For over four decades, vitamin A has earned medical attention for its anti-acne traits. Because of this vitamin's versatility and efficacy at treating acne, there are now over three generations of vitamin A derived medicines used to combat acne. So what is the secret to vitamin A's zit-fighting action?

The varied functions of vitamin A

The nutrient vitamin A serves a key role in vision, bone growth, reproduction, cell division, and cell differentiation. In addition, vitamin A enhances immune strength by helping produce white blood cells that attack bacteria and viruses.

Vitamin A and acne control

According to an investigation in Cutis, vitamin A can control or modify the steps involved in creating acne lesions. One of those steps involves improper shedding of skin cells. Vitamin A can help improve how the pores remove dead skin cells and this reduces the chances of developing clogged pores that encourage surplus growth of the acne activating bacteria Propionibactium acnes.

Moreover, a report in the Proceedings of the Nutrition Society have found that a vitamin A deficiency can induce inflammation and escalate existing inflammatory states.

Medical studies verified this finding. For example, report in Clinical & Experimental Dermatology detected a direct link between blood levels of vitamin A and acne. In this investigation, researchers compared the blood levels of vitamins A in 100 newly diagnosed, yet untreated acne patients to 100 age-matched, healthy volunteers without acne. Overall, the healthy, acne free group had higher amounts of vitamin A in their circulatory system than the acne sufferer group.

Based on these findings, investigators concluded that low vitamin A blood levels could cause or worsen an acne outbreak. Years earlier, an investigation in the British Journal of Dermatology found that low vitamin A blood levels corresponded to heightened levels of severe, cystic acne in male volunteers.

How much Vitamin A to take

The daily value for vitamin A for an adults is 5,000 IU (international units). The recommended dietary allowance for vitamin A is 900 miligrams per day or 3,000 IU per day. The tolerable upper level of vitamin A for adults is 10,000 IU per day. Excess dosages of vitamin A can cause liver toxicity, birth defects and/or nausea.

Where to get vitamin A

Vitamin A found in animal-based foods is called "preformed" vitamin A. Animal-based vitamin A is absorbed in the form of retinol. The body can then transform this retinol into other active forms of vitamin A like retinal and retinoic acid.

Food sources of vitamin A include beef liver, chicken liver, fortified milk, cheese and eggs. According to the Mayo Clinic, the best source of needed nutrients is a balanced diet. However, for individuals whose health conditions, lifestyle choices or medications hamper their bodies' ability to receive or absorb proper amounts of vitamin A from foods, a supplement is in order.