Red blood cells

Zinc, Glutathione, and Acne

Several clinical studies report that zinc is only slightly less effective than antibiotics in controlling acne (although antibiotics by themselves seldom are adequate treatment). The key to using zinc effectively is buying the right kind of zinc. Researchers using an effervescent (fizzy) form of zinc sulfate found it to be about as effective as the antibiotic tetracycline. Researchers using a plain form of zinc sulfate found that it appeared to have a somewhat beneficial effect on pustules but not on blackheads, white heads, nodules, or cysts.

The most recent clinical study found that acne patients given a moderate dose of zinc gluconate (30 mg) per day were about half as likely to be completely cured after 90 days as those given the minocycline. Among patients who did not achieve total remission, however, zinc treatment eliminated over 90 percent as many lesions as treatment with the antibiotic after 30 days and over 80 percent as many lesions as the antibiotic after 90 days.

The bottom line of these studies is, if you have acne, take zinc and be prepared to wait a couple of months for results. The best-absorbed form of zinc is zinc picolinate. Do not take more than 50 mg of any zinc supplement daily. In rare cases, excessive intake of zinc depletes copper to cause anemia, that is, a deficiency of red blood cells, and neutropenia, a serious deficiency of white blood cells. If you take tetracycline antibiotics for skin infections, chances are you are deficient in zinc. Taking tetracycline interferes with the body's absorption of zinc (and taking zinc interferes with the body's absorption of tetracycline).

One other supplement is helpful if you exercise and you have acne. Aerobic exercise helps acne by increasing circulation to the skin, but anaerobic exercise (huffing and puffing to the point of exhaustion) without antioxidant supplementation may aggravate acne. Strenuous exercise depletes glutathione. This naturally occurring antioxidant slows inflammatory reactions and is essential to the normal function of estrogen and testosterone. Laboratory studies with animals have found that supplementation with alpha-lipoic acid keeps glutathione from breaking down, especially in the liver and in the bloodstream.

Labels: tetracycline antibiotics, white blood cells, zinc picolinate, zinc supplement