Vitamin B12: Too Much of This Vitamin Could Give You Acne

Vitamin B12 is one of the most important vitamins for the proper functioning of our body because it plays a significant role in various processes that take place in the nervous system and it contributes to the proper production of blood. However, this doesn't mean that you should be focused on taking as much vitamin B12 as you can because sometimes too much vitamin B12 can lead to certain health problems. A recent study has confirmed that an excessive amount of this vitamin in the system can lead to skin breakouts. A study conducted by researchers who work at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and published in the reputable Live Science magazine, has shown that vitamin B12 can change the behavior of certain skin bacteria species related to acne, leading to increased production of compounds that result in acne-related inflammation. Even though the B12 vitamin is present in many different foods like eggs, fish, and meat, no evidence can support the theory that certain changes in our diet can help people get better skin. However, this study should be sufficient for some people who often experience skin problems to switch their supplements that include B12 vitamins with supplements that are B12-free. To determine the impact of B12 on acne, scientists have taken samples from the skin of people who didn’t have problems with acne and those whose faces were covered with pimples/acne. Once they had the results, they compared the two groups of samples; the scientists confirmed that the Propionibacterium acne biochemical pathway was considerably dampened in people suffering from acne. To get more information, the researchers analyzed the microbes found in the skin of healthy individuals not affected by acne who received vitamin B12 injections. What is interesting is that the structure of the skin has begun to change similarly in people who are developing acne. One of the patients has developed acne after seven days of injection. For the last stage of this study, the researchers cultured Propionibacterium acne in the laboratory and used B12 on them to learn more about the direct reaction between these two compounds. The test has shown that the vitamin increased and accelerated the production of porphyrins, inflammatory compounds that are closely related to the appearance of acne. Whilst, indeed, the study cannot provide sufficient evidence to conclude that the excessive presence of vitamin B12 results in acne, it is also true that it shows that vitamin B12 can affect the behavior and activity of skin bacteria. The scientific community is interested in conducting more studies on this subject because some previous studies claimed that B12 is an anti-inflammatory agent which is something that doesn’t correlate with the aforementioned study (Live Science).