Low gastric acid, candida and vitiligo

Last Updated on 20th January 2022 by Caroline Haye

Digestive recovery and vitiligo recovery may take guts

Combating a stubborn and complex condition like vitiligo is not easy. It is not simply a matter of asking your family doctor for a prescription. Not even your dermatologist can wave a magic wand and make the white patches on your skin disappear. He or she will probably tell you that you have an autoimmune condition. But what your dermatologist will probably not tell you is that low gastric acid, candida and vitiligo may be related and that solving one could potentially help solve the others.

Conventional medicine still offers vitiligo patients very little in the way of joined up thinking. Known links between digestive disorders and autoimmune diseases tend to be ignored by medical doctors because their training does not encourage them to think holistically . So, if you are determined to beat your skin disorder you may have to be willing to think outside the box. You may have to do some research of your own and take charge of your own recovery like I did.

Doing this takes some guts. Fortunately, guts are exactly what I am going to discuss in this blog post… because your gut could well be a cause, and a solution, to your vitiligo.

It takes guts to restore intestinal balance

It’s ironic that a condition that most people think of as purely visual could stem from a part of our body we can’t see when we look in the mirror. But everything I have learned about vitiligo tells me this is true. I am convinced that certain aspects of this skin disorder lie deep in the bowels of… well, deep in the bowels!

Experts tell us that our digestive system is, in many ways, as complex and influential as our brain.  For years, everyone thought the digestive system was a fairly simple piece of plumbing. But we now know it is a highly sophisticated ecosystem. (A “second brain” even.) So it should come as no surprise that we need to look after it if we want to stay well.

When the digestive system works as it should, our entire body functions as nature intended. It receives the nutrition it requires for all of its physiological processes. And it either eliminates or neutralises harmful toxins, waste and pathogens. But, as in any ecosystem, a disturbance to the natural balance can produce unwanted effects. These may appear gradually at first, but they tend to gain momentum. And they can become an ever-worsening vicious cycle.

The longer a cycle of imbalance continues, the more of our physiological processes are affected and the more symptoms and syndromes emerge. As the body’s largest organ our skin is an important means of elimination. As such, it is often an early indicator of internal problems. Everyone knows that spots, pimples, rashes and dry skin are all warning signs. Well, I believe that pigment loss may also be a symptom of hidden health issues too. Quite possibly, a consequence of what is happening in the gut.  

Low gastric acid leads to chronic ill health

I have blogged before about the link between hypochlorhydria (low stomach acid) and vitiligo.  But, to summarise, some people are born with too little stomach acid. Meaning they are never able to produce enough to properly digest their food. The internal problems that this causes may or may not be apparent during early childhood. But the effects of incomplete digestion over the longer term inevitably results in symptoms eventually. Other people may have enough stomach acid when they are young but levels decline as they age. (This happens to most of us.) The theory goes that low stomach acid results in incomplete digestion of food. This results in nutritional deficiencies and “leaky gut”. And pigment loss is just one of the autoimmune conditions that can follow.

It seems that low stomach acid tends to become a vicious cycle.  Evidently, it causes mineral deficiencies which, in turn, raise the acidity of the blood. Acidic blood further reduces mineral levels and lowers stomach acid even more. (And, God forbid that you should then take antacids for the indigestion symptoms that often accompany hypochlorhydria. Because this will make the cycle even worse by lowering what little stomach acid you still have.)

This is why, when low levels of stomach acid go unchecked, they can set in motion a downward spiral in the body’s ability to absorb nutrition and eliminate waste. There are certainly a whole host of other negative repercussions from this, which (as a non-medic) I will lump together under the very broad term “inflammation”, which includes allergic and autoimmune responses.
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The candid(a) truth about gut flora  

Another factor in the cycle of inflammation is Candida Albicans. Most of us have heard of it. But we may not be aware of its possible involvement in vitiligo. Candida is a fungus (or yeast) that lives in the digestive tract where it aids normal digestion and nutrient absorption. But it is a part of our internal ecosystem that can easily grow out of control. When this happens it is called candidiasis or COS (Candida Overgrowth Syndrome). A person with insufficient stomach acid is less able to keep the growth of this fungus under control. This can result in damage to the intestinal lining and the development of “Leaky Gut” (or intestinal permeability).

As with low stomach acid, some people may be born with a Candida overgrowth. But most of us develop it, to a greater or lesser extent. Often, this is due to a diet that is too high in sugars and starch. Most people can bring it under control by improving their diet and taking a course of probiotics. But, if you lack stomach acid you will not be able to kill off excess fungal organisms and other pathogens and viruses living in your digestive tract. So the problem can be more extreme and more persistent. If this is the case, you may need to take probiotics on an ongoing basis.

Melanocytes are the first line of defence against Candida Albicans

Interestingly, there is some evidence to suggest that vitiligo sufferers may be more susceptible to Candida overgrowth. Namely, because they have fewer defences to fight it. Researchers have found that melanocytes and melanin form the first line of defence against Candida Albicans. So it makes sense that the loss of functioning melanocytes in vitiligo could leave us less able to keep Candida under control.

Having just re-read this blog so far, I realise how alarmist it may sound. So I apologise if it has you clutching your stomach with one hand, whilst frantically googling “how to rid my body of killer fungi” with the other. I’m not trying to overstate the case or to spread panic. If you are affected by the type of internal imbalance I have described, rest assured that it has taken time to develop. It may have taken decades and it has not killed you yet!

The good news is that it can be corrected, although it may take a little time and perseverance. But then, those are two of the requirements that you will find in every effective vitiligo treatment anyway.

Keep calm and carry on healing yourself!

First of all, you don’t need to have a perfect understanding of what is going on in order to correct it. After all, I didn’t know any of this stuff when I tried out a nutritional approach to healing my skin. But my ignorance at the time didn’t prevent it from working. I now understand a lot more about why it worked. (And it explains why it improved my digestive symptoms too). Second of all, tackling the various factors involved becomes simpler when you look at them one at a time.  So, let’s do that now. 

Gastric acid levels

There are tests that can confirm whether or not you suffer from hypochlorhydria. But simply checking out the symptoms online will probably give you a pretty good clue.  If you have a significant lack of stomach acid you will benefit from taking Betaine HCl and Pepsin with meals to boost your levels. Otherwise, just a diet that promotes stomach acid production may be sufficient.

The pH levels of the human body can be a really confusing subject, especially when it comes to deciding what we should eat for good health. One of the confusing aspects is that different parts of the body need different levels of acidity. As we know, the stomach requires a very high level of acidity in order to break down food, whereas the duodenum (which is where food goes immediately after leaving the stomach) needs an alkaline environment. The blood should be slightly alkaline too.

The other confusing thing is that foods are often wrongly described as “acid” or “alkalising” and this can be misleading. What our body needs is foods that help to promote healthy levels of stomach acid but also have an alkalising effect on the rest of our body. For example, citrus fruits and cider vinegar will help with acid production in the stomach. But, once digested, they actually have an alkalising effect on the body.

Acid versus alkaline foods

So, how do we choose the right foods to satisfy all these different requirements? How do we know which foods are acid and which are alkaline? Luckily, most of the foods that we already know are good for us will help our digestive system to function properly. Fresh vegetables and fruits, and unprocessed fish and meats will all do this.

Eating these foods and reducing sugars is a sure way to improve your gut health. If you want some inspiration try looking up recipes for so-called Cave-Man or “Paleo” diet. If you adopt mainly this style of eating it would be hard to go wrong, even if you don’t understand all the science behind it. (Having said that, a list of foods that are alkalising may also be helpful for reference.)

I have adopted a mainly Paleo diet myself and feel better for it. (And losing some unwanted weight has been a bonus). But I only recently improved my diet, so this change cannot have been a factor in my recovery. I am sure that taking daily doses of Five a Day greenfoods was what compensated for deficiencies in my diet back then. I always think of this supplement as being the nutritional equivalent of eating a mountain of organic, leafy green vegetables every day. It provides high levels of easily-digestible alkalising nutrition that I would not otherwise be able to eat without bursting!

Candida

Because low stomach acid and poor diet are two of the key factors in Candida overgrowth, following the same guidelines as above should help combat both. In my case, I eat a mainly alkalising, nutritious diet and take Betaine HCl with large meals. I also take two doses of Five a Day daily. Every so often, I add a course of probiotics if I suspect a yeast infection – or just as a precaution.  (Special probiotics products for young children are also available.) But the healthy bacteria in Five a Day (Lactobacillus Acidophilus and Lactobacillus Bifidus) seems to be sufficient for my needs the rest of the time.

The other factor that can lead to candidiasis is a lack of digestive enzymes.  So, supplementing with these may also help ensure better nutritional absorption.

Vitiligo

I entitled this blog “Low gastric acid, candida and vitiligo” so I shall finish off with this third component. This is the main focus for the blog. I decided to write about digestive issues, in the context of vitiligo, because I believe it could help a lot of other vitiligo sufferers besides me. Lots of people try all kinds of different treatments to regain their skin colour. Many don’t get the results they want. And this could be because untreated digestive issues are sabotaging their efforts by preventing or reversing their recovery.

I have had “tummy troubles” all my life. And, until a few years ago, I never made a mental connection between these and my vitiligo. But now that I analyse it, my recovery makes much more sense. At first, my re-pigmentation, using nutritional supplements, just seemed like a lucky fluke. But in fact, the supplements I used worked on both my gastric problems and on my skin’s ability to make pigment. So I believe that both components of the treatment were equally important.

It seems obvious to me that most of the western world eats a less than ideal diet. Poor digestion is a common complaint. And if you have vitiligo, you may have a higher chance of digestive problems.

Check your intestinal health

So, my message to you, if you are looking for answers, is to think laterally. Consider the possibilities that your doctor may not have the time or inclination to consider. Check your intestinal health. Take charge of your own diet and nutrition. Because you are the only person who can do this on a daily basis.

Don’t let digestive issues interfere with your efforts to re-pigment. Find out if you have low levels of stomach acid. If you do, then follow the recommendations above. (Or do some more research yourself). Find out if you have a Candida problem and take action to bring it under control. If you do this, you may find your vitiligo improves on its own. If not, I am convinced that any vitiligo treatment you use will stand a much greater chance of success.

In closing, I’m sure you have sometimes heard courage referred to as “Intestinal fortitude”. Well, it does take some guts to manage your own recovery, given the lack of effective medical solutions. But if you can literally build up your intestinal fortitude (physiologically, as well as psychologically), your courage is much more likely to be rewarded with a happy tummy and lots of healthy, new pigment!