Text/Editor: Sky
I know you've probably heard the saying that black food is a "panacea" for vitiligo.
But we must correct these myths, vitiligo cannot be cured by food alone.
It is an autoimmune disease that affects the pigment of the skin and is characterized by the appearance of white patches on the skin, which are caused by the destruction or loss of pigment cells.
According to the Global Society for Dermatological Research, about 1% of the world's population has vitiligo, and there is no cure for vitiligo as of now.
This means that the psychological pressure and future health risks of patients are huge.
So how can patients inhibit the worsening of vitiligo in daily life? Does eating black food have a counterproductive effect on the disease? What other misconceptions about vitiligo and diet?
In the following article, we will explore common myths about vitiligo with you.
Dangers of vitiligo
When we talk about vitiligo, many people may only see the superficial problem to the point that it is just to depigment the skin, but in fact, the damage caused by the disease is very serious internal and mental health.
- Sunburn:
The most obvious feature of vitiligo is the appearance of white patches on the skin, which is caused by the destruction or loss of pigment cells, and it is estimated that about 1% of the global population suffers from vitiligo.
These white spots not only affect appearance, but can also lead to sunburn on the skin, as pigment cells normally provide the skin with a natural sun shield.
But in areas of white spots, this protective mechanism is no longer effective, so the lost pigment cells do not provide natural sun protection and can make the skin more vulnerable to UV damage.
As a result, the skin in the white patches is more susceptible to sunburn, which in turn increases the risk of skin cancer.
- Skin sensitivity abnormalities:
We also found that many people with vitiligo also develop skin paresthesias in the area of white patches, such as itching, tingling or burning.
These paresthesias may cause discomfort and pain, further affecting the patient's quality of life.
- Dry skin and flare:
The skin around the white patches is usually more likely to become dry and scaling, which may require additional care and hydration.
Dryness and scaling of the skin not only cause discomfort, but may also aggravate the visibility of white patches.
- Mental Health Challenges:
According to our observations, vitiligo is not just a skin problem, it can also have a serious impact on the mental health of patients.
Because the disease often causes physical abnormalities, most commonly on the hands and, to a lesser extent, on the face, patients may cause psychological problems such as decreased self-esteem, social avoidance, and depression.
And according to our survey, about 30% of vitiligo patients say they suffer from mental health problems.
- Social exclusion and discrimination:
In fact, it is not only the patients themselves who find it difficult to accept these conditions, which leads to psychological problems, including prejudice and discrimination in society, which can also have a huge negative impact on vitiligo patients.
Patients may suffer from misunderstandings, exclusion and discrimination from the outside world, which not only increases mental stress, but also jeopardizes their social life and career development.
- Masking and concealment:
In order to avoid social discrimination and embarrassment, many patients choose to wear thick clothing for a long time to cover white spots, which may require a lot of time and money.
This behavior may increase the psychological burden on the patient and may also lead to worsening of skin problems.
- Improper treatment may lead to worsening:
Some vitiligo patients may try different treatments, and they may try to develop a treatment plan on their own based on information obtained online or other channels.
However, not all methods are scientifically effective, and the treatment of vitiligo should be individualized according to the specific situation of the patient, and making your own treatment plan may ignore individual differences and lead to improper treatment.
Improper use of drugs or methods can lead to rapid deterioration of the condition and even spread of plaque, and treatment must be carried out under the guidance of a doctor to ensure safety and effectiveness.
Then we would like to emphasize once again that vitiligo is not just a superficial skin problem, it can cause significant harm to the patient's physical health and mental health.
The market includes many strange home remedies, the most widely spread of which is that eating black food can cure white patches on the skin and inhibit the progression of diseases.
In order to prevent more people from being misled, we will list a few formal corrections below.
Vitiligo daily health care misunderstanding
Although vitiligo does not directly affect physical health, it can have a large impact on a patient's appearance and mental health, and a large part of this is caused by cognitive errors.
Myth 1: Vitiligo is an infectious disease
We conducted a random survey and found that about 57% of people would mistakenly believe that vitiligo is an infectious disease, and most people would do so because the word "vitiligo" conjures up associations of "white" color and "wind" transmission.
However, we must tell everyone: this is a very serious misunderstanding. Vitiligo is definitely not an infectious disease, and it cannot be transmitted to others through air, contact, or food.
In fact, vitiligo is just an autoimmune disease.
It is because skin pigment cells are mistakenly "attacked" by the immune system and cannot produce melanin normally, resulting in white patches on the skin.
Despite this, popular prejudice has not disappeared, and we have also found that at least more than 40% of vitiligo patients have experienced social discrimination, and many people have suffered unnecessary isolation and exclusion because of the wrong contagion concept.
Such misconceptions can lead to unfair treatment in society, which in turn affects their self-esteem and mental health, and we must call for everyone to put vitiligo patients in perspective.
Myth 2: All white spots spread
It is true that some white spots may spread and enlarge once they are formed, but not all of them will be. The development of vitiligo is related to an individual's immune system, genetic factors, and environmental factors.
The pattern of white spot spread also varies from individual to individual, and some people may only have one or a few spots, and these spots may remain unchanged for a long time without spreading.
But others may experience more spread, some of which will even involve more skin areas for a short period of time, and of course timely treatment and customized management methods can help control the possibility of spread.
Myth 3: Vitiligo only affects appearance and does not require treatment
According to the data from our study, about 73% of vitiligo patients develop mental health problems such as anxiety and depression after being diagnosed.
This is enough to show that vitiligo is not just a skin problem, but also has a negative impact on the mental health of patients.
So we once again recommend that early treatment and psychological support are very important to help patients reduce symptoms and great psychological burden.
Myth 4: Vitiligo is impossible to cure
Although there is currently no cure for vitiligo, research data shows that reasonable treatment can restore the pigment of the skin to a certain extent, but further confirmation is needed.
According to the World Health Organization, about 60-70% of vitiligo patients can achieve partial or complete pigment recovery after appropriate treatment, which emphasizes the importance of early intervention.
Myth 5: Sun exposure can kill the virus and cure vitiligo
In fact, vitiligo does not have a virus, and excessive exposure to the sun is unlikely to cure vitiligo, but can cause skin damage and increase the risk of skin cancer.
We followed up with many patients and found that more than 50% of vitiligo patients mistakenly believe that sun exposure can treat vitiligo, so they will carry out regular exposure to 1-2 hours at 12 noon or 3 pm every day.
We are here to show that although sunlight can promote skin pigmentation, vitiligo patients should be moderately exposed to the sun under the guidance of a doctor due to the damage to the skin protective barrier.
Myth 6: Applying melanin can cure vitiligo
There are some melanin products on the market that claim to "cure" vitiligo, but we remind everyone that most of these products are not clinically proven and lack scientific basis.
However, nearly 70% of patients have tried treatments that are not recommended by doctors, and buying these so-called "panaceas" will eventually lead to further deterioration and even complications, so patients should choose treatment carefully to avoid blind trying.
The above are a few common misconceptions about vitiligo, and it is important for patients and the public to understand the correct principles of the misconceptions to avoid unnecessary anxiety and wrong treatment choices.
But at the same time, we also need to remind everyone that some precautions for vitiligo in diet, if not avoided in time, may aggravate the spread of vitiligo.
Dietary considerations
There are some vitiligo diet cognition is worth in-depth understanding and clarification, although food can not directly cure vitiligo, but diet can indeed play a role in managing and reducing symptoms, here are some precautions about vitiligo diet:
- Eating black foods does not cure vitiligo:
Many people think that the intake of black foods, such as black sesame, black beans, black rice, black pineapple, etc., can help restore the pigment of the skin, thereby curing vitiligo, but this statement lacks scientific support.
Vitiligo is actually caused by the loss or destruction of pigment cells in the skin, and the melanin in food does not directly affect the pigment production of the skin.
According to the Global Society for the Study of Dermatology, there is currently no food or specific diet that can completely cure vitiligo.
- Taboos can improve symptoms:
Many patients think that all skin diseases need to avoid certain foods that are prone to allergies, including vitiligo, so they may choose to avoid food, especially foods related to white spots, such as fish, meat, eggs, certain vegetables, etc.
But we caution that this restriction can lead to nutritional deficiencies, and there is no clear evidence from scientific studies that specific dietary restrictions can significantly improve the symptoms of vitiligo.
Even in fact, a balanced diet is very important for patients to maintain overall health, because balanced nutrition can strengthen the body's immunity, and vitiligo happens to be an immune disease.
- Vitamin D and calcium intake:
Does anyone think that increasing vitamin D and calcium intake can improve vitiligo? Although vitamin D and calcium have a strong effect on bone health, they have limited treatment effect on vitiligo.
Our study found that supplementation with vitamin D and calcium can help improve response to phototherapy in people with vitiligo, but does not completely cure the disease.
- Avoid certain foods:
In addition, there are rumors that vitiligo patients may be advised to avoid certain foods, such as citrus fruits, coffee, chocolate, etc.
Because they believe that these foods may aggravate symptoms, including but not limited to the spread of white patches and "brittleness" of the skin, we again say that these claims lack scientific basis and may be different for each patient.
Through the above misunderstandings, we remind everyone that although food can play a role in vitiligo management, there is no specific food that can cure this disease.
The most important thing is to maintain a balanced diet under the guidance of a doctor to ensure adequate nutrition, and for the treatment of vitiligo, patients should rely on professional medical advice and treatment, not on dietary misunderstandings.
Scientific research and medical practice continue to explore treatments for vitiligo, but there is currently no completely effective method, but even so, patients should remain optimistic, face the disease positively, and work with medical experts to develop the most suitable treatment plan for them.
We have reason to believe that with the advancement of medical science in the future, the treatment of vitiligo will become more and more diverse, bringing more hope to patients.
At the same time, we should also strengthen the popularization of scientific knowledge to avoid being misled by false information, help patients better understand and deal with vitiligo, and bid farewell to vitiligo through a positive attitude and correct treatment plan.
Bibliography:
- TENG Jianan. Research Progress on Co-culture of Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Melanocyte
- CHEN Junyi. "The effect of vitamin D_3 on pigment metabolism in pigmented skin diseases"
- LI Man. The Role of Psychoneurological Factors in the Initiation, Development and Prevention of Vitiligo
- HE Ziwei. Status and prospect of leukoplakia measurement methods for vitiligo