Treatment with vitamins and minerals, in particular vitamin B5,
is another widely used alternative treatment for acne. Also
known as pantothenic acid, vitamin B5 is believed by some experts
to be as effective in reducing the production of sebum as
isotretinoin.
Treatment with vitamin B5 is based on a theory developed by
acne expert Dr. Lit-Hung Leung in 1995 in Hong Kong that a deficiency
of vitamin B5 leads to the development of acne. According
to Leung, the body needs vitamin B5 in order to process fat.
When there is a shortage of vitamin B5, 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 B5 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 B5. The patients, who had various severities
of acne, were given ten grams of vitamin B5 per day in capsule
form. Although vitamin B5 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 B5 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 B5 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.”36
