How vitamin B12 makes pimples pop up
Supplement alters metabolism of skin bacteria, causing inflammation, acne
Vitamin B12 causes a normal skin bacteria to produce pimple-promoting chemicals.
Both people with clear skin and those with acne have Propionibacterium acnes living on their skin. But bacteria from acne sufferers have a different metabolism than microbes from the pimple-free, researchers report June 24 in Science Translational Medicine. Microbes from the acne-ridden have 109 genes that are more active than normal and 27 that are less active. Taking vitamin B12 can cause similar changes in these bacteria, the researchers found.