The nutritional therapy that worked for me is not a recognised or clinically tested treatment. I am simply sharing it because it helped me. As such, it is not a substitute for qualified medical advice or care.
After several weeks of supplementing my already healthy diet, my pigment loss began to reverse. And this resulted in roughly 98% repigmentation of my vitiligo within about a year and a half. I have had no relapse at any stage since the process began. And the new pigment has continued to become smoother and more consistent as time has gone by.
This approach consisted of taking the following nutritional supplements and getting regular, moderate sun exposure several times a week. I have listed the supplements on this page, in order of their perceived effectiveness, along with all their ingredients.
1. Boost Natural Tanning Capsules
Boost capsules, together with regular UV exposure, appear to have bene mainly responsible for my re-pigmentation. They are a natural food supplement (not a tanning pill), designed to help those with normal skin to achieve a richer tan more easily when exposed to the sun. The manufacturer is a British producer of natural health, beauty and sports nutrition products called xenca.
I simply tried Boost in the hope that these nutrients might help to stimulate pigmentation in my white patches. I didn’t really expect it to work. But after about 3 months of continuous use I started to see masses of freckles appearing. And the process continued from that point on.
I have listed the ingredients in this supplement below, along with some of their features and benefits. Amounts shown are per serving. (2 servings are recommended per day for 2 days prior to sun/UV exposure and thereafter until 2 days after exposure. But, for my purposes, I took them on an ongoing basis.) One jar lasts a month.
- L-Tyrosine 500mg
- PABA 300mg
- Copper (as sulphate) 1mg
- Vitamin B1 (as Thiamine HCI) 5mg
- Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 5mg
- Vitamin B3 (Nicotinamide) 10mg
- Pantothenic Acid (as Calcium Pantothenate) 10mg
- Vitamin B6 (Pyroxidine HCI) 10mg
- Folic Acid 200mcg
- Vitamin B12 12.5mcg
- Vitamin C (Asorbic Acid) 100mg
- Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) 2.5mcg
- Vitamin E 100mg
- Zinc (as Gluconate) 1.25mg
- Choline Bitartrate 30mg
- (Other ingredients: magnesium stereate, gelatin)
If you are going to give them a go, I suggest taking them for several weeks before expecting to see visible results… Although using a Woods light might show early results sooner than that. My vitiligo was very extensive and long term. I imagine the smaller and newer your lesions, the faster you might expect to see results.
2. Five a Day super green food
Five a Day is the name of the blend of vegan “superfoods” that you will find on the Nutrition Summary page of this site. It is not really a supplement at all but a food… A blend of super green foods that have an exceptionally high level of antioxidants and alkalising ingredients with a wide range of general health benefits and plenty of scientific and anecdotal evidence to support this.
Note Autumn 2020… This general health product recently underwent reformulation with vitiligo specifically in mind. It contains seven nutrient-dense green foods plus two additional antioxidants. Rich in natural enzymes, minerals, amino acids, vitamin and antioxidants, its active ingredients are as follows.
Five A Day: the ingredients
Spirulina
One of the” kings of the superfoods” with over 100 nutrients, spirulina, is a blue-green algae. It is frequently described as the most complete food source in the world. As such, it brings a diverse coverage of health benefits. Briefly, it supplies:
- Proteins: protein content is between 55 and 70% of the cell weight.
- Vitamins: B1 (Thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (nicotinamide), B6 (pyridoxine), B9 (folic acid), C, D and E.
- Minerals: Potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, sodium and zinc.
- Essential fatty acids like DHA.
- Photosynthetic pigments: chlorophyll, beta-carotene (64 to 70 times more than spinach).
Spirulina protein contains all the essential amino acids, comparable to the proteins of meat, milk or eggs. But vegans and vegetarians can use this supplement for adding additional quality protein to their diet.
Barley Grass Powder
Barley grass juice is a highly rejuvenating food for health. A popular and powerful “superfood”, it is rich in antioxidants, essential amino acids and beneficial enzymes. It also builds blood cell count and energy and helps to detoxify the blood.
Wheatgrass Powder
Wheatgrass juice is one of nature’s true “superfoods”. In fact, it is a complete food capable of sustaining human life in the absence of other nourishment for long periods. The juice is extracted from the young sprouts of wheat berries or grains. It has optimal nutritional value if juiced when the shoot of the plant is about to make its first stem division.
The juice contains complete protein, suitable for those who require a gluten-free diet. This is because gluten, the protein element in the grain, converts to amino acids during sprouting. Amino acids are the building blocks of the proteins our bodies use. Wheatgrass juice is a very good provider of the proteins required for cell regeneration. So it is renowned for its healing properties.
Chlorella
Chlorella is a single-celled, water-grown micro-algae. It is widely known as a powerful superfood supplement with extraordinary nutrient density and was popular in ancient culture. One of the few edible species of water-grown algae, chlorella is full of chlorophyll. It contains all of the B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, amino acids, magnesium, iron, trace minerals, carbohydrates and a higher amount of protein than meat (more than 50%). In addition to this, it also has a unique set of phytonutrients. It binds to toxins and carries them out of the body. Its high amount of protein makes it a staple supplement for many people, including those who do not eat meat.
L-Cysteine (Vegan)
The amino acid l-cysteine (also known simply as cysteine) is one of the building blocks of the powerful antioxidant glutathione (or GSH), which plays an important role in protecting the body from cellular damage from oxidative stress and toxins. Among many other vital functions, it plays a part in the maintenance of healthy skin, hair and nails. And research suggests that l-cysteine may also help prevent and / or treat a number of conditions, including diabetes, colitis, arthritis and lung diseases.
Broccoli Powder
Broccoli contains a wealth of nutrients and antioxidants that support many aspects of human health. It also contains various B vitamins, zinc, copper, folate, and a range of antioxidants all of which are important in protecting against pigment loss. It is a rich source of nutrients, including vitamins C and K and aids digestion and reduces inflammation. Like the other cruciferous vegetables in Five a Day, it contains plentiful levels of the powerful antioxidant superoxide dismutase, or SOD.
White Cabbage Powder
Cabbage is another abundant source of vitamins C and K, as well as a variety of minerals and antioxidants and flavonoids, including choline, beta carotene, xeaxanthin, lutein, quercetin and kaempferol. Like the other leafy greens in Five a Day, cabbage is an excellent prebiotic, which means it supports a healthy balance of gut bacteria.
Kale Powder
Kale is well known for being one of the most nutritious, health-giving plants there is. It contains an extensive list of vitamins and other compounds that support the proper functioning of the human body. It is especially high in vitamin C and other antioxidants, including quercetin and kaempferol, and has anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and anti-cancer properties.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an essential nutrient and an important antioxidant. Like l-cysteine, it regenerates other antioxidants in the body and plays an important role in the proper functioning of the immune system. It is also crucial to the production of collagen and in protein metabolism.
3. Collagen Supplements
I must point out that I also take collagen hydrolysate (starting with this for stiff joints at about the same time as the other nutritional supplements and found it helped significantly with this). I also noticed a reduction in lines and a firmer skin texture as a result of the collagen supplementation but did not realise back then that collagen might also have been contributing to my re-pigmentation. Since then, I have learned that collagen may help to heal Leaky Gut and also improves skin health in a variety of ways. One of these may well be to improve pigmentation or else there is a possibility that my vitilgo recovery could be due to the specific combination of nutritional products I used.
Please let me know how you get on…
If you do try the same nutritional supplements as me, please contact me and let me know how you get on. It would be good to build up a picture of results to see how many other vitiligo sufferers achieve the same success. *
* Note: Thank you to everyone who has taken me up on this request. I have heard from an impressive number of fellow vitiligo sufferers who have also had success using this method and have started posting some of these vitiligo success stories as I gradually obtain the permission of those concerned.