I happened to find out that Vitiligo sufferers and pregnant women (no offence intended) have something in common. Both want their suffering to end as soon as possible and when successfully handled it becomes a source of happiness for all times to come. Just kidding... I mean some of the Supplements they take in their condition are the same. Supplements 1 to 5 mentioned below are and can safely and effectively be taken by both during their term if needed. The rest are for Vitiligo and related autoimmune diseases only.
I have tried to research as much as possible to be assured of the 'Safety' and effectiveness of these Supplements by taking reference of various studies, trials and personal experience of people mentioned on the Internet. I am adding these Supplements in my own treatment protocol as they have been found to be helpful in Vitiligo and other autoimmune diseases and there are no contradictory studies and findings against them.
1. Vitamin B12- Methylcobalamin- Only this particular form of Vitamin B12 i.e. Methylcobalamin can be taken by people who have MTHFR gene mutation . The other forms particularly Cyanocobalamin is potentially harmful so must be avoided. Further, the Cyanocobalamin has to be first converted to Methylcobalamin form to be used by the body.
Methylcobalamin can be taken long term at a safe dose of 0.5 mg to 5 mg depending upon the deficiency. Any excess of it is readily excreted out through urine as its a water soluble Vitamin. It has to be taken by sublingual tablets or injections as it is absorbed better that way.
2. Folic Acid- Quatrofolic L methyl folate- This particular form of Vitamin B9 is most readily absorbed by the body. Unless you suffer from any other gene mutation not related to Vitiligo you can safely take it in a dose of 0.5 to 3 mg.
http://www.heartfixer.com/AMRI-Nutrigenomics.htm#CBS
3. Vitamin B6- Pyridoxal-5-Phosphate- This particular Vitamin can get depleted if you are supplementing with Vitamin B12. So it's necessary to include it in a safe dose of 1 mg to 2.5 mg.
Many brands make (1), (2) and (3) in a single pill.
4. Vitamin D- Vitamin D3- This vitamin has too been extensively studied and found to help in Vitiligo. It is made naturally by Sun exposure. However, it has been found to be depleted in people having Vitiligo. It can be safely taken at a dose of 1000 iu to 2000 iu.
5. Omega 3 fatty acids- EPA and DHA- These essential fatty acids(EPA and DHA) found in fish have too been found to help in Vitiligo. However, the following must be kept in mind - total EPA/DHA content in the fish oil must not be < 70%, total EPA/DHA intake in a day must be 1000 mcg, fish used must be from wild and natural environment, it must not contain transfat and cholesterol, must have been obtained from supercritical distillation process. These things must be kept in mind otherwise more harm than good can be done due to the contaminants present in it.
Some people give the ratio of 4:1 as the best ratio of EPA : DHA however that is not applicable in Vitiligo as DHA is equally important if not more.
Many brands make (4) and (5) in a single pill with Vitamin E added in it which is also helpful.
6. Alpha Lipoic Acid- R-alpha Lipoic Acid- This particular form has been found to be 2 to 5 times more effective than its normal form and has been studied to help in Vitiligo. It can be safely taken at a dose of 100-200 mg. However, people with thyroid disorders must restrict its dose to 25-50 mg and need to monitor their thyroid levels regularly and adjust the dose if needed.
7. Antioxidants
(A) Methylsulfonylmethane> L-Glutamine> L Glutathione> L-Phenylanine> L-Tyrosine>>>>Pigment production. Through this process, use and transformation of the above 5 Melanogenesis and pigment production takes place in the skin. Since Glutathione remains unabsorbed in the intestines so one of the remaining four must be taken to aid this pigment production process. MSM and Glutamine are the precursors and either can be taken at a safe dose of upto 2 GMs. Avoid taking amino acids L Phenylanine and L Tyrosine directly unless you are sure that due to a genetic defect you cannot make them naturally as there are adverse effects associated with long term use of these two. The precursors are the best form as they don't interfere with the natural occurring processes in the body and train it to heal it by itself albeit with a little aid.
(B) N Acetyl Cystine- This antioxidant has too been found to be helpful in Vitiligo by releaving Oxidative Stress at the cellular level. It can be taken at a dose of 100mg - 200 mg.
(C) Ginkgo Biloba and Bioperine/ Peprine- These herbs are natural Antioxidants and found helpful in Vitiligo. They can be taken at a dose of 120 mg and 10 mg respectively. Both however have been found to cause stomach upset if taken for long term. Bioperine/Peprine increases the absorption rate of the other supplements and medications so this must be kept in mind when taking it or one can substitute it by including Black Pepper along with food.
Many brands have combinations of (6) and/or (7) A, B in a single pill but special care must be taken to insure they are pure and unadulterated.
8. Trace Elements like Copper, Zinc, Selenium, Magnesium, Manganese. Even though they are essential in Vitiligo. They must not be taken from unnatural sources. Green Food Supplements ( which includes green marine algae and plants) has these essential elements in it so must be taken for supply of these. I however wear a magnetic copper bracelet which eventhough has not been studied to be helpful in vitiligo but it has been said by experts that it aids in circulation and absorption of only the necessary amounts of copper through skin.
9. Juice of a few carrots, a piece of beet with a few leaves of mint with a dash of Himalayan salt, black pepper and lime juice can be used to supply other essential elements like Carotene and lutein. Carrot and beets can be substituted with juice of green veggies like cucumber, celery and leafy greens in the summers. However people with thyroid problems must avoid taking green juice and can instead just eat green veggies as the green juice has high concentration of alkaloids which must be avoided in people with Thyroid problems. And the veggies must be free from pesticides.
I have deliberately not included turmeric and Vitamin C as there are conflicting reports regarding it.
Lastly, while taking any Supplement it must always be started from a lower dose and the dose must slowly be increased after it has been ascertained that's it is suiting the body. High doses must be avoided if it has to be taken for long term or adjusted as per the need from time to time. Preferably done under advise and supervision of a Dermatologist/Nutritionist.
PLEASE ADD, MODIFY and CORRECT to the above if you find something to the contrary or something in addition. Your reference to the related study will be greatly appreciated as then I can also go through it for my own benefit. Thanks.
Regards.
(This mistakenly got deleted by me so rewriting and reposting it ..... Whew:(
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An effective study that looked at a pool of Antioxidants. (Alpha Lipoic Acid, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid) Study Conclusion. Oral supplementation with antioxidant pool containing α-lipoic acid before and during NB-UVB significantly improves the clinical effectiveness of NB-UVB, reducing vitiligo-associated oxidative stress.
Link to Study: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2230.2007.02514.x...
An effective study with Licorice Root.
(Glycyrrhiza)
Study Conclusion: This study showed that, although the three treatment protocols had positive results, Oral Compound Glycyrrhiza and UVB combination therapy was the most effective and led to improvement in disease stage from active to stable.
Link to Study: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S0100-879X2016000800605&scr...
Thanks DJ for supplying the links to the studies and other additions.
My original discussion body got deleted. So reposting it as exactly as I can remember it.
I hope you enjoyed your Christmas holiday.
Best wishes
I always seem to miss probiotics. Its something I think I can substitute by curd (fermented milk), fermented veggies, etc. which I eat quite regularly or I may even take a probiotic if need be and follow your advice.
Inositol is also an antioxidant and can be taken at the dose mentioned.
I found it's better not to take added Trace Elements you and I above have mentioned in unnatural form. There are issues of absorption, efficacy and safety which must be looked at very carefully. Chromium can drop blood sugar levels drastically. Taking one element can lead to depletion of the other important element. Some cannot be taken together like Copper and Zinc. In some if there too much of it then there is trouble as you don't know how much of it is getting absorbed and how much is getting stored in unwanted places like liver, brain and kidneys. Any slight excess of them is not eliminated naturally.
I find its better to get trace elements through diet or through plant based Green Food Supplements and not through additives.
Replies
An effective study that looked at a pool of Antioxidants.
(Alpha Lipoic Acid, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid)
Study Conclusion. Oral supplementation with antioxidant pool containing α-lipoic acid before and during NB-UVB significantly improves the clinical effectiveness of NB-UVB, reducing vitiligo-associated oxidative stress.
Link to Study: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2230.2007.02514.x...
An effective study with Licorice Root.
(Glycyrrhiza)
Study Conclusion: This study showed that, although the three treatment protocols had positive results, Oral Compound Glycyrrhiza and UVB combination therapy was the most effective and led to improvement in disease stage from active to stable.
Link to Study: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S0100-879X2016000800605&scr...
An effective study with Gingko Biloba.
Study Conclusion: G. biloba extract seems to be a simple, safe and fairly effective therapy for arresting the progression of the disease.
Link to Study: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-2230.2003.01207.x...
My original discussion body got deleted. So reposting it as exactly as I can remember it.
I hope you enjoyed your Christmas holiday.
Best wishes
I think Probiotics and some trace elements are missing.
-Probiotics ⇒ 1 capsule with at least 5 billion CFU of the beneficial bacteria
-Trace elements:
• Chromium ⇒ 100mcg
• Molybdenum ⇒ 25mcg
• Vanadium ⇒ 15mcg
• Inositol ⇒ 80mg
• Lutein ⇒ 1mg
• Boron ⇒ 1mg
• Silicon Dioxide ⇒ 2mg
• Choline Bitartrate ⇒ 80mg
Inositol is also an antioxidant and can be taken at the dose mentioned.
I found it's better not to take added Trace Elements you and I above have mentioned in unnatural form. There are issues of absorption, efficacy and safety which must be looked at very carefully. Chromium can drop blood sugar levels drastically. Taking one element can lead to depletion of the other important element. Some cannot be taken together like Copper and Zinc. In some if there too much of it then there is trouble as you don't know how much of it is getting absorbed and how much is getting stored in unwanted places like liver, brain and kidneys.
Any slight excess of them is not eliminated naturally.
I find its better to get trace elements through diet or through plant based Green Food Supplements and not through additives.