Vitamins do a lot for your body, but there are some jobs they're just not meant for. They can't cure boils, which is a type of skin infection. What vitamins can do is boost your immune system and keep your skin healthy enough to fight off the bacteria that cause uncomfortable and often painful boils. Consult your doctor before adding vitamin supplements to your daily regimen.
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Unfortunately, no vitamin can stop you from getting a boil. But a healthy diet filled with all the nutrients you need for good health may help promote healing.
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What Causes Boils
A very well-known type of bacteria — Staphylococcus aureus — causes boils on your skin. Also known as "staph," the bacteria get into your skin through a damaged hair follicle, causing an infection.
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Dealing With Boils
These infections can happen anywhere on your body. Once you develop one of these painful problems, the only known cure is antibiotics. Since it's an infection, you have to monitor it to make sure it's not getting worse. If it doesn't go away on its own, you'll have to use antibiotics for your boils.
Vitamins for Boils
While there aren't necessarily specific vitamins for boils, certain vitamins can help prevent skin conditions. Your skin is a living organ and needs help from nutrients, like vitamins, to stay healthy. It's also important to take care of your immune system so you can fight dangerous bacteria like staph. Vitamins can help with both.
Immune-Boosting Vitamins
Vitamin C is perhaps the best-known immune-boosting vitamin. It's in many cold prevention medicines, and for good reason. A 2017 study published in Nutrients shows that you're more likely to get sick when you're deficient in vitamin C.
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Researchers suggest that you supplement with 100 to 200 milligrams per day. You can find a vitamin C supplement at your local drugstore, or you can eat vegetables like broccoli and fruits like pineapple.
The most commonly-deficient vitamin today is vitamin D, according to an article from the Linus Pauling Institute. Since vitamin deficiencies can harm your immune system and leave you open to infections, like boils, it's important that you have enough vitamin D.
To get more vitamin D in your diet, go to your local seafood market. Salmon, trout and swordfish are very high in this crucial vitamin, according to health.gov. Additionally, spending time in the sun stimulates your body to produce its own supply of vitamin D. The Vitamin D Council states that 15 minutes is enough time for a fair-skinned person.
Retinol for Healthy Skin
One of the most important vitamins for skin health is Vitamin A — also called retinol. To use it for your skin, purchase a topical cream that you can safely apply to your face or body.
Topical vitamin A creams can help prevent acne, protect your skin from the sun and prevent sun aging. Vitamin A can't cure boils, but because boils are similar to acne, which is caused by infected pores, it might be able to prevent them.
Vitamin E to the Rescue
Vitamin E is also helpful for your skin. It has similar benefits to vitamin A, including protection from the sun. It acts as an antioxidant and hunts potentially dangerous free radicals, according to a 2016 study published in the Indian Dermatology Online Journal.
Like vitamin A, it should be applied topically. Since vitamin E is fat soluble, it can build up in the fat cells of your body and become toxic if you consume too much. If you use a topical cream, you won't have to worry about toxicity.