Dermatologist Rajani Katta, MD, explains how vitamins are (and aren’t) regulated, how to judge the safety and efficacy of skincare supplements, and the truth about collagen powders, biotin, vitamin A, and other hair, skin, and nail vitamins. Plus, we learn how your diet affects your skin and hair, which supplements can affect medical tests, and how certain foods can help neutralize free radicals and protect against damage. This interview originally aired in 2020 and has been re-edited and includes a new introduction.
Dr. Rajani Katta - her website
Glow: The Dermatologist's Guide to a Whole Foods Younger Skin Diet - by Dr. Rajani Katta
“A Low-Glycemic-Load Diet Improves Symptoms in Acne Vulgaris Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial”
The FDA’s guide on dietary supplements
Over 50% of supplement factories that the FDA investigated last year received citations
More information on the link between diet and different dermatology conditions - this is a link to handouts Dr. Katta provides her patients, and they’re great resources if you want to learn more
Dietary Supplement Act of 1994
biotin - a vitamin often marketed to help with thinning hair that Dr. Katta says may not be beneficial unless you’re actually biotin deficient
beta carotene warning - learn more about precautions to be aware of when taking this supplement
melatonin - beware of drowsiness when taking supplements that contain this
vitamin A - learn more about precautions to be aware of when taking this supplement
more
saw palmetto - learn more about precautions to be aware of when taking this herbal supplement
Consumer Lab - this organization investigates a number of supplements. After we interviewed Dr. Katta, she emailed us to say, “If a friend asks me about a supplement she’s taking, I always check the Consumer Lab database first for results. They are an independent investigative lab that has a subscription service, but some of their content can be accessed publicly.”
The NIH answers FAQs about supplements - an excellent resource that Dr. Katta recommended if you want to learn more about the different seals she mentioned
telogen effluvium - a type of hair loss; listen to ep. 211 to learn more
transepidermal water loss
Does collagen do anything for skin? - check out this summary of 11 randomized controlled trials of collagen for skin
Consumer Lab review of collagen - some collagen supplements may contain high levels of heavy metals such as cadmium
A pilot study finds that almonds can reduce wrinkles
Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi - Dr. Katta has been loving this show
“Dancing Queen” by Abba - Dr. Katta’s pump-up song
