The popular acne drug Accutane is actually from vitamin A, but don't rush to the drug store! Vitamin A is only safe in small doses, and small doses of vitamin A are not effective enough to treat acne. Taking Vitamin A in doses large enough to fight acne could be deadly. That is why it was redeveloped into Accutane. Even though Accutane is safer than vitamin A, it is still has many negative side effects.
Fat Soluble Vitamin A
Vitamin A belongs to a class known as "fat soluble." This means the vitamin can only be broken down and stored by being stored in fat cells. The body will store fat soluble vitamins in fat until it uses them.
If the body gets to much of a fat soluble vitamin such that it cannot use, it stores it in fat cells, such as in the liver. The only way the body can dispose of this vitamin is by using it. If the body no longer has room to store the vitamins it can't use, the vitamins will remain in the system until it can. Where there is to much of a substance in the body, that substance then becomes toxic.
That is why drugs like Accutane have so many side effects. Doctors often use Accutane as a last resort. Fat soluble vitamins are generally stored in the liver. This is why blood tests to check the liver are occasionally preformed on those who are on accutane. To ensure the safety of their patients, Accutane is given sparingly and monitored closely.
The fat soluble vitamins are A, D, E and K(think of an addict, or ADEK). All other vitamins are known as "water soluble". They can be taken in large amounts because the body cannot store them in fat. In the body, water is disposed of quite often, along with the water soluble vitamins that are not used by the body.
d-Calcium Pantothenate
A class of vitamins known as d-Calcium pantothenate taken with a B complex is proving to be a safe natural alternative to Accutane. It works in much the same way as Accutane, but is water soluble, which makes it much safer to take in higher dosages.
The two work by decreasing the production of oil. Accutane can completely dry out the oil on a persons skin while d-Calcium pantothenate doesn't dry oil so drastically. The advantages to this method in treating acne is that it will address acne over the entire body including back, neck and face.
Side Effects
There are some side effects to consider with d-Calcium pantothenate, such as stomach irritation, softening of the stool and in some cases head aches. These side effects can be considered mild compared to it's prescription alternative. Often the stomach irritation can be avoided by taking it with meals.
Another draw back is that d-Calcium pantothenate is required in large dosages at first to have any impact on acne. However, over time these dosages can be decreased to a lower amount, allowing a person to remain acne free.
Where to get it
Vilantae.com sells Vilantae, a supplement of d-Calcium pantothenate mixed with a B complex and provides support and directions on how to take d-Calcium pantothenate for treating acne.
If you are interested, you can read more about the way d-Calcium pantothenate works on acne from Vilantae.com.
