Studies have shown a significant reduction of Vitamin B12 levels in individuals with vitiligo. This meta-analysis provides an overview: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30165163/
Results: Twenty-two studies involving a total of 1448 patients with vitiligo were included. Patients with vitiligo had significantly higher serum homocysteine levels (standardized mean difference [SMD] 0.550, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.262-0.838; I2 87.3%) and lower vitamin B12 levels (SMD -0.430, 95% CI -0.738 to -0.121; I2 85.3%) than controls. Serum folate levels were not significantly different between the 2 groups (SMD -0.240, 95% CI -0.592 to 0.111; I2 85.5%). A subgroup analysis revealed that these findings correlated with disease activity.
Given that Vitamin B12 is primarily found in animal-based foods such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy, I was curious if there is a relationship between a vegan diet and the prevalence or progression of vitiligo.
