Just Ask Terry

Terry is happy to provide his opinion on diet and nutrition, supplements and lifestyle choices. This information is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to replace the advice of your physician and is not to be considered medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Should you have any concerns please contact your physician directly.

Q. Hello Terry, “I have vitiligo, a disease where the body attacks its own melanocytes (pigment cells that give skin color). Michael Jackson had it, which is why he had patches of skin without pigment. My own skin is light tan, with vitiligo patches of white. I don’t even wear short sleeved shirts anymore, and I live on the beach! Thank you for any suggestions.” —Serena T., Virginia Beach, VA A. Dear Serena, Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases can be quite tricky to manage, so first and foremost, I encourage you to work with your health care practitioner to decide which supplements are best in your unique situation. I can make some recommendations, but that never replaces your doctor’s care and oversight. While I have never found a natural “cure” for vitiligo, there are definitely nutritional factors I would suggest to improve a balanced immune system function. There are clinical studies on DL-phenylalanine (DLPA), combined with UVA (a type of ultraviolet light) that can trigger the melanin producing cells to increase production. Some studies have found that this combination can improve pigmentation in as much as 70% of vitiligo spots. [Siddiqui AH, Stolk LM, Bhaggoe R, et al. L-phenylalanine and UVA irradiation in the treatment of vitiligo. Dermatology. 1994;188(3):215-8.] A good dose is 50 to 100 mg per day orally, and if you combine that with a topical cream or gel containing 10% DLPA, you may get even better results. Additionally, for any type of autoimmune disease, I like a beneficial yeast extract, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, with usually 500 mg used once daily. I also would look for a highly standardized and good quality cat’s claw. Cat’s claw (Uncaria tomentosa) is very powerful for autoimmune disorders because it does not stimulate the immune system, nor does it suppress it. Instead, it modulates the immune system and reduces the release of immature immune cells that can cause so much damage in these kinds of diseases. There are some excellent published studies on cat’s claw use in rheumatoid arthritis (a very common autoimmune disease) and clinical reports for use in lupus (another autoimmune disease). While I don’t think there are specific studies on the use of cat’s claw with vitiligo, there is nothing I like better than cat’s claw for strengthening, balancing and rebuilding the immune system. Last, but not least, I’d add a good quality zinc supplement, about 10 mg of zinc twice daily. Good luck! Healthy regards! Terry . . . Naturally