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B12 might cause acne?

4K views 21 replies 11 participants last post by  brydon10 
#1 ·
A study seems to be saying that B12 'feeds' acne bacteria, though it's not all conclusive just yet.

http://www.livescience.com/51338-vitamin-b12-linked-acne-bacteria.html

I'm just wondering whether this is the reason I had terrible acne when I first went veg (and did increase my egg consumption from 0 to some). Or maybe the reason why I still get some break outs, maybe I'm overloading myself on B12?

Anyway I thought it was interesting.
 
#2 ·
I saw that earlier and I definitely think it could be true! I've been using a liquid b12 supplement for the past few months and I have definitely noticed an increase in breakouts and redness. I'm going to cut back on it now and see if that helps.
 
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#3 ·
@Tiger Lilly Are you a part of that Vegans of Australia facebook group? Only asking because I saw some people in it the other day talking about how they noticed when they went vegan their acne got worse and they reckon it was because they upped their soy intake heaps. Apparently when they cut out soy or most of it, their acne got better.

Obviously not really scientific evidence or anything, but kinda relevant? Maybe?
 
#4 ·
I'm not.... I'm... a bit shy to join groups like that. I don't really 'people'. :p This is one of the few places I'll talk to people on the Internet, who I don't already know. But I have heard wonderful things about that the vegan groups in Aus.... I want to make the effort to get more involved in the community, in coming months/years.

Soy doesn't seem to have that affect on me, I cut it for a while for other reasons. But if it helps others to limit or cut it out, then I think that's great.
 
#7 ·
Oh wow, that's really cool! I should read more of Jack Norris' stuff.

I'm just wondering whether it's the animal B12 that caused my massive acne outbreaks. Because I eat more plant-based B12 now (since cutting eggs and dairy) and my skin is pretty good.....

Thanks for the link though, very interesting!

Soy doesn't have that affect on me either, so yay for us! Maybe it is b12 then? Only time will tell, I guess.

And hah, I don't usually 'people' either but that's mostly in real life. I like to pretend over the internet that I'm not a total antisocial nerd who hides in a cave :) By the way, you're not missing much with that group. So much arguing and bickering..
Haha, well.... Where there is a social justice movement, there is bickering. :p

I've heard the Sydney Vegans are REALLY nice. I've met one of them from their FB group and she was so lovely! But again, peopling is difficult. Haha.
 
#8 ·
I personally have never had an issue with acne and have been taking B12 for four years now, but then I have never had problems with acne to begin with. My sister used to have terrible breakouts on her face and when she was vegan for a few years her face cleared up for the first time ever and she is in her mid forties. I wish she would have let me post before and after pics. The difference was amazing. Unfortunately she is no longer vegan. :/

If I take too high doses of B12 though I feel like every nerve is on fire and I get edgy and nervous, so I mostly take the liquid sublingual drops or spray in a high dose once or twice per week and the rest of the time get it through fortified plant milk. I haven't had my levels tested since 2012 but they were healthy then.

Interestingly, as a side note, I code cancer infusion treatments at work and B12 is a fairly common supplemental treatment for lung cancer patients on a certain chemo regimen. B12 does something to help heal the lungs and protect them. I'm too lazy at the moment to research this more though.
 
#9 ·
Now, I can't be sure but after beginning a B-12 supplement at the suggestion of some other raw foodists, I actually saw an additional improvement in my skin and a small boost in my energy than I got just being raw. Now, since I don't personally care for supplements (I'd rather get nutrients from my food) and don't want to "overdo it", I only take the supplement 1/2 the recommended daily dosage 3X a week. The amount I take equals about the amount you'd need in a week (according to the RDA) if you extrapolate it out. Perhaps it has to do with consuming an excessive amount daily more than it does supplementing it in what would be close to a normal amount? I know the B-12 supplement I take is WAY over the RDA if you take the suggested dose daily.
 
#10 ·
Just to add my two cents: I developed a rash on my face after taking veg1 from the vegan society for several months.
I never thought there could be a connection and even the dermatologist I saw couldn't help.
When I stopped taking the tablets,though, the rash went away in a matter of days.
Not sure which ingredients caused the rash, of course, and now I am searching for a new multivitamin.
Any suggestions?
 
#12 ·
A long time ago, I began a new multivitamin after my old one was no longer available, and started getting hives "at random" (even back then, I only took supplements a few times a week). I eventually realized the hives coincided with the supplement, and once I stopped it, they didn't return. When I looked into the FILLERS/BINDERS in the supplement (not the nutrients themselves), I found one that quite a few people reported allergic reactions to. It was one that's only in "solid" pills, not the del-cap style ones you can open. I do not remember the name, but this was a vegetarian, health-food store brand type multivitamin and it STILL had a nasty ingredient in it.

If you feel the need to take a multivitamin, I strongly recommend Garden of Life products. They are expensive, but the best on the market I know of- http://www.gardenoflife.com
 
#11 ·
I'd rather deal with acne than with anemia or irreversible neurological damage (two possible results of vitamin B-12 deficiency). I've heard that people don't absorb B-12 supplements efficiently, and that this is why these supplements have such large amounts in them.
 
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#13 ·
Jack Norris at veganhealth.org has great guidelines for how much B12 to take. There are options for daily supplementation (smaller doses) or less frequent (much higher). http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/dailyrecs If someone started to have a problem with acne, they could try taking the smaller daily supplement, which would still be adequate supplementation. If it doesn't help, then the acne is probably caused by something else. B12 itself or something in B12 supplements are probably not a common cause of acne, if they cause acne at all.
 
#18 ·
I absolutely love these articles. They start with a shocking title (like the National Inquirer), but then later concede that there's no conclusive evidence. Here's a quote from later in the B12 article:

"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 article provides no link to the original study. We are given no information about the dosage of B12 given in the study. We are given no details at all.

Don't read LiveScience. Its tabloid science.
 
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#19 ·
I had a bad year of acne, 3 years ago. I was not a veg*n at the time, fwiw.

A prescription of antibiotics, antibacterial soap, and throwing out all my old makeup cleared things up. I also find it helpful to wear lotion on my face all the time, and to wash my face 2x a day (3x if I have worn a thick greasy sunscreen).

I avoid coconut oil, and other pore clogging ingredients, and creamy type body washes/hair products. I also dont use fabric softener on my clothes.

I also avoid liquid face makeup, and stick to powder.
 
#20 · (Edited)
Here is a direct link to the study being referenced in the LiveScience article:

"Vitamin B12 modulates the transcriptome of the skin microbiota in acne pathogenesis", Science Translational Medicine
http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/7/293/293ra103

Read the study's summary in that link.

The study involved 10 test subjects. Only 1 of the 10 subjects developed acne as an apparent result of the vitamin B12 supplementation. Why doesn't the LiveScience article mention this rather important number?

Unfortunately, you have to pay to see the entire article. I am curious to know the dosage of B12 that these people were given.

My point is this: Popular science magazines and blogs, even when they reference peer-reviewed studies, seldom give the details of those studies. Instead, they extract an attention-getting headline, write a provocative article that gets everyone worried and/or pissed off, and then collect their advertising money. To get the details of a study, it's essential to find the original peer-reviewed journal in which the study was published. In this case, I did this by Googling "B12 acne peer-reviewed".
 
#22 ·
Well this is very interesting. When I started a vegetarian diet, I noticed my rosacea getting worse. It was also exactly at this time that I started supplementing B12 (taking 100mcg per day.) For the the past couple of months I have been taking 1500 mcg twice a week, my skin is still not great.
So maybe there is something to this, I might try taking 25-50 mcg daily and see if I notice any changes. Thanks for the article.
 
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