest as much as I can.

My first day at the center was rather uneventful. I had a breakfast consisting only of fruits, vegetarian food for breakfast and another set of vegetarian food for dinner. I was later to find out that I was one of the few students who could eat everything. Other students were made to eat – depending on the symptoms ? only raw vegetables and fruits. Others, fruit juices only.

The first two days at the center were spent on personal consultations with Dada Dharma, who is actually a yoga master of over 30 years and has taught holistic healing to people in parts of Europe and all over South East Asia. Of course, along the way he has cured many people of most diseases because of his work in other wellness centers overseas.

At the end of two days, I was given a prescription of wellness therapies: cool spinal bath, sun bathing with oil massage, colon cleansing and a set of yoga exercises for my condition. Other therapies at the center include steam bath, cool hip bath and hot foot bath.

Dada told me that I was having a lot of stress and advised me never again to work the night shift. He also told me to eat right, since the root causes of all diseases all boiled down to the toxicity levels in the body. Taking in traditional medicine for a disease, he said, only suppresses the symptoms.

I think I had information overload during my first two days, but I was thankful enough I wasn?t prescribed a special diet and that I could eat everything.

For the next 12 days (my stay was for two weeks), my day consisted of yoga exercise classes, meditation, the wellness therapies that Dada prescribed, taking a shower, and eating. There would also be some discussions about health and lifestyle, and our own personal philosophy about life.

Within the day, we played group games with all of the students. My favorite was croquet, which was also the favorite of the foreign students who were there (50% of students at any given time are foreigners). There was a time when we had laughing yoga and everybody burst out laughing, or at least was faking it.

Talking with the other students, I was amazed about the variety of our backgrounds. Some were so into the wellness lifestyle, others had come because they didn?t want to take any more medicine for their diseases.

Rainjan, a South African architect based in London, had come to the center to detoxify.

“All that partying slowed me down,? he told me with a wry smile.

Dada had prescribed for him to fast for ten days. At the dining hall, I?d see Rainjan mix a packet mix of Selium Husk Bentonyte clay, apple pectin and ginger to his jug of pineapple juice. The packet was to prevent him from feeling hungry for the duration of his fast. Rainjan also took several capsules of herbal detox everyday, which Dada got very cheap from the US (down to $35 from $200 per bottle).

At dinner one time, Rainjan joked about how colorful his stool had become; they came in greens, reds, yellows, and phlegm color. Although it really didn?t sound appetizing, I was happy for him that he’s finally getting the toxins out of his system.

As for me, I was finally getting myself more relaxed. Leafing through the previous entries of the diary that Dada gave me, I realized how much I was missing out on life in my quest for higher disposable income. I was missing out on the sunsets and the sunrises, family and friends.? But the most critical was that I was missing out on myself and was feeling lost. My stay at the wellness center definitely put some things in perspective, and some priorities in their proper places.

On my last day at the naturopathy school, I knew what I wanted to do. When I had to leave the next day, Dada said goodbye to me at the gate.

Curious enough, the taxi that brought me here from my home in Labangon, Cebu City was the same taxi that was bringing me home. It was the same taxi driver, too. I was going back to the same life, but (definitely) a different lifestyle.

Read related posts:

Detoxification And Why It Is Important
Colon Cleaning

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.

Uses of Omega-6 fatty acids and apple cider vinegar in Nutritional Therapy

Good nutrition is the basis of good health. What we eat affects our bodies function physically and mentally.? We all need to monitor and balance what we eat with a focus on wholesome, fresh and healthy foods.?Nutritional therapy uses natural substances, found in foods, as medicines in the promotion of health and treatment of diseases.? These substances can be vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and essential fatty acids.

The omega-6 fatty acids can be used in nutritional healing and therapy. ?found in raw nuts, seeds, and legumes, and in unsaturated vegetable oils such as flaxseed, borage, grape seed, primrose, sesame and soybean. Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in deepwater fish, fish oil and vegetable oils such as canola, walnut and flaxseed. Based on research, it is believed that organic, expeller-pressed flaxseed oil is an excellent source of both omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids. Flaxseed oil contains 58% omega-3 fatty acid, which is twice the amount found in fish oil, which may be contaminated by pesticide and/or chemical residue, such as mercury.

Two tablespoons of flaxseed oil a day seems to be the recommendation by most sources for nutritional healing purposes. Flaxseed oil can be added in salad and baked foods such as potatoes and on bread. And this can be taken on a daily basis.

Pure, organic, uncooked and non-pasteurized apple cider vinegar is another indispensable item you?ll want to have on hand that is beneficial in nutritional therapy and healing. Although not a supplement per se, it offers multiple, and inexpensive benefits. It is a natural antibiotic and antiseptic that fights germs, bacteria, mold and viruses.

Apple cider vinegar has been referred to as one of nature?s most perfect foods. Made from fresh, crushed apples (look for those allowed to mature in wooden barrels, as wood seems to boost natural fermentation), apple cider vinegar (ACV) has a long, fascinating history. From the beginning of recorded history, all ancient civilizations have utilized vinegar (often with wine). Vinegar was used as a healing elixir by Hippocrates, the ?Father of Medicine? and it has been found in Egyptian urns as far back as 3000 BCE. The Babylonians are said to have used it as a condiment and preservative, while the Greeks and Romans used it both for flavoring and healing purposes. Parisians used it in the Middle Ages as a deodorant and healing tonic?it was even touted as a preserver of youth! Columbus had vinegar barrels on his sailing vessels to prevent scurvy. Japanese Samurai warriors drank ACV for strength and vigor, and it was used during the Civil War to disinfect and heal wounds.

Apple cider vinegar is also used in removing spots and stains and also used in color preservation. Save the popular white, distilled vinegar for carpets and the laundry. Our society has come to equate clear/white products with purity and cleanliness, yet often that means toxic bleach and byproducts. In the case of distilled white vinegar, powerful enzymes, trace minerals and natural malic and tartaric acids, which fight toxins and bacteria, are destroyed by heat during the distillation process. Distilled white vinegar also contains acetic acid, which is detrimental to the health of the body. This acid is known to rapidly destroy red blood cells, interfere with digestion and contribute to liver and intestinal problems. What is needed for health is the ?undistilled, naturally fermented and organic ACV with a rich, brownish color. Don?t be turned off by the ?cobweb-like? substance you may see?those are important strands of protein molecules and pectin. This life- giving substance is called ?the mother? by Paul Bragg, N.D.?one of America?s original ?health food? advocates. He and his daughter Patricia are authors of Apple Cider Vinegar.

Furthermore, beware of ?sanitized? ACVs and malt vinegars that lack the health giving properties of the real thing, and avoid imitations from coal tar- ?products, since it?s cheaper than distilled or malt vinegar, which is the most popular vinegar in supermarkets today.

As those sophisticated Middle Age Parisians knew, apples are a rich source of potassium, which is necessary for the soft tissues of the body, just like calcium is required for our bones. Potassium is the ?mineral of youthfulness,? keeping the arteries flexible and resilient. Potassium is also responsible for good skin and muscle tone. Before you turn to plastic surgery for drooping eyelids, reach for a bottle of apple cider vinegar. You may be suffering from a potassium deficiency, which can be easily and inexpensively corrected by a daily dose. Potassium helps give rigidity to plant stems and assists them to grow and blossom. When a plant suffers potassium deficiency, it yellows, withers and dies. Potassium makes the flesh of farm animals healthier and tender. The main function of potassium in people is to keep the tissues healthy, soft and pliable, and to help prevent heart attacks and strokes. Our bodies are meant to be self-cleansing, self-correcting, self-repairing and self-healing. With potassium?the master mineral?toxic poisons are literally placed ?in solution? so they can be flushed out of the body.

Curing depression through nutritional healing

As we all know nutritional healing is a reward to many of us who found habitual prescribed medicines either not working for them or the side effects were as bad as the symptoms. A certain group of article writers on the web has setup a website that presents an article about the way you feel and is of interest to our readers. And that website has helped those who have found that good nutrition has helped more than the prescribed medicines they received from their doctors. It is said that in the fields of psychology and psychiatry now a days , the terms depression refer to expected and pathologically chronic or severe levels of sadness, perceived helplessness, disinterest, and other related emotions and behaviors.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders also states that a depressed mood is often reported as being depressed, sad, hopeless etc.

Psychiatrist and psychologist has defined depression to affect the whole body, the nervous system, moods, thoughts, how you feel about yourself and others, the quality and quantity of sleep. Depression can last from a few days to years depending on the level of depression. According to an article, there are many types of depression, with variations in the number of symptoms, their severity, and persistence. Some of the symptoms include fatigue, changes in appetite, backaches, headaches, quickness to anger, loss of interest in hobbies, insomnia, or excessive sleeping, worthlessness, and inadequacy. Some people try to sleep off depression while others just sit around hoping something will happen.
It is strongly stressed that eating the right way and through nutritional healing depression may not be a problem at all. Added than the “elective” depression, there are two major classifications of depressive disorders. They are the bipolar and unpolar. Bipolar disorders usually begin as depression, but as they develop, they involve changing episodes of depression and manic. Bipolar is commonly known as manic depression. Unpolar disorders are characterized by depressive episodes that most often recur at least several times in the course of one’s life. The causes of depression are not fully understood, as many researchers and psychologists have studied. Depression may be triggered by tension, stress, a traumatic life event, chemical imbalances in the brain, upset stomach, headache, poor diet, the consumption of sugar, lack of exercise, allergies, etc. One of the most universal causes of depression is low blood sugar and some food allergies are another cause at hand. In up to fifty percent of people suffering from recurrent episodes of depression, one or both parents also experienced depression. So heredity plays a big role in these disorders. Whatever the factors that trigger it, depression begins with a disturbance in the part of the brain that governs moods.

Most people can handle everyday stresses and their bodies re-adjust to these pressures. When stress is to great for a person to handle their adjustment mechanism is unresponsive and depression may be triggered and so nutritional healing may be advised. Dysthymia is possibly the most common type of chronic low-grade depression. This said condition of depression involves long-term or recurring depressive symptoms that are not necessarily disabling but keeps a person from functioning normally and interferes with social interactions and enjoyment of life.
Researchers and psychologists have found that this type of depression often results from unconscious negative thinking and therefore nutritional healing can help in a big way. A variation of dysthymia is double depression which a person with chronic, low-grade depression periodically experiences major depressive episodes, then returns to their normal, mildly depressive state. Some people become more depressive in the winter months when the days are shorter for their eating habits are affected.