Treatment with vitamins and minerals, in particular vitamin B 5, is another widely used alternative treatment for acne. Also known as pantothenic acid, vitamin B 5 is believed by some experts to be as effective in reducing the production of sebum as isotretinoin.
Treatment with vitamin B 5 is based on a theory developed by acne expert Dr. Lit-Hung Leung in 1995 in Hong Kong that a deficiency of vitamin B 5 leads to the development of acne. According to Leung, the body needs vitamin B 5 in order to process fat. When there is a shortage of vitamin B 5, fat that is normally burned for fuel or stored in cells for future use cannot be processed properly. Instead, it accumulates in the bloodstream. Since excess fat in the bloodstream can damage the body by clogging arteries and veins, the body tries to eliminate it. One way the body does this is by producing excess sebum, to which fat binds. In this way, excess fat in the form of sebum is eliminated through the skin. Thus, according to Leung’s theory, the presence of excess fat in the bloodstream causes the body to increase sebum production in an effort to eliminate fat. This causes or worsens acne lesions. Therefore, when acne patients increase the level of vitamin B 5 in their bodies, they improve the processing of fat. This insures that fat is burned for energy or stored for future use instead of being used to produce excess sebum.
To test his theory, Leung sponsored a clinical trial in which he treated one hundred acne patients in Central Hospital in Hong Kong in 1997 with vitamin B 5 . The patients, who had various severities of acne, were given ten grams of vitamin B 5 per day in capsule form. Although vitamin B 5 is present in many foods, including beans, nuts, oatmeal, and brewer’s yeast, Leung says that some people with acne are so deficient in vitamin B 5 that they cannot get enough of it through food alone.
The study proved successful. Within six months, 90 percent of the subjects’ acne had cleared. These results suggested to Leung that vitamin B 5 is an effective acne treatment. Many people concur with Leung. An acne patient who is currently using vitamin B5 describes the results: “Though my skin isn’t 100 percent clear yet, it’s made excellent progress in that direction over the past five weeks. Far fewer breakouts overall and the oiliness of my skin has definitely decreased.”
