Alright so my research around how I came to choose my micronutrients for further supplementation is after I read a article about 100mg/ED of zinc vs. traditional anti-biotic cycles(monocycline family). They found that those who had more acne also had a lower serum concentration of zinc. Zinc is also a partial antagonist to the activity from the cells, keratinocytes. I'm sure you have probably heard the word keratin and its just a protein produced by the aforementioned cells that help bind skin cells together. However, overproduction of keratin can lead to pores being blocked and thus will eventually lead to a clogged pore if it isn't exfoliated properly.
Zinc reduces inflammation! Especially inflammatory responses to the nasty bacteria that causes acne (bacterial acne of course)
Zinc is a partial antagonist to the 5au-reductase enzyme that creates.......DHT! A very androgenic hormone that possibly contributes to sebum production. Possibly in vitro tests displayed that zinc actually destroyed the bacteria (propionibacterium acnes)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15908296
Now my usage for
vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) First off I may have interpreted its mechanics incorrect when I first began my reason for supplementation, but I was later able to actually find some clinical studies. Pantothenic acid helps with the utilization of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. I assumed that they break down fatty acid chains so why wouldn't they have an effect on our skin? Our skin is a lipid. That is where my logic came from... I did notice that if I consumed it on an empty stomach it caused a lot of discomfort however it does have some ability in helping with digestive regulation.
Now for copper..this one should be used with discretion as copper toxicity can become fatal. The copper I have is 1% elemental Copper Gluconate-Anhydrous
. The max dosage i've used is 1.5mg only because I sweat a lot when I sleep and I try to make sure the zinc/copper are in harmony. You will need a proper scale that measures to at least 0.001 if you want to have the assurance of knowing it is a proper dose. I'm just going to name the benefits of copper that pertain to acne because honestly that list is pretty intricate. Copper is a acknowledged anti-oxidant so it never hurts to have a little more fighting power against free radicals. Copper also plays a
major role in the regenerative nature of skin (collagen production) as well as promoting a healthier skin color. The skin color one was big to me because you cannot see my jaundice under my skin as easily from having Gilbert's Syndrome.
My bad about taking so long to respond. I get distracted by anything and everything.