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Vitamin B5 and Its Effect on Acne

There are many people currently dealing with acne on a day to day basis. While some turn to the local drug store for a cure or at least a treatment, others are looking for more natural cures. Some will swear by the effects of vitamins on their skin, and one popular choice is vitamin B5. Here is a look at how vitamin B5 may help treat your acne problems.

It seems like almost daily a new acne treatment or cure comes out on the market. Some work, others do not. Here is a look at one that is rapidly gaining popularity - vitamin B5. You can find a wide variety of vitamin B5 acne treatments on the market if you know where to look. The doctor behind the new craze in acne treatments is Dr. Lit-Hung Leung.

The theory that Dr. Leung has is that acne is caused by a deficiency in vitamin B5. Solve the problem of the deficiency, and you solve the problem of the acne. With Dr. Leung's theory, it is thought that high amounts of fats seen in many people's diet cause acne breakouts, pimples, and cysts, since the body cannot metabolize the fats as it should. In order to be able to process the fats best, the body needs coenzyme-A.

According to Dr. Leung's vitamin B5 theory, coenzyme-A is formed from three other vitamins - adenosine triphosphate, cysteine, and pantothenic acid, also known as vitamin B5. Without enough vitamin B5 in your diet, your body is unable to create enough of the coenzyme-A. Without the coenzyme-A, the necessary hormones to balance your system are not created. Then, according to Dr. Leung's theory, there is an increase in the amount of oils produced by the skin. This subsequently blocks pores and follicles and allows bacteria to grow, causing acne and the dreaded breakouts.

Many people accept Dr. Leung's theory on using B5 to prevent acne as the leading information. On the other hand, others still have some questions as to whether or not taking B5 is actually a worthwhile treatment for acne. Because of this, there have been some studies done on vitamin B5 and its relationship to acne. Unfortunately for Dr. Leung, these studies show that vitamin B5 is not as good at helping patients get rid of their acne problems as was once believed. The studies looked at a variety of doses, including large daily doses taking multiple times a day.

At the same time, it was also discovered that taking too much vitamin B5 could cause some unpleasant side effects. The most common side effects noticed were loss of energy, nausea, and fatigue. This has caused many doctors to caution patients against the use of vitamin B5 without first considering other possible acne treatments.

Taking a vitamin B5 supplement within the recommended daily allowances will help balance out any vitamin B5 deficiencies that your body might have, however, it is unlikely that it will do much to help your acne problems. Always consult your doctor before starting a new supplement routine.