Too much vitamin B12 may promote acne, according to a new study. The study found that, in the presence of vitamin B12, the skin bacteria that are commonly linked to acne start pumping out inflammatory molecules known to promote pimples. In the study, scientists investigated the differences between skin bacteria from people prone to acne and bacteria from people with clear-skinned faces. The researchers looked at the bacteria's gene expression, hoping to figure out why Propionibacterium acnes, which is the most common skin microbe, causes pimples in some people but not in others. They found that vitamin B12 changed the gene expression of the skin bacteria, which could have led to acne-promoting inflammation. In humans, vitamin B12 plays roles in metabolism, red blood cell formation and the maintenance of the central nervous system. It's commonly found in multivitamins, but the new research could raise questions about whether people with acne should take vitamin B12 supplements.
"I think there's a link" between vitamin B12 and acne, said Huiying Li, a co-author of the new study and an assistant professor of pharmacology at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine. Her team found a molecular pathway that could explain the link in their study, but it will need to be confirmed by future research."There's still a lot to be studied in order to really understand if B12 causes acne," she said. By looking at the gene expression patterns, Li's team first found that the pathway that produces vitamin B12 was significantly altered in the skin bacteria of people with acne, compared with the skin bacteria of people without acne. This finding raised Li's suspicions about B12's role in acne, she said. Prior studies citing an association between these two elements confirmed the possibility of a link — research dating back to the 1950s has suggested that vitamin B12 supplements could contribute to some people's acne. Li's research team then looked at the skin bacterium in pimple-free people who received a vitamin B12 injection.
The researchers confirmed that the B12 supplement repressed the expression of genes in P. acnes involved in synthesizing the vitamin. In fact, the expression of those genes was lowered to levels similar to those of acne patients. [4 Common Skin Woes, and How to Fix Them] A week after receiving the vitamin B12 injection, one of the 10 participants broke out in pimples. That person's P. acnes gene-expression pattern also changed, the researchers found. Before the B12 injection, it was similar to those of the other healthy participants, but 14 days after the vitamin B12 shot, it looked much more like an acne patient's pattern. The researchers also did experiments on P. acnes growing in lab dishes.They found that when they added vitamin B12 to the bacteria, the microbes started producing compounds called porphyrins, which promote inflammation in acne. Inflammation is a key step in the later stages of acne development, Li said. Together, the new findings suggest that when too much B12 is present, the bacteria have changes in their gene expression that suppress further synthesis of the vitamin.
These bacteria switch to producing porphyrins, the researchers explained, and in some people, this uptick in inflammatory compounds may contribute to acne. "We think the pathway we studied could potentially explain part of acne's pathogenesis," Li said. Hang on to those vitamins But although the study found a possible link, it did not prove that too much vitamin B12 definitely causes or worsens acne. "The data and hypothesis are very intriguing, but much additional investigation is required to determine if this is a real cause-and-effect phenomenon," said Josh Miller, a professor of nutritional sciences at Rutgers University who was not involved with the study. In addition, although the new findings suggest that B12 supplements may promote inflammation, other studies have suggested the opposite — that vitamin B12 has anti-inflammatory properties, Miller said. "Proof of a causative effect of B12 supplements on acne development will require randomized control trials with enough subjects to see a significant effect, if one exists," he told Live Science.
Li also cautioned that it's way too early to suggest that people dealing with acne should stop taking multivitamins with B12. Most of the studies that have found an increase in acne with vitamin B12 involved large doses of the vitamin, given by injections, she pointed out. "This study does present some compelling evidence suggesting that supplementation with B12 can cause or exacerbate acne in a subset of individuals," said Dr. Whitney Bowe, clinical assistant professor of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. "However, we don't have enough evidence at this point to broadly recommend that all acne patients try to avoid vitamin B12 supplements or foods rich in vitamin B12." The aim of the research was to better understand how humans, and the microbes that live on their bodies, interact to cause disease, Li said. A deeper understanding of microbial-disease pathways could lead to more targeted treatments, the researchers wrote in their study, published today (June 24) in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
"The study shows that "what we eat or drink can impact the health of our skin by affecting the microbes that live on our skin," Bowe said. "We have 10 bacterial cells for every one human cell in our body. The more we learn about these bacteria, the more we are realizing the major impact they have on our health and well-being." Follow Jennifer Abbasi on Twitter. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.B Vitamins or also called Vitamin B Complex. These mainly consist of eight B vitamins including four additional vitamins. Vitamin B complex consists of: Among these, the most individually used B vitamins are Vitamins B1, B6, B2 and B12. The daily requirements for these vitamins can be taken from natural food sources such as green leafy vegetables, lean meats, organ meats and legumes. In individuals with poor oral intake and unable to get much of the B vitamins in food, a dietary supplement may be taken. The lack of vitamin B in the body leads to deficiencies in the form of pernicious anemia, megaloblastic anemia and peripheral neuropathies.
Vitamin B should be taken as a dietary supplement following the prescription of a doctor. Vitamin B complex is water-soluble; thereby it is excreted through the urine. However, any excessive intake of such, higher than the upper tolerable limit may cause over dosage and health consequences. The recommended intake of B vitamins is based on the table below. Any excessive intake beyond this limit may cause over dosage. Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B9 and B12 are the most common types of B vitamins that can cause over dosage. Other types of B vitamins are tolerated well by the body and are usually not given through oral supplementation. They occur naturally in foods. Being water soluble vitamins, Vitamin B complex is not stored inside the cells; rather they are excreted in the urine. Because of this, the risk for over dosage is not likely. However, when normal individuals do not need high amounts of vitamin B exceeding the tolerable limit, they are usually at risk for developing over dosage.
Over dosage from the B vitamins causes osmosis of water from the interstitial space to the intravascular space in order to dilute the large doses and promote excretion through the urine. Symptoms of Vitamin B over dosage include: These symptoms are the compensatory mechanism of the body to eliminate the excessive vitamins through the bladder and bowels. Specific symptoms related to the overuse of the B vitamins include: Over dosage of B vitamins also lead to complications or long-term effects. The complications also vary according to the specific B vitamins. Over dosage of Vitamin B1 produces a negative effect on the heart and brain. The most common long-term effect is hypertension and palpitations. Aside from these, the brain also is over stimulated leading to mood changes and agitation. The primary complication of Vitamin B2 over dosage is anemia. An overdose of this vitamin can result in hyperglycemia, hyperuricemia, jaundice, calcium loss and hyperacidity.
Excessive vitamin B6 in the body can yield hypertension, palpitations, mood problems and hypoglycemia. Just like vitamin B2, the result of vitamin B9 excess is anemia. Both deficiency states and excessive levels of B9 can result to anemia. Excessive levels of cyanocobalamin can cause hyperthyroidism. Causes and risk factors for vitamin B overdose include: The main cause of Vitamin B overdose is a high supplemental intake of the B vitamins. Over dosage does not usually result from dietary or food intake rich in Vitamin B complex. Instead, the oral supplementation can yield such. Physicians prescribe the right amount of B vitamins to be taken according to the case of the patient. Normal individuals do not usually need supplements because B vitamins are readily available from food sources. The Vitamin B complex is excreted from the body through urine. Chronic renal failure may result in over dosage in people taking vitamin B supplements in large amounts because of the inability of the kidneys to adequately form urine and release toxins in the body.
Diagnosis begins with a complete medical history to assess any intake of Vitamin B pills. The medical history is also checked to determine any underlying diseases requiring Vitamin B supplementation such as pernicious anemia, megaloblastic anemia or peripheral neuropathies. A serum test is usually done to determine the exact amount of the vitamins in the blood. Treatment regimens for vitamin B overdose include measures to enhance the elimination from the body. The initial step in any drug over dosage is stopping the intake of the drug. Patients should immediately consult a physician for symptoms to immediately stop the administration that would further intensify the condition when patients are not informed of an over dose. The emergency measure for ingestion of large amounts of Vitamin B is to induce vomiting as soon as possible to prevent the movement into the intestines and prevent absorption. Vomiting is induced using medications. Alternatives include warm water mixed with high amounts of sugar.
Vitamin B is water soluble hence; they are eliminated in the urine. To enhance this, patients should take high amounts of fluids in a relative short period of time to flush the vitamins out of the body. Intravenous fluids may also be given to increase circulating blood volume and increase the glomerular filtration rate (the rate of blood flow to the kidneys and the production of urine). Activated charcoal functions as a medium where the excessive toxins will adhere. Activated charcoal adsorbs (particles attach to the surface of the charcoal) the toxins to prevent absorption in the intestines. Since the B vitamins are already attached to the charcoal, it is then eliminated through the stool. Sometimes, a gastric lavage is done to evacuate the activated charcoal with the toxins from the stomach. Gastric lavage involves the instillation of normal saline solution through a tube from the nose going to the stomach. The fluid washes off the surface of the gastric mucosa. The fluid is then aspirated again and another instillation is made to make sure that the stomach is clear with the toxins.