Mar
Hope this information is helpful. My mother had a mild case of Vitiligo on her hands. Just a few small white spots. She was fortunate that it was not severe, but I remember her saying that her doctor told her she was deficient in vitamin B12 and that might be the problem. It's worth asking your doctor about. I found some information that might be helpful as well from www.truefreedom.micronuts.com/vitiligo.htm Quoting from "The Joy of Health" by Zoltan, P. Rona, M.D., M.Sc. (Dr. Zoltan Rona is a rare doctor, he's what we would call a wholistic doctor, rather than a Naturopath or herbalist, from our experience). "Vitiligo is a skin condition marked by areas of depigmentation (white spots). It may be associated with an endocrine (adrenal or thyroid) imbalance but nutritional literature suggests that the cause is a lack or insufficiency of hydrochloric acid production by the stomach. Achlorhydria (no acid) or hypochlorhydria (low acid) leads to dozens of nutrient deficiencies. This is because most high protein foods need acid for digestion. If acid is low or absent, amino acids, vitamins and minerals are poorly absorbed. The best recognized nutrient deficiency caused by low or deficient stomach acid is vitamin B12 deficiency. This deficiency leads to pernicious anemia and can usually only be rectified by regular vitamin B12 injections. Low stomach acid may be the result of heredity, extended use of drugs such as antacids, anti0ulcer medications (cimetidine, ranitidine and others), infection in the gut, or food allergies (especially to milk and dairy products). Doctors specializing in nutritional medicine can do several tests to determine the etiology. One of these is the comprehensive digestive and stool analysis. See CDSA in Chapter 3. If the cause of low stomach acid is heredity, a variety of things can be tried. These include supplements of glutamic acid hydrochloride, betaine hydrochloride, pepsin, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, stomach bitters, pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), vitamin C, PABA and pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6). These supplements are usually safe but may, on occasion, lead to too much acidity and the development of gastritis or ulcers. All are best taken directly before each meal or in the middle of each meal." One method that we've come across that helps to find out if you have a stomach acid insufficiency is to look at your fingernails or toe nails and see if there are vertical ridges or lines. If the lines are strong then there is not only a stomach acid lack but also the body is too acidic with respect to the acid/alkaline balance. I hope this information was helpful to you.