21 replies to this topic

[borie88]

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/21896138


Decrease in glutathione may be involved in pathogenesis of acne vulgaris.

Ikeno H, Tochio T, Tanaka H, Nakata S.


Source

Ikeno Clinic of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery, 1-14-4 Ginza Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan. cubikeno@tea.ocn.ne.jp


Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Some past studies reported that oxidative stress components such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) or lipid peroxide (LPO) are involved in the pathogenesis and progression of acne vulgaris. In this study, we hypothesized that the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris may depend on the differences in antioxidative activity among antioxidants in our body. We collected samples of stratum corneum from acne patients and healthy subjects and compared the quantity of gluthathione (GSH), one of many antioxidative components in our body, for comparison.
METHODS:

Samples of stratum corneum were collected from facial acne-involved lesion, facial uninvolved area, and the medial side of the upper arm in acne vulgaris patients. Similarly, samples were collected from a facial uninvolved area and the medial side of the upper arm in healthy subjects. The quantity of GSH was measured in each area. In vitro effects of alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) on GSH synthesis-related gene were also examined.
RESULTS:

The quantity of GSH in stratum corneum from each area was significantly lower in acne vulgaris patients than that of healthy subjects. There was no significant difference in quantity of GSH between the acne-involved lesion and uninvolved area in acne patients. In vitro studies showed that the expression level of Glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC), one of the GSH synthesis-related genes, was significantly decreased by the additional use of α-MSH.
CONCLUSIONS:

We conclude that a decline in antioxidative activity led by a decrease in GSH quantity may play an important role in pathogenesis of acne vulgaris. The use of α-MSH may further decrease the GSH level.

[NadiaVV]

i heard about this before.. tempted to buy glutathione supplements. though not a fan of taking supplements.. have you tried that yet ?

[FSAS]

isnt Glutathione hard for the body to absorb. I remember looking into this once but got a little put off but the price and then everyone saying the body wont absorb it or something?

[borie88]

I'm not sure, but I know cysteine directly produces Glutathione, which is also recommended with the B5 treatment. N-Acetyl-Cysteine is the best kind

[NadiaVV]

do you consult your doctor or do a bunch of research before taking supplements or are they generally safe to take??... i just feel like just because they are supplements doesn't necessarily mean they are good for you or harmless but still, it is tempting to try ..

[FSAS]

as a personal choice research and viewing other peoples experiences with supplements is safer than taking my doctors advice. my doctor insisted i go on the pill, insisted I get on antibiotics, insisted nothing was wrong with me and even did a hormonal test..said I was "healthy and normal" and to leave the office because my hormones were normal as well as everything from the liver onwards. I stared at him and told him he was wrong 1. hormone tests will lie if im on the pill and 2. I have acne, never had before in my life and it came about too fast ..if acne is a symptom then something is wrong. I personally dont trust doctors because they generalise and from personal experiences I've been laughed at and dismissed and even told "leaky gut doesnt exist". personal research goes a long way and its so great to have communities like this where everyone can help each other out I think as a general rule moderate is key..for example i'd never go 10-20g of B5.. but i'd be willing 1-3g. youre much better off taking vitamins than 'doctor drugs' i think

borie88, youre trying the b5 and cysteine arent you? i'm wanting to try it too. do you know maybe why acne suffers like ourselves even have low Glutathione or cant do the job efficiently that taking b5 aids in?

[borie88]

I'm taking Acetyl cysteine, B-5, pantethine, and acetyl-l-carnitine. I am not too sure why exactly we have low glutathione, but I will try to look it up when I have time this weekend. I don't know if there is much research on it though.

[FSAS]

I'm taking Acetyl cysteine, B-5, pantethine, and acetyl-l-carnitine. I am not too sure why exactly we have low glutathione, but I will try to look it up when I have time this weekend. I don't know if there is much research on it though.

nice, have you noticed a change in your skin so far or would it be too early to tell?

[borie88]

If anything I have started to become more dry and break out a little. Its really too early to tell for sure though. I'm gonna give it at least another week to explain any changes and at least a month to reach a verdict. Ill update as I progress

[Vanbelle]

I think this study is very interesting and worth taking note. Much of the sebum's composition varies in fatty acids, pro-inflammatory lipids and antioxidant levels among acne sufferers and clear skin folk.

You guys are right; glutathione isn't bioavailable in supplement form. Cysteine, a protein, can be purchased as a pill, but better from food! Meat, go get it. Eggs have them too. The proper diet with sufficient protein and other goodies will help your sebum composition in all ways. However, don't expect this to be an overnight process; hell, don't expect 2 months. Several months of good dietary changes (in concert with the proper skincare regimen) will finally show on your skin.

[borie88]

I've been eating at least a pound of beef every day paired with a low GL high veggie diet for over a year and I really haven't been clear. I can't eat any other meats besides lamb because of food allergies. Clearer than without the diet, but I feel that supplementation is necessary for me since diet alone isnt helping.

Edited by borie88, 19 November 2011 - 10:27 AM.

[borie88]

Other ways to increase glutathione: Milk Thistle and Alpha Lipoid Acid. Milk thistle is great for the liver and lots of people on here rec. both.

[Vanbelle]

I've been eating at least a pound of beef every day paired with a low GL high veggie diet for over a year and I really haven't been clear. I can't eat any other meats besides lamb because of food allergies. Clearer than without the diet, but I feel that supplementation is necessary for me since diet alone isnt helping.

Sounds like you have a very particular case (sorry to hear). For others reading, I'd still go with my original advice and say try to correct diet first, but what I didn't say is that supplementation is plan B if diet does fail. In my opinion, diet shouldn't fail...and if it does, assuming everything else is being done correctly, it makes this study ALL the more interesting.

That being said, my gut says fix the diet first (same idea as eating more vegetables versus copping out with a multi). Try to make yourself as healthy as possible before roaming the vitamin aisle.

[FSAS]

i bought some Cysteine today just because my acne is just getting worse. oddly my face was basically clear this morning..5pm...full of pimples again. honestly this is insane how fast my acne goes from basically clear to inflamed and red and pimlpes everywhere. i wish it would stay consistent -_-

the Cysteine didnt come in pill form and dear god is this stuff gross >.<

[borie88]

Sounds gross lol. You have to mix it in a drink? Is it N-Acetyl or L- Carnitine?

[FSAS]

Sounds gross lol. You have to mix it in a drink? Is it N-Acetyl or L- Carnitine?

yeah its a powder its the only thing they had and they didnt hear of it being in pill form. it doesnt actually say too much on the bottle, just "cysteine Hydrochloride" its made by "Musashi" just says to take 1 level teaspoon (3.8g). do you think this will be effective? is there anything i can do that can help absorb it or are there other vitamins i might need to aid to see if it helps with my acne?
i was also just thinking, even if i added b5, would these things help acne thats very hormonal do you think or is it a waste of time/hope/money? :/

[borie88]

Its hard to tell what's really in that. It is based in HCL (stomach acid), so that might be good to take a meal. It may even improve your digestion of proteins and such. Does it say how much cysteine is actually in that serving size? Kinda sounds sketchy.

B5 and all of these things can help hormonal acne, but it depends which hormones are out of whack. B5 is good for your adrenals (cortisol, aldosterone, etc.) which could be lacking or overproduced in people with acne. I would add in B5, but not a high dose. Maybe 500mg 3 times per day as long as you are taking the cysteine. L-Carnitine is something that also allows CoEnzyme B to be made. Start with B5 and the cysteine for now. Wait at least 3 weeks to see if it does anything. Then, consider adding the other supplements described, but you don't have to try all of them.

From your other posts, it sounds like you are trying to attack a bunch of different things at once. Trust me because I am like that too, it isn't worth it. All it will do is stress you out and lead to impulse buying of a million different things that someone said worked for them.
The biggest thing as said above, is diet. Drop the grains and get allergy tests and avoid anything you are allergic to if you have not already. Supplementation could be a waste of money if the cause is just not eating correctly. In my case, diet didn't work enough, but I am very rare.

[FSAS]

Its hard to tell what's really in that. It is based in HCL (stomach acid), so that might be good to take a meal. It may even improve your digestion of proteins and such. Does it say how much cysteine is actually in that serving size? Kinda sounds sketchy.

B5 and all of these things can help hormonal acne, but it depends which hormones are out of whack. B5 is good for your adrenals (cortisol, aldosterone, etc.) which could be lacking or overproduced in people with acne. I would add in B5, but not a high dose. Maybe 500mg 3 times per day as long as you are taking the cysteine. L-Carnitine is something that also allows CoEnzyme B to be made. Start with B5 and the cysteine for now. Wait at least 3 weeks to see if it does anything. Then, consider adding the other supplements described, but you don't have to try all of them.

From your other posts, it sounds like you are trying to attack a bunch of different things at once. Trust me because I am like that too, it isn't worth it. All it will do is stress you out and lead to impulse buying of a million different things that someone said worked for them.
The biggest thing as said above, is diet. Drop the grains and get allergy tests and avoid anything you are allergic to if you have not already. Supplementation could be a waste of money if the cause is just not eating correctly. In my case, diet didn't work enough, but I am very rare.

thanks for your help
i really appreciate, I get this vibe not may people like me from all my annoying posts i dont mean to annoy people, im just a bit lost and desperate with finding something that can help me besides spiro/bcp.

sadly this brand is the only one available in my area, they couldnt even order anything in and didnt even know you could also get glutathione. im not sure if this link will work? this is the one im taking: http://www.sportyshe...Metabolism.html

i'll definitely look into getting some b5.
ironically at the moment i'm only taking this. I've had a whole range of supplements in the past and still have them but i honestly dont take them all at once or anything same with the teas etc. I usually give each thing about 2 weeks. with this though im still taking my vit c and milk thistle... sometimes i just cant be bothered with things like vit e or kill oil etc because i feel so annoyed at myself for taking so many pills that dont even make a difference because it can sure add up.
i think i get enough vit a and d anyway.
sometimes i find it annoying when so many vitamins are praised for "beautiful glowing skin" or whatnot..something to aid the body and it doesnt really work. for example i could take all the vitamin e in the world, i even used to use pure vit e oil on my face...made no difference :/ i honestly dont feel we can 'change' much if its in our dna.. i know for a fact no product can make my skin any better because only a simple pill could.

i'm going to get some more allergy tests done as i cant be sure but in the past no food has caused me any issues at all and whilst i was taking both diane and spiro i could still eat whatever i wanted - i didn't..but i could even things like nuts and eggs. those are 2 things im cutting out before i can be certain if they affect me. i also dont eat grains. actually im so limited to what i even has access too im often worried i'll end up starving myself by accident :/ i used to eat a fair bit of grains just to keep full.

i honestly wish i knew what 'snapped' in my body this time last year that changed my life forever :/ 20 years old and life looks very dull and depressing :S
whats weird is at the time this change happened my iron magically 'replenished' I had incredibly low iron for years and years at one point it was 0 for months and the doctor ended up laughing at my blood test results. but for months i was off and on iron tablets and they jsut weren't working. then when my acne appeared i had a blood test and my iron was above normal...was so odd how that happened when this new problem occurred

[FSAS]

also I was curious if you ever broke out taking cysteine. this is my second day taking it and right now i have about 50 new pimples all down my neck, around my ears, behind my ears and new ones on my cheeks and even about 8 on my nose! i never get pimples on my nose ever :/ or on my neck for that matter and theres this massive one right behind my ear that hurts quite a bit -_- this is intense i cant believe how many pimples are on my neck :0
is this perhaps a detox thing or just my acne getting worse with time ? does cysteine make one detox? .... hm..
sigh

[TheMedic]

If you're getting into this kind of discussion then you want to basically read EVERYTHING Andy Cutler has ever wrote on the matter. He's not always correct, and he is hard headed, but in many cases the man knows whats up.