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                      Vitiligo Can Develop As You Get Older

                      Published by Dr. Mark Rosenberg

                      ThinkstockPhotos-480841452

                      Vitiligo can be a depressing condition to live with. Generally, people get it in their younger years and live with it throughout their life. But, late onset vitiligo, occurring after 55 years of age, is also becoming more common. But, a couple of new treatments are showing new promise in treating vitiligo.

                      New Non-Drug Treatments for Vitiligo

                      Vitiligo is a skin condition marked by many, or just a few, white patches of skin and/or hair. Singer Michael Jackson brought vitiligo to greater public attention as he developed the condition in his early 40’s. It’s estimated that about 2% of people worldwide have vitiligo.

                      Vitiligo is a condition that arises from the autoimmune system that also governs allergies, lupus, and some forms of arthritis. In vitiligo, the immune system actually attacks the melanin coloring pigment of the skin and prevents it from depositing in the skin. It’s not quite known why some people get vitiligo and others don’t but recent research shows that dark-eyed people are more prone to getting vitiligo.

                      In addition, it’s also thought that thyroid dysfunction, and/or other autoimmune diseases, may also contribute to developing vitiligo. This may be why late onset (age 55/over) vitiligo occurs more commonly as thyroid function can also start to decrease with age.

                      Typically, vitiligo has been treated with UV irradiation which causes the white spots to stimulate more pigment in the skin, much like tanning does. But this treatment can leave the skin mottled, or speckled, kind of like a “dirty window” effect. Chronically exposing the skin to UV rays also raises the risk of developing skin cancer. Other drug treatments focus on suppressing the immune system but this method is not without side effects. As a result, both methods have only had marginal success in managing vitiligo.

                      Several years ago, animal studies using natural black pepper compounds were found to be effective in treating vitiligo. Not only was piperine, the key ingredient in black pepper, a natural spice, but there was no known side effect found. The piperine stimulated the development of melanocytes, the coloring pigment of skin.
                      The researchers then developed 2 synthetic versions from the natural compound. They then applied it to the white patches on the animals and exposed their skin to UV rays. This resulted in the patches darkening and blending in with the surrounding, normal skin color.

                      Another promising treatment for vitiligo came out of research out of Loyola University. Researchers there modified one of the amino acids from a group of proteins referred to as HSP70i. These proteins have been associated with the development of vitiligo.

                      After the modification, researchers injected lab animals with vitiligo. They found that the agent reversed, i.e. normalized, the white patches of vitiligo in lab animals. When testing the immune response in human skin samples, the same result was achieved.

                      To date, both the piperine compound and the modified protein are still in the human trials phases of testing. But, another promising treatment out of the University of Texas Southwestern could be available faster. It involves using the stem cells of skin blisters and transplanting them to vitiligo patches.

                      The Dermatology department of UT found that creating blisters on the skin provided an excellent source of stem cells. The stem cells are then injected into the white vitiligo patches that are prepared with laser. After injected into the patches, the new stem cells repopulate the patches with normal skin color cells. UT is the only center in the US right now working with this procedure.

                      What You Can Do

                      While waiting for new treatments to be approved for vitiligo, there are several things you can do to help the condition. Since vitiligo is an autoimmune condition, boosting the immune system can help re-stimulate melanocytes. Several nutrients can help, especially if you’re over age 50:

                      1. Vitamin B12 and Folic Acid. Older adults are chronically low in B12 because of poor absorption through the gut. Folic acid levels can also be low, especially if you’ve cut down on grains and orange juice for dietary reasons. Research shows that B12 and folic acid combined with moderate sun exposure decreased vitiligo spots significantly.

                      2. Vitamin D. Most Americans are very low in Vitamin D. Supplementing with it to 2,000 international units daily boosts the immune system as well as boosts melanin in your skin.

                      3. Vitamins C and E. Vitamins C and E are powerful antioxidants that fight oxidation and protect the immune system. Some research suggests that vitiligo can develop out of the body’s response to oxidative stress. Vitamin C also stimulates the turnover of new skin cells and Vitamin E contributes to skin moisture.

                      4. Essential fatty acids. Vitiligo patches can be very dry as melanin also helps hold oil in the skin. Essential fatty acids helps to moisturize the skin from the inside.

                      There is also a skin cream recipe that you can find on the internet using black pepper essential oil. Several drops are placed into a carrier cream and mixed then rubbed into the white patches. There are several other natural herbal-based vitiligo skin treatments from various manufacturers that claim success in treating the condition. You may want to look into these products and try them for yourself to see if you might have some additional success in decreasing your vitiligo.

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                      Dr. Mark Rosenberg
                      Dr. Mark Rosenberg
                      Dr. Mark Rosenberg received his doctorate from Georgetown University School of Medicine in 1988 and has been involved with drug research since 1991. With numerous certifications in several different fields of medicine, psychology, healthy aging and fitness, Dr. Rosenberg has a wide breadth of experience in both the public and private sector with particular expertise in both the mechanism of cancer treatment failure and in treating obesity. He currently is researching new compounds to treat cancer and obesity, including receiving approval status for an investigational new drug that works with chemotherapy and a patent pending for an oral appetite suppressant. He is currently President of the Institute for Healthy Aging, Program Director of the Integrative Cancer Fellowship, and Chief Medical Officer of Rose Pharmaceuticals. His work has been published in various trade and academic journals. In addition to his many medical certifications, he also personally committed to physical fitness and is a certified physical fitness trainer.

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                      This website is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. FoodTrients – A Recipe for Aging Beautifully Grace O, author and creator of FoodTrients® -- a philosophy, a cookbook and a resource -- has a new cookbook dedicated to age-defying and delicious recipes, The Age Beautifully Cookbook: Easy and Exotic Longevity Secrets from Around the World, which provides one hundred-plus recipes that promote health and well-being. The recipes are built on foundations of modern scientific research and ancient knowledge of medicinal herbs and natural ingredients from around the world. Since the publication of her first anti-aging book, The Age GRACEfully Cookbook, Grace O has identified eight categories of FoodTrients benefits (Anti-inflammatory, Antioxidant, Immune Booster, Disease Prevention, Beauty, Strength, Mind, and Weight Loss) that are essential to fighting aging, which show how specific foods, herbs, and spices in the recipes help keep skin looking younger, prevent the diseases of aging, and increase energy and vitality. Grace O combines more exotic ingredients that add age-fighting benefits to familiar recipe favorites.

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