Got oily skin? Which supplements did Dr. Oz recommend last week to manage oily skin?
Cod Liver Oil
Vitamin A
Vitamin B-2
Zinc
Answer: Vitamin A.
Cod Liver Oil - 30%
Vitamin A - 50%
Vitamin B-2 - none
Zinc - 20%
On the 10/03/11 episode of The Dr. Oz Show, question #36 of the 50 Embarrassing Health Questions, Dr. Oz recommended taking Vitamin A, specifically, to manage oily skin as well as oil hair. All of these supplements can be used to help manage oily skin.
Vitamin A
The Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University (LPI) says that the term Vitamin A describes a group of compounds, the two most familiar being retinal and carotenoids. When all these various forms and types of Vitamin A are absorbed, the body converts the compounds into the forms that are needed at the time. Beta-carotene, a type of carotenoid, for example is converted into Vitamin A when the body needs it. If there is no need for Vitamin A then the beta-carotene is flushed out of the body.
Vitamin A plays several support functions in the body: vision, managing gene expression, immune system, growth, creation of red blood cells. LiveStrong also recommends Vitamin A for providing the body with a tool to modulate oil production in the skin to a normal level.
The RDA's for Vitamin A for adults is 3,000iu for males and 2,333iu for women (during pregnancy the amount increases a little to about 2,500iu and for breastfeeding around 4,000iu). There is some controversy over Vitamin A toxicity when taken in amounts over the RDA. Some health care providers will recommend high amounts of Vitamin A for short periods of time usually around immune issues. If you're unsure how much Vitamin A is right for you then contact your doctor of pharmacist.
There's even more conflicting reports of which means to use Vitamin A for skin health. Web MD recommends using only opical forms of Vitamin A stating that they will be more effective then taking it internally. While LiveStrong and Dr. Oz recommend taking it internally.
Vitamin A supplements come in oil and dry form with the oil form being the most used/recommended.
Vitamin A comes mainly from animal sources while carotenoids come from plants. According to LPI, here are some good sources of carotenoids:
Baked sweet potato, ½ cup, contains 3,203iu
½ cup of canned pumpkin contains 3,177iu
½ cup of cooked spinach provides 1,572iu
Cod Liver Oil
Cod liver oil is not just the stuff your grandparents made you take, it's a natural source of Vitamin A along with the omega-3's fatty acids EPA and DHA which support cell structure and function. EPA is often recommended for cardiovascular while DHA is recommended for brain and eye function support especially for women during pregnancy. There are some cod liver oil products coming out on the market with added Vitamin D. Cod liver oil may be a great way to support the body in a number of ways while taking just one product.
The LPI shows that 1 teaspoon of cod liver oil provides 4,500iu of Vitamin A.
Vitamin B-2
According to the Online Vitamins Guide, “even a slight deficiency in Vitamin B-2 can cause oily skin.” They recommend increasing food intake of B-2 with nutritional yeast (great on toast or popcorn), wheat germ and organ meats (yum! I think I'll go with the popcorn topping), black beans, whole grains, nuts and beans.
LiveStrong recommends that women 1.1mg of B-2 and for men to take between 1.3mg and 1.6mg.
Zinc
LiveStrong recommends that women take 9mg of zinc and men 12mg to support healthy skin.
The LPI states that a “zinc deficiency results in decreased activity of the enzyme that releases retinol from its storage form.” It seems taking zinc with Vitamin A would be a wise choice to support skin health.
So many choices translating to lots of bottles of vitamins that may support the skin which depleting the wallet. If cost is an issue, may look toward cod liver oil to cover many bases combine that with a multivitamin and all the bases will be covered with a little emphasis on the A.
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