Acne and Thiamine

Acne is more than a problem for teenagers going through puberty; while eight in 10 teenagers suffer from this sometimes embarrassing malady, about one out of every two adult women experience acne at some point along with one out of every four adult men. Thiamine -- part of the B-complex family of vitamins -- helps the body control acne in two ways.

What Causes Acne

Acne affects roughly 85 percent of people at some point during their lives. There are four main types of acne -- blackheads, whiteheads, pimples and cysts. While dirt and dead skin are often to blame for clogging pores, leading to the inflammation associated with acne, oil secreted by your skin -- called sebum -- plays an even bigger role. As your hormones surge, your body produces more sebum than your skin can naturally handle. This hormone surge is why teenagers are prone to acne and why some women see acne at different points of their menstrual cycle.

Thiamine

Thiamine is a B-complex vitamin. In addition to thiamine -- sometimes called vitamin B-1 -- other B-complex vitamins include riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine and cyanocobalamin. In the medical community, thiamine is used for a variety of functions, including boosting the immune systems of AIDS patients, regulating the digestive system, preventing motion sickness, guarding against certain forms of cancers and delaying progressive kidney disease in diabetic patients.

Thiamine and Acne Control

Together, B-complex vitamins work to promote healthy skin tone. But individually, thiamine plays an even larger role in acne control. Thiamine is responsible for the breakdown of carbohydrates and sugars in the body. Without thiamine, sugar is not processed correctly, leading to an overabundance of it and the hormone insulin in the bloodstream. A condition known as hyperinsulinemia -- the presence of too much insulin in the blood -- leads to the overproduction of other hormones, which in turn leads to sebum secretion and acne. Additionally, thiamine is used by some individuals for battling the affects of stress. A 2007 study published in the Swedish journal "Acta Dermato-Venereologica" found teens under high stress levels were 23 percent more likely to have severe acne outbreaks than their non-stressed peers.

How Much Thiamine You Need

Getting a balanced diet with the recommended dietary allowance -- or RDA -- of thiamine is enough for most people. Adult women need 1.1 milligrams of thiamine every day, although a pregnant or lactating woman needs 1.4 milligrams per day. The baseline level for adult men is slightly higher than for women, at 1.2 milligrams per day. Sources of thiamine include leafy greens, like romaine lettuce, spinach and asparagus, as well as most beans. If your doctor deems you to be thiamine deficient, he may prescribe a thiamine supplement. The most common dosage is between 5 and 30 milligrams per day, although in severe cases patients may take up to 300 milligrams per day.