Vitiligo and celiac disease is a topic I have been meaning to write about for a while now. I have both, and believe there is a connection between vitiligo and gluten intolerance. I have found out more on this topic from the readers of this blog than any other source out there, and hope that this incredible information reaches those with vitiligo who are told there is no known cause.
Vitiligo is a skin disorder characterized by smooth, white patches on various parts of the body that occur due to loss of pigment. This loss of pigment often starts on the hands, feet and face, and then can progress to other parts of the body. Hair can turn white where there is a vitiligo patch. Vitiligo is not physically painful, but can be quite emotionally devastating as it affects one’s appearance.
The picture below is of me as a child with vitiligo on my face. It appeared symmetrically below my eyes, but asymmetrically on my legs — 8 spots on only one side of my body.
The spots on my face re-pigmented with the treatment at that time (1973) which was psoralen pills and UV light treatments at Stanford. The spots on my legs remained into adulthood, never getting any bigger or smaller. When I was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2002, I didn’t think about the vitiligo, but over the past years since being on a gluten-free diet, the patches have begun filling in with spots of pigment of various colors, even some darker than my original skin color. I was always self-conscious about the white patches on my legs as a child. Today, you can barely make out their outlines.
Vitiligo is an auto-immune disease, because the immune system attacks the pigment-producing cells of the body. It is thought that lack of folic acid and B12 could be a contributing factor to the onset and spread of vitiligo. Vitiligo has been associated with celiac disease, which causes malabsorption of vital nutrients, so it makes sense that these two conditions can coexist. Though studies have stated the relationship of the two autoimmune diseases, little or no information has been presented from an anecdotal point of view — what happens to the patient with vitiligo if they go on a gluten-free diet?
I have received many emails asking me if vitiligo will go away on a gluten-free diet. Because of these inquiries, I decided to ask celiac disease expert Peter Green about it when I saw him at a conference. He said that he has seen vitiligo reverse on a gluten-free diet if caught early enough. I also decided to follow up with some of the people that emailed me to see if anything had changed with their vitiligo since being on a gluten-free diet. I was astounded at what I found. Out of 8 people I emailed, 5 emailed me back. Of those 5, 3 people had seen the vitiligo reverse! Of the remaining 2, one had not tried a gluten-free diet, and one had not seen change with the gluten-free diet, but had also been diagnosed with dairy and yeast allergy, so perhaps there is more to eliminate from the diet before seeing a change. So, of 4 people who tried a gluten-free diet, 3 had positive results: 75%! Here is what they said:
Woman with vitiligo: “Yes, my pigment is coming back on my knees where I’ve had lesions since age 9 (I’m 38). I also have not had any advancing vitiligo lesions since I’ve been gluten free. I’m not currently doing any treatment, and my pigment is coming back slowly but surely on my legs, some on my hands, and a little on my shoulders. There doesn’t seem to be any changes on my lesions on my abdomen or feet, however. As previously stated, I do have freckling on my
hands, which is surprising. The best part of all is that I feel so much better physically and mentally. I can’t even think of consuming gluten . . . YUCK!”
Father of a child with vitiligo: “It has substantially improved. We finally found a physician who took this very serious, performed subsequent tests and found that due to her inflamed bowels she was not absorbing vitamins (she also has very short hair). In a very short time, with increased vitamin intake, gluten free everything has improved!”
Woman with vitiligo: “Yes the vitiligo did change. I think I remember telling you that it was not noticeable until I got a tan. Then portions of my upper thigh would not tan with the rest of my skin. When I was feeling my worst it spread to my upper back and shoulder in small patches. The upper thigh has not changed since my teens BUT this past summer I got a tan while planning my destination wedding and no patches on my back or shoulder! This is very exciting news since my wedding dress is backless.”
Please, if any others out there have seen their vitiligo change on a gluten-free diet, leave a comment here. And if you have vitiligo and are reading about this connection for the first time, you should consider getting tested for celiac disease or gluten intolerance and going on a gluten-free diet. Even if your vitiligo can’t reverse, the fact that you have this autoimmune condition means that you may have an intolerance to gluten and there could be damage being done inside the body.
I hope that my personal story and the comments shared by others will cause some of you out there to have an “Aha!” moment!
UPDATE: Articles I have found since writing this article in 2010:
Repigmentation of Vitiligo Lesions in a Child with Celiac Disease after a Gluten-Free Diet
Rapid Partial Repigmentation of Vitiligo in a Young Female Adult with a Gluten-Free Diet
Vitiligo and Autoantibodies of Celiac Disease
Vitiligo and Celiac Disease: Is There a Link?
Tasha says
Hey! Just wanted to add my story. I am almost 32 years old, and have had vitiligo since I was about 17. My dad also had vitiligo, but that’s about the only family history I have, as I was raised in foster care.
I recently starting researching gluten issues, and subsequently went gluten free b/c of that research. It all began b/c all 4 of my kids, ages 7.5 down to 1 year, have some pretty serious digestive issues, and after the pediatrician was of no help, several people recommended we try an elimination diet. I read a few books, and BY GOD THEY ALL DESCRIBED ME. I won’t bore you with all the details, but suffice it to say, we went gluten free about 3 weeks ago.
I suffered gluten withdrawal symptoms (which I didn’t even know was a thing), discovered I have dairy issues as well, had the weird itchy rash on my face go away (I’m guessing it’s DH now), my menstrual cramps didn’t even show up this month (for the first time in 20 years), and I know there are more things to type here that I can’t think of right this moment.
My vitiligo really went crazy after my 2nd pregnancy, and now covers probably 90% of my body, so I’m not super hopeful that it will improve, and honestly don’t know if I want it to. It was a pretty devastating experience having my skin de-pigment (I HATE my wedding pictures) and I’m not sure I want to experience that again in reverse.
Here’s the thing: I am fairly certain that I have full-blown celiac’s. It is my understanding that the weird itchy rash (DH) is only present in celiac, and the fact that it went away when I cut gluten, came back for 3 days when I ate a piece of bread, and then cleared up again seems pretty diagnostic to me. I also had some pretty terrible digestive reactions when I ate gluten free toast made in our old toaster.
I’m really hoping that having this knowledge, and remaining gluten free, will keep my kids from having to deal with vitiligo, or any other gluten-related issues. My oldest daughter already has psoriasis of the finger nails, which is autoimmune. If we can keep her issues to her finger nails, I would be so happy!
Amanda says
WOW! I wish a few doctors would read all this, they only know how to prescribe garbish… You nailed it on your own, is remarkable…and yes your kids are lucky because they will be able to prevent disease, the specialist told me “you don’t need to go on a expensive diet, gluten free is very expensive” I told him “I will never eat bread again” Bread is cheap and is killing people…we eat well now, my whole family looks and feels better..
Lydia says
My son has had vitiligo since he was 12 years old but it started progressing after he turned 18 and now at 25 it’s started spreading again. He’s gone to a “vitiligo specialist” that prescribed the UV light and cream and it seemed to be working for a bit but he decided he didn’t want to do the UV light any longer for fear of getting skin cancer.
He started a gluten free diet about 3 weeks ago and I’ll post his progress here.
Any suggestions on gluten free books and cookbooks would be greatly appreciated.
Amanda says
There are lots of books on line or bookstores, also most good restaurants have a gluten sensitive menu this days, its getting better. Also recipes on line are handy.
Lydia says
Thanks Amanda. I will also get the book you highly recommend, Wheat Belly.
pam says
i met a woman @ the gym pool,
who also has vitiligo.
she told me she was born with it.
her neck & hands used to be completely white/
after smearing fresh parsley juice on skin sunshine, for a year, she is slowly regaining pigment back
but her skin does not itch. she feels nothing
(mine does when it’s more active.)
have anyone heard about parsley?
(i hope i understood her correctly;
she is Spanish & her English was not very good).
thanks.
ps. i tried sun in summer.
but got burned.
analilia says
mi hijo se curo con el te vitpsor yo lei un testimonio sobre una persona y en 7 meses le pigmento su manchita cambio la alimentacion y le fue muy bien le recomendaron vitaminas y minerals pero les dejo el correo de la señora que lo vende el correo es nuevo…para informes escribanle ala señora q lo vende en mexico.. lo envia a todo e.u. o sudmerica su direccion de correo actual es guadalupe1969@hotmail.com no useamos cremas nada solo el te medicinal vitaminas y minerales y mucho vegetal muy buen te medicinal yo lo tomo para ansiedad y nervios muy bueno lo recomiendo si tienen vitiligo o son nerviosos
Shilpa says
My son 16 years old, is begining to show some spots on his feet. Anyone recommend a very good doctor in NOrth NJ? I don’t want to go to just any dermotologist and make the matter worse. He is a brown color so his patches show up ugly. Pls help!!!
OR is there a specific type of dermotologist to look for?
Alex says
Hello, My daughter who is 8 years old and is developing spots on her arms and legs. My sister and grandmother have/had vitiligo. What is making me wonder about the diet is that 7 months ago we discovered my son was gluten-intolerant and our family has been pretty much following the diet.
Is it coincidence that she is on the diet and getting spots? Did the diet make her body go out of whack or is it preventing it from getting worse? Thoughts on this anyone? Suggestions?
Lynne says
Thank you for this amazing blog! I started with Vitiligo about 16yrs old (I’m 51 now) and did the psoralen/uvb treatment with no effect. I am mainly pale now and avoid the sun because of the burning skin issues. Over the years I have developed Crohns disease, episcleritis, joint pains, arthritic hands, psoriasis (all auto immune conditions). I already don’t have cows milk, and started looking at gluten free to help maybe the crohns and arthritis, I never expected to see a connection with vitiligo!! So, I don’t know if mine will improve – I’ll have to go in the sun if we ever get any in the UK this year! but thanks for pointing up the connection.
For other peoples informatio – I have normal blood results and no apparent coeliac disease but I do think gluten is my main problem. I stopped it two weeks ago and my painful back has gone(sacro iliac) and the psoriasis is much improved.
Reina says
Dear ladies!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience!I’ve been desperate since April as my little daughter(5)all of a sudden woke up with pale patches around her eyes – just like in Alison’s picture plus on upper eyelids as well. Now it looks as if she has been wearing huge sunglasses of irregular form.These patches just grow bigger and bigger, there are more on her elbows, thumbs, knees, back and around the area of mouth as well. We have visited a few dermatologists, an endocrinologist – they say that there is no fungus, all the blood tests seem to be OK. Advised to apply corticosteroid cream. Please! On the eyelids?! I am applying virgin coconut oil (plus neem powder and turmeric powder) on her skin, but it doesn’t help a bit. I started to read and analyze everything I could find on the issue (for several months) and came to conclusion that vitiligo has to be directly linked with gluten intolerance (that’s how I found this thread – by keywords). You all prove that this conclusion is right. My mom has vitiligo (on her hands and legs)as well – it developed in her forties along with Addison’s disease and autoimmune thyroiditis. I suspect that this sad combination is just a result of untreated celiac disease or at least gluten intolerance. Anyway – I’ll put both my daughter and mother on gluten free diet. There is a hope now. Just info – I know a young woman who got rid of vitiligo in a few months by drinking a glass of potato juice (lot’s of folic acid in it!) every day on empty stomach before lunch. Unfortunately my daughter refuses to drink it because of the unpleasant taste.
Amanda says
I started repigmenting about 2 years after I went gluten free, I think is important to supplement with B-12 and eat lots of fruit and vegetables. I also use coconut oil for cooking and on my skin. Good luck, don’t give up, stay away from gluten and your whole body and brain will thank you.
Ana says
Hi Alison,
My daughter is 6 and has diagonsed with Vitiligo on her back recently. I had been googgling for any information. I read your article. I am very happy for you are other who have seen it reversing. I kept my daughter from gluten free diet for about a month now. (She did eat Pizza on 3 ocassions thou)Unfortunately I haven’t seen any improvement yet. As a baby she also had eczema and was on milk formula specially desgined for allergies (Similac Alimentum). Do you advice to stop cow milk and cheese as well? How long would would gluten-free diet show desired results. I am a desparate mom trying and praying to reverse the vitiligo. I would be grateful if you reply with your suggestions and comments. Thank You.
Michael Pospical says
I was looking up in Google what Vitiligo was and ran across this site. I too have a white patch under my chin on my neck. Now I am wondering? Hmmm.
However, while I am here, I would like to ask you Alison, if I may share a product that I promote, that is completely Gluten-Free, and ideal for a Gluten-Free diet and lifestyle!
It is also very diabetic and heart friendly. I would love to leave my name and email with your post, if permissible. Lives are changed because of it. Thank you, Michael
Sunil says
I dunno how i found this article.,but i`m glad i did.My kid was diagnosed with gluten intolerance when he was 2 yrs old,but since about a year he showed very little symptoms if occasionally he had a wheat product. so we thought he had out-grown his allergies. Until he started developing white patches on his back and palms. Skin tests came negative for any bacterial infection. At-least now we know the cause and things to avoid.
Asif says
Hi, I am glad that i came accross this site. My son who is 4.5 years old has recently been diagnosed with vitiligo on his finger tips, one knee and one elbow. Docs here tell me that there is no cure and we can try initially with topical treatments for repigmentataion but there is no gurantee that white patches would stop appearing at other places on his body. I would definetlly try the gluten free diet. Are there any test that can help identify if he has glutenintolearnce or allergy? also what other test of allergies should i get done? – from a very worried father.
Doug says
Asif:
The tests for gluten intolerance are notoriously unreliable. It is very common to get a “false negative” even when definite gluten-sensitivity is present.
I believe that everyone is gluten-intolerant to some degree, but we all are affected in different ways — gas, bloating, diarrhea, alopecia, vitiligo, etc.
The best thing to do, in my opinion, is to COMPLETELY eliminate gluten, in all of its forms, from your son’s diet. In fact, I think you should eliminate it from your house and your family entirely to avoid temptation and cross-contamination. Your son is young enough that this shouldn’t be too difficult, once you get used to the idea. I have four children (ages 10, 12, 14 & 16) and our house is completely gluten-free. My oldest is the only one who “cheats.” He is a teenager and thinks gluten doesn’t bother him, even though I am 100% certain that it does.
You need to educate yourself a good amount to get rid of all gluten. Gluten hides in many places — Twizzlers, soy sauce, soups, Doritos, and most prepared foods.
You need to give it a solid 6 months of 100% compliance to really see results. I know this sounds difficult, if not impossible, but believe me — it can be done. I’ve seen amazing improvements in my family — not vitiligo, but plenty of other issues, including alopecia.
Good luck with everything!
Cristian says
Hi,
Thanks for this post!! I had never read anything positive about vitiligo repigmentation. I cut Gluten one week ago and inmediately started feeling good, positive and full of energy. I guess my body had to show me i was doing something wrong by putting white spots on my skin. My dad has vitiligo, I told him to quit gluten and he tries not too hard but sais he feels better when not eating it. My two brothers don’t have any white patches but they also claim to have a lot more energy staying away from wheat. This is awesome! Thanks again, I have not seen any repigmentation but just feeling good is enough, I know what the problem is now! It makes me think of all the people that don’t know about this… and what would happen if everybody knew! The end of psicology, pharmacies, McDonald´s and so much less pollution…. ???? The word needs to spread, so many latin people looking for solutions and spending money on creams and pills for it, people in India, all over… crazy, ok gotta go enjoy life and eat tasty stuff!
Cristian says
Oh yeah, the headaches I was getting (migrane, i would loose sight!) every once in a while now only happen when I eat something with gluten like sushi or roasted chicken wich had some powder condiments (not wheat, but probably cross contaminated).
It’s only been a week so i should have omitted the repigmentation comment jejeje
Chao!
Amanda says
Cristian, you will repigment, be patient and diligent, my doctor told me gluten once ingested stays with you for 2 weeks, I eliminated gluten from my life 100%, I don’t miss it at all.
I started repigmenting long after I stopped the gluten, it is unbelivable! I tried so many things before, nothing worked for me.
Get a good vitamin supplement and some B12 as well as a few minuts of morning sun exposure.
Good luck and spread the word to other people…
Amanda says
By the way I love suchi, ask for gluten free soya sauce and stay away from tempura and fake crab, there is gluten in those…
AAA says
HI, since my son is very young, it is very difficult to avoid gluten. There are so many other vitamins and nutrition that I can miss while avoiding gluten… how can this be managed? any suggestions?
chris says
Hey everyone , I’m 19 years old I just began to have vitiligo a little over a year ago. I just have a couplespots here and there. I just want to start off by saying I’m glad I found this post. I was diagnosed with hyperthyroid which I believe is the cause of my vitiligo. I feence I get that under con.trol. my vitiligo will stop spreading. I’m taken my medicine. Along with a good multi vitamins. I make sure I get 15-20 mins of sun.and use my cream which kind of helps a ittle bt. I left the allergen doctor today I wasn’t allergic to wheat or diary or anything but is that the same thingas being sensitive to it? I want to attack this from all angles so I will try the gluten free diet. But is it just for things with gluten in it. Or should I stop the wheat breads and diary all together? I really want to try this I’m glad to hear so many positive results
pam says
@Chris,
it’s interesting you have been
diagnosed with hyperthyroid.
i believe my vitiligo is also related to thyroid. cause i have been avoiding gluten as much as possible (almost 100%) for years before.
it was diagnosed around the same time also together with of my (subclinical) hypothyroid.
yes, to avoid gluten, you need to avoid all wheat products.
stay healthy,
Danielle says
Hello All!
Last time I posted was May of 2011. If you read my comment back then I was in a very depressed and desperate for more information on my recent diagnosis of vitiligo. I said it then and I will say it again, I am so happy I came across this site while up late one night searching the web. Finally I had found a glimmer of hope! I visited several doctors and all of my tests came back negative for celiacs- but I knew that there was always something wrong with my stomach. When I went gluten free later that year, I regained so much energy, my body felt like it was finally working correctly and the best part- my vitiligo started to disappear! The spots on the corners of my mouth are not completely gone, but they are barely visible! My fingers started to repigment and the spots did not spread or pop up anywhere else on my body. Now, I feel like I control my vitiligo- and it does not control me. Going gluten free has changed my life. It is definitely hard to eat out at restaurants, or to even cook when you are cooking for others who are not GF but if you stick to the foods that we were intended to eat- veggies, fruits and meats then it isn’t so bad! Just an FYI for anyone who is having trouble with going GF and eating properly I found a great website http://www.skinnytaste.com that has a number of GF recipes that are so delicious that your non-GF family members or friends wouldn’t even know the difference! If anyone has any questions on where to eat out or what to order please just message me…I really wished I had someone to talk to or to help guide me when I was making the transition. Remember- what you put in your body is what comes out some way or another- and like many others on this thread- vitiligo may just be your body’s way of telling you that something you are ingesting is wrong! Good luck to all!!
Amanda says
Dear AAA, your son is not going to miss anything by going gluten free. He is going to avoid a cascade of disorders related to gluten intolerance. Do your own research, do not rely on doctors who are not aware of these findings, read on University of Maryland center for celiac research, Dr.Alesio Fassano and autoinmunity.
There are way more nutrients and antioxidants in fruits and vegetables than in grains, grains are not supposed to be digested by humans. Have you ever noticed how corn passess thru our digestive system?
Read, read and you will find the answers, get a few paleo recipe books, or go on line and see how many people have restored health by going gluten free.
Good luck to you and your family.
chris says
I’m trying the gluten free diet now do all I haft is avoid things with gluten ? And are we suppose to avoid bread , cheese diary products?
Doug says
Chris:
The safest thing to do would be to eliminate ALL grains and dairy and see if your symptoms subside over the course of a month or more.
If you think that is too much, you should at least eliminate all gluten-containing foods. So anything made with wheat, barley, rye, etc. So any breads, pastas, crackers, etc. that contain any of those things must be avoided 100%. 99% is not good enough — you must go 100% gluten-free to see the full benefits.
Be aware that wheat and gluten are in many foods (especially processed foods) that don’t obviously have wheat in them — Twizzlers, soy sauce, Doritos and malt vinegar are just a couple examples. You have to read EVERY label. Or, even better, don’t eat anything that lists ingredients — just eat whole foods.
Hope that helps!
Theresa says
This is very interesting to me as I have had vitaligo spots on my one leg since about age 2 (I’m 40), and I feel fortunate that it has never spread. It was just this week mentioned to me by a dietician to try gluten free due to some other symptoms I have been experiencing. In doing some gluten free research I discovered the link between gluten and vitaligo which I had never heard before. I look forward to seeing if this improves my skin!
Sharon says
Hi,
I five year old daughter was just diagnosed with vitiligo. She has three dime sized spots on her right hand.
We tested her for celiac disease and gluten intolerance. Tests came back negative. She is scheduled for some more tests this week.
Reading the posts here, we have decided to put her on a gluten free/ dairy free diet regardless of the test results.
Did anyone else with vitiligo test negative for celiac/gluten intolerance but went on a gluten free/ dairy free diet and have vitiligo stopped or reversed? If so did you take any medications and other treatments along with the diet?
Thanks
Sunil says
Hi Sharon,
My son too developed 4 penny sized patches on his right hand
and a large patch on his back around oct of 2012. His Gluten,thyroid and an array of allergy tests came back negative. Since then we have been applying Cortezone and Topgraf and also have reduced gluten products to a great extent(not a 100% considering his age). Since 2 months we have also been applying Papaya peel in the afternoons and there has been re-pigmentation on his hand (one of the penny sized patch has completely vanished and the other 3 have reduced in size).
Hope this helps!
~Sunil
Sharon says
Hi Sunil,
Thank you so much for your response. I am so glad your son is repigmenting!I have a lot of questions. My daughters spots appeared in December 2012(around the same time as your son’s).
We are currently applying cortezone though I don’t think that has been helping.
You said you did not go 100% gluten free. Can you let me know what part of gluten did you keep in the diet. Did you also go dairy free like we are doing (boy that is tough for a kid who loves her vanilla icecream.) Is he still on the gluten free diet? Did he get any new spots before or after the gluten free diet?
Do you think the repigmentation occured after the papaya peel application? Do you have to just rub the peel on the spots? How often did you do that? Did you try anything else?
I will definitely start the papaya peel application.We have also been prescribed Ayurvedic medicines from India which will be here next week.
Thank you once again for your response.
Sharon
Doug says
Sunil: You said your son isn’t 100% gluten-free because of his age. How old is he? I find that it is much easier to keep younger kids off gluten than, for example, my teenage son. There are enough gluten-free products available now that anyone, at any age, should really have no problem going 100% gluten-free. You have to shop and plan ahead, but it can (and should) be done.
Sharon: Dairy free shouldn’t be that hard either. I kept my kids nearly 100% dairy free for years. And there are plenty of yummy ice creams! Experiment to see what your son likes, but So Delicious coconut-based ice creams are amazing! There are plenty made from rice, beans, almonds, etc. Some are very good, some are a little funky.
Good luck!
Doug
Sunil says
Hi Sharon,
We noticed re-pigmentation after about 10-12 days of applying the Papaya peel. However its difficult to pin point which of these are working, therefore have not discontinued either of them.
We have tried to the greatest extent to stick to home made food and sweets, we totally eliminated wheat from our home since cross contamination through utensils is a possibility as i read somewhere.His diet is mostly rice,Greens, Vegetables and chicken/lamb/beef (once a week).
We discourage him from eating Chocolates, biscuits instead have a jar of sweets made out of rice flour.We do give him milk once in a while,but have stopped flavored yogurt, cheese,butter.
Go for a semi-ripe papaya and rub its peel on the spots.we let the child play outside in the morning sun during the weekends.
So far he has had ice cream on a couple of un-avoidable occasions.
~Sunil
Sunil says
Hi Doug,
My son is 5 years old. Keeping a toddler off ice-cream and chocolates is the greatest challenge, unlike teens they cannot reason that its for their own good.
I suggest going with as much of natural/home made food,than including gluten free products in your grocery list. manufacturers add artificial flavors/chemical to increase the shelf life of products.
remember that we are still not sure of what was the trigger for its outbreak.
Sunil
Sharon says
Hi Sunil,
Repigmentation in 10-12 days is simply amazing! I take it that there have not been any new spots after that, right?
How often did you use the papaya peel? Any reason why you only use the peel and not the pulp?
We are trying to find the trigger to our daughter’s vitiligo. I can think of two, firstly she was sick with the flu twice in November and December and with a viral fever in March. Secondly she had restarted drinking milk around the time the spots appeared.
I spoke to a friend of mine and she told me her mom had vitiligo twenty years ago. She lived in China and the doctor there diagnosed her with high levels of vitamin C. Her vitiligo stopped after she got her vitamin C level to within normal range. So there’s another trigger for you.
Sharon
Sharon says
Hi Doug,
Our daughter had discovered the joys of “So Delicious Coconut Icecream” a couple of days ago and loves it. She hasn’t had vanilla icecream for a atleast six months and I think she has quite forgotten how it compares to the new flavor I gave her. But I must admit the coconut icecream was pretty darned good.
She also liked the coconut based mango yogurt but the almond based yogurt fell short. It tasted funky indeed.
Do you have any suggestions for flavored yogurts / puddings?
The challenge I face right now is choosing the most nutritious products from the dairy free milks, breads, cookies and flour mixes available. I hope in a week or two I can do my own blend of flour.
Doug says
Sharon:
Don’t really have suggestions, because people’s tastes vary so widely. However, I was in Whole Foods the other day and saw almond pudding and soy puddings. I guess the best thing is to find as many as you can and try them.
On an related note, my family loves Joan’s breads and pizzas — not cheap, but very good. The pizzas aren’t dairy free (obviously), but these products are:
http://www.gfgreatbakes.com/category-s/40.htm
CHRISSS says
Has Anybody seen any results i would love to talk to ppl over facebook or email , txt or somehting
DeliseDickard says
Chrisss,
I have seen results. I’ve had vitiligo for nearly ten years. It was getting worse at about 25% a year. I had spots on my hands, legs, and most joints, and it was starting on my face etc. About two months gf I noticed the spots were not expanding and thought there was slight repigmentation but wasn’t sure. Now, at 2 years gf all spots have some repigmentation and some are hardly visible. No one asks about it anymore and I wear skirts again! If you post your email I’ll respond offline.
Good luck…
Tiffanie says
Hello!
My 3 year old son was diagnosed with vitliligo(2 spots, one on his scalp and one on his face) and I came across this blog at the time. We went gluten free 3 months ago. While the spots have not gotten bigger, I have noticed a new spot on his scalp. I also spoke with a doctor (Jack Kruse) who said vitiligo is an autoimmune disease made worse by increased exposure to Electro Magnetic Frequencies and fake light. I found that interesting. He also recommended a paleo diet which we are trying next (basically cutting out dairy).
I have not tried putting Papaya peel on and not quite sure how i could do that on his scalp. I’m willing to give it a shot! Thanks for everyone who has posted on here and is giving me hope that I can reverse this disease!
I will update in a few months!
Tiffanie
Amanda says
Many people on paleo diet start repigmenting, and it is because paleo=no grains, no milk. So no gluten. Grain fed cows probably pass some gluten in the milk…
Tim says
I am 48 and have had vitiligo for 20 years. It typucally accelerates in its spread during the winter and during the summer. Last Oct i went gluten free and have not seen any spread in my vitiligo since then. I have seen some slight spots of re-pigmentation in a few areas, though the recovery is quite slow. But at least things are going in the right direction and things are not getting worse. I suspect the gluten is causing an auto-immune response and that response by the body includes release of hydrogen peroxide by the immune system to fight the presume intruder (gluten), with the result being an inadvertent attack on the mylanocytes. I would highly recommend trying gluten free to see if it can slow and/or reverae your vitiligo as well, if you have not considered it. Good luck!
CAITLIN says
Hi everyone – i have vitiligo but not celiac and have been gf for almost 3 weeks now and am realllllly looking forward to seeing what may happen in the future with all of these positive and encouraging responses! I will keep everyone informed in a few months of my progress.
Male with Vitiligo says
I’m 38 and noticed Vitiligo spots on my hands and legs two years ago,
It started to spread quickly. I went to Thailand about six months ago and decided to see a doctor about it because everything american doctors were prescribing including a UV light was not working. The Doctor in Thailand told me To give up Gluten, dairy, most oils, sugar and take vitamin B, folic acid, zinc, vitamin E, kelp etc…. Not only have I lost a ton of weight but the vitiligo completely stopped spreading and I noticed some slight pigmentation coming back in only six months. Hopefully with more time i’ll see more positive results. I use Dermablend to cover up the spots and it looks very natural. I really believe gluten, GMO’s and all the other chemicals they use in processed foods is the cause of many skin and health problems. I’ve even had someone with MS tell me they have attacks when they eat gluten. I Hope this helps someone else.
Karina says
Hi everyone,
I am new to this page and i am here because my 7 year old daughter has vitiligo. This message is for Sunil. Sunil you said that you have been noticing improvements with your sons vitiligo since going GF free. How is your sons progress. Has the progression of Vitiligo stopped?
I will really apprecaite your feedback.
Sincerely
Karina
Sunil says
Hi Karina,
From the four penny sized patches on his right hand, 3 have completely disappeared and the remaining one has grown a little smaller.The large patch on his back seems to be decreasing in size from all sides and also a few pigmentation spots in the middle are visible.If possible i will post his recent pictures when i have time.With gods grace hope he makes a complete recovery.
~Sunil
Sunil says
Also my son had quite a few white dots on his finger nails and our family doctor said that this could be a sign of Biotin deficiency and prescribed a biotin supplement. This is around the time that we started applying the papaya peel too, so really can`t say what worked.Hope this helps :).
karina says
Hi Sunil,
Thank you so much for responding. I am so happy to hear your sons progress 🙂 . Is he 100% gluten free? Are you guys doing anything else besides diet, papaya peel and Biotin? And apart from repigmentation has the progression of Vitiligo halted?
Thank you so much for responding.
Karina
misard says
I’m 35 yr old man who had vitiligo for 12 years. Mine spread rapidly throughout my body, with depigmentation on joints, under eyes, hair, etc. I tried oral and light medications to no real avail. People used to make hurtful comments before, during and after treatment,… and this was tough. Eventually I started to make a natural treatment which has been a blessing to me. You only need to read this review in the link below… you have nothing to lose.
http://www.naturalvitiligotreatmentsystems.com
Begin a new life, you deserve it …Good luck!