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Americans love supplements. About three-quarters of us say we take them, according to a recent survey from the Council for Responsible Nutrition.
But vitamin pills are still medicines, and in high enough quantities they can cause side effects, including skin problems, a leading dermatologist has warned.
Dr Charles Puzaa board-certified dermatologist based in New York, took to TikTok to highlight a lesser-known risk of two of the most popular supplements.
“High doses of vitamins B6 and B12 are associated with the onset and worsening of acne,” he wrote in a text box on a video that has so far garnered 41,000 views .
Alongside his comments were images of capsule bottles, as well as a packet of multivitamins that often contain high doses of the vitamin, he said.
Both B vitamins are important for healthy red blood cells and energy levels. B6 is particularly important in helping the body use and store energy from proteins and carbohydrates in food.
Both vitamins B12 and B6 are found in many foods. Vitamin B12 is found in meat, fish, milk and eggs, while B6 is found in pork, poultry, some fish and oats, among other foods.
According to government guidelines, adults should consume around 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B12 per day and between 1.3 and 1.7 milligrams of B6, depending on gender and age.
However, some supplements contain much more. For example, Nature Made’s Super B energy complex, a food supplement to support the functioning of brain cells, contains six micrograms of B12.
According to studies, 75% of Americans report taking supplements, and about half report taking them regularly.
And B6 tablets from the same brand contain 100 mg of B6 per tablet, or 58 times the recommended intake.
While other side effects tend to only occur with megadoses of B12—say, greater than 500 or 1,000—Dr. Puza says acne can be a side effect of supplements you take from the drugstore.
Some experts say taking about 50 mg of vitamin B6 can increase the risk of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and nerve problems.
Other experts have explained that the compound can enter the bloodstream and interact in some way with the bacteria that live on your skin, causing breakouts.
A 2015 study of acne patients showed that a vitamin B12 injection can change the DNA of a common acne bacteria found in pores.
Other research has shown that vitamin B12 can help the acne-causing microorganism, called Propionobacterium acids, stay alive by helping it breathe.
In 2020, a review published in the journal Dermatology Online concluded that high doses of vitamin B6 can cause skin damage.
However, it is not conclusive on the underlying biological processes that could be responsible for this change.