Vitamin B12 and the Human Body

Vitamin B12 is very important to the human body. Without sufficient amounts of Vitamin B12 people can develop conditions like anemia, neurological problems, trouble with their eyesight, tingling sensations in their extremities, cognitive problems like memory loss, and trouble digesting foods properly.

Where we get Vitamin B12

Most of the Vitamin B12 that we get comes from the consumption of dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheeses, but it can also be found in shellfish. People who do not get enough Vitamin B12 in their daily diets are recommended to take supplements to boost their intake. Vegetarians often have to take vitamin B12 supplements, or eat foods that have been fortified with Vitamin B12.

People who have weight reduction surgeries, and people over the age of fifty may have a hard time absorbing the Vitamin B12 in their foods. These individuals often take vitamin B12 supplements.

Vitamin B12 and Acne

It is thought that excessive levels of Vitamin B12 will disrupt a normal skin bacteria that is closely related to acne, and thus cause the person to start having acne outbreaks.

Researchers aiming to prove this theory took ten people with perfectly clear skin and put them on Vitamin B12 supplements. One of the participants broke out in fully inflamed acne, but the genes of the other nine were altered. The gene makeup of the person that broke out with the acne is likely the cause of their reaction, but it is not known how many people have that particular gene makeup.

The results

The results of the study did show that Vitamin B12 could have an effect on our skin condition, but the exact ramifications of the test were not conclusive enough to state that if you take Vitamin B12 you are more, or less, likely to have an acne breakout.

What this means to healthcare professionals

Healthcare professionals can use this information to help them discover the causes of acne break outs amongst their patients. When a doctor sees a patient or the treatment of acne they can question the person on the amount of Vitamin B12 they normally take in and then make recommendations for a level of the vitamin that might be less conducive to acne eruptions.

No person should stop taking their prescribed Vitamin B12 supplements without first consulting their healthcare provider. The amount of Vitamin B12 your body needs should be evaluated against the amount you are ingesting so the doctor can determine the exact dosage of supplements you might need to stay healthy.

More Studies are needed

More in depth studies are needed on Vitamin B12 and the role it may play in causing acne outbreaks before courses of treatment can be determined. Healthcare professionals are currently evaluating the information they have against the conditions of each patient as individuals.

Do not attempt to adjust your own Vitamin B12 consumption as a preventive measure for acne because you might cause serious complications with your health if you do.