If you have vitiligo, you cannot eat foods containing vitamin C?

This statement is wrong

Vitiligo is a skin disease caused by pigment metabolism disorders, and its pathogenesis involves multiple factors, including genetics, autoimmunity, and environment. Although some studies have shown that vitamin C may affect the function of melanocytes to a certain extent (especially when used topically), thereby affecting the production of melanin, this does not mean that vitiligo patients need to completely avoid foods containing vitamin C.

In fact, vitamin C is an important nutrient that plays an important role in maintaining skin health, promoting immune system function, helping wound healing, etc. Vitamin C is indispensable in a balanced diet.

Although topical application of vitamin C has a certain whitening effect and may theoretically affect the production of melanin, there is currently no clinical evidence that it will aggravate vitiligo. More importantly, completely avoiding vitamin C may lead to nutritional imbalance, which in turn affects overall health and even causes other health problems.

Therefore, patients with vitiligo do not need to strictly limit the intake of foods containing vitamin C. A moderate intake of fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C is still part of a healthy diet (including patients with vitiligo).

For the treatment of vitiligo, it is more important to follow the doctor's advice and use medications in a standardized and rational manner, rather than blindly abstaining from certain foods, which cannot help control the disease.

Author: Tang Jiaoqing, MD, attending physician of dermatology

Review | Feng Jun, deputy chief physician of the Dermatology Department of Sinopharm Tongmei General Hospital