Vitiligo girl with dietary taboos

For young girls suffering from vitiligo, there are no one-size-fits-all dietary taboos. "You must not touch vitamin C, seafood, and spicy foods" spread on the Internet are misunderstandings without sufficient evidence-based medical support. A normal and balanced diet is more conducive to recovery.

When I was helping out in the dermatology clinic a while ago, I met several girls aged fifteen or sixteen. They clutched the "Vitiligo Taboo List" that they searched on their mobile phones and asked the doctor with a frown. They said that they had not eaten fruit for two or three months. Even the tomato scrambled eggs made by their mother had to pick out the tomatoes and only eat eggs, because they were afraid that the white spot on their forehead as big as a fingernail would get bigger. To be honest, I have seen too many little girls being fooled by these unreliable taboos.

Controversies about dietary taboos have actually existed for many years, and there are indeed differences in the medical opinions of different systems. According to the concept of traditional Chinese medicine dermatology, patients in the advanced stage are indeed advised to appropriately reduce the intake of spicy and hot "hair-raising substances", and to avoid exposure to the sun after eating excessive amounts of photosensitive foods. This is based on the summary of many years of clinical experience and is also supported by actual cases: For example, some patients with a damp-heat constitution develop internal heat and severe inflammatory reactions after eating spicy hot pot for a week. Just in time for the instability of the condition, they induce an isomorphic reaction and develop new white spots. ； There are also people who ate three kilograms of figs at one time in the summer, went to the beach for two hours in the afternoon without applying sunscreen, and the white spots immediately became red and blistered, which later expanded. But these have preconditions and are not universal rules that everyone must follow.

The view of modern evidence-based medicine is even clearer: in all current domestic and foreign vitiligo diagnosis and treatment guidelines, certain types of food have never been included as absolute taboos. Vitamin C, which is most demonized by everyone, can only inhibit melanin synthesis if it is taken in large doses over a long period of time (such as eating more than 1g a day for two or three months, or directly infusing vitamin C intravenously). If you eat an orange (vitamin C content is about 50mg) or a bowl of strawberries every day, the dose is completely negligible. On the contrary, the antioxidant effect of vitamin C can also reduce oxidative damage to melanocytes, which is good for the condition.

What impressed me the most was a 17-year-old high school sophomore girl. When she was first diagnosed, I heard from netizens that "vitamin C is the nemesis of vitiligo." She didn't touch any fresh fruit for half a year, and she only dared to eat cabbage as a green leafy vegetable. In the end, the white spots did not disappear, but her face became sallow. Her aunt delayed her visit for two months, and the trace elements copper and zinc were found to be lower than normal. The doctor told her to eat an orange every day and to eat dark green vegetables such as spinach and rapeseed as normal, and not to eat blind foods. Later, she adjusted her diet and applied medicine and light regularly, and the white spot shrank in three months.

Some girls asked me if the fruit in the milk tea should not be eaten, and I laughed. The vitamin C content is not as much as if you took a bite of an orange. You can drink it if you want. Just drink less iced ones to avoid stomach upset. If there is anything you need to pay attention to, there are actually only two situations: First, you are allergic to a certain type of food and you get red rashes and itchiness after eating it. You must avoid it, otherwise the inflammatory reaction induced by the allergy may indeed affect white spots. ； Second, if you are in the progression stage and are going to be exposed to the sun for a long time outdoors, do not eat two or three kilograms of photosensitive foods such as celery, amaranth, and lemons at once the day before, otherwise the probability of aggravating photodamage will be higher.

Teenagers already love to eat and have fun, so don’t let a few taboo lists compiled by someone unknown make your life gloomy. I have seen too many girls turn down their friends' hot pot or milk tea games because they are afraid of "violating taboos". Over time, they become more and more withdrawn, and their mood is so bad that they cry every day. On the contrary, they have endocrine disorders and white spots have spread. To be honest, the impact of anxiety on the condition is much greater than eating ten hot pot meals and twenty strawberries.

Eating well, having balanced nutrition, and following the doctor's instructions and standard treatment are more effective than any taboos. After all, compared to a white spot that doesn't hurt or itch, enjoying your teenage days is the most important thing.