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. 2023 Dec 1;159(12):1373-1382.
doi: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2023.3949.

Safety and Effectiveness of Oral Nutraceuticals for Treating Acne: A Systematic Review

Ali Shields  1 , Sophia Ly  1 , Bruna Wafae  1 , Yu-Feng Chang  1 , Priya Manjaly  1 , Marjorie Archila  1 , Christina Heinrich  2 , Lara Drake  1 , Arash Mostaghimi  1 , John S Barbieri  1
Affiliations

Safety and Effectiveness of Oral Nutraceuticals for Treating Acne: A Systematic Review

Ali Shields et al. JAMA Dermatol. .

Abstract

Importance: Patients with acne are interested in nutraceuticals as a potential treatment option. However, there is uncertainty regarding the efficacy and safety of these products.

Objective: To evaluate the evidence for oral nutraceuticals in the treatment of acne.

Evidence review: The PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Web of Science databases were searched from inception through January 30, 2023, to identify randomized clinical trials evaluating oral nutraceutical interventions (ie, vitamins and minerals, botanical extracts, prebiotics, and probiotics) in individuals with acne. Clinician-reported outcomes (eg, investigator global assessment, lesion counts), patient-reported outcomes (eg, quality of life), and adverse events were extracted from the included studies. The quality of evidence was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias checklist tool for randomized clinical trials. Based on the Risk of Bias tool, articles were converted to Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality standards of good, fair, or poor quality.

Findings: A total of 2582 abstracts were identified in the database search, 42 of which met inclusion criteria (a total of 3346 participants). 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 gastrointestinal tract adverse effects were reported for zinc therapy.

Conclusions and relevance: This systematic review suggests a possible role for nutraceutical supplements in the treatment of acne. Physicians should be prepared to discuss the evidence regarding the potential role of nutraceuticals with patients. 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.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Dr Mostaghimi reported receiving consulting fees from Hims & Hers Health Inc, AbbVie, Concert Pharmaceuticals Inc, Digital Diagnostics, Bioniz, and Pfizer Inc; receiving royalty payments from Pfizer Inc; participating in clinical trials for Eli Lilly and Company, Concert Pharmaceuticals Inc, Incyte Corp, and Aclaris Therapeutics Inc; and receiving personal fees from Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, Equillium, ASLAN Pharmaceuticals, Boehringer Ingelheim, Figure 1, and Acom Healthcare outside the submitted work. Dr Barbieri reported receiving consulting fees from Dexcel Pharma Technologies Ltd outside the submitted work. No other disclosures were reported.

Figures

Figure.
Figure.
Study Flow Diagram CENTRAL indicates Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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