JAMA Dermatol

Oral nutraceuticals may benefit patients with acne

October 31, 2023

According to a systematic review, nutraceutical supplements may play a role in the treatment of acne. Physicians should be prepared to discuss the evidence regarding the potential role of nutraceuticals with patients.

• Researchers identified 2,582 randomized clinical trials that evaluated oral nutraceutical interventions in individuals with acne. Clinician-reported outcomes, patient-reported outcomes, and adverse events were extracted from the included studies.
• 42 trials met the inclusion criteria, comprising a total of 3,346 participants. Of these 42 studies, 27 were considered poor quality, 11 were considered fair quality, and 4 were considered good quality. 
• Studies of fair or good quality showed the potential benefit of vitamins B5 and D, botanical extracts (green tea), probiotics, and ω-3 fatty acids in the treatment of acne. These interventions were most frequently associated with decreased lesion counts or improved investigator global assessment scores.
• Adverse effects were rare for most of the therapies evaluated, but GI adverse effects were reported for zinc therapy.
• Researchers stress that many studies were of small size, and future research should focus on larger randomized clinical trials to assess the utility of nutraceuticals in the treatment of acne.

Source:

Shields A, et al. (2023, October 25). JAMA Dermatol. Safety and effectiveness of oral nutraceuticals for treating acne: a systematic review. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37878272/