Vitiligo

Overview

Vitamin B9 (Folate) and Ginkgo carry medium-level evidence for vitiligo. Folic acid supplements may help improve symptoms, especially when combined with vitamin B12 and sunlight exposure, in people who often have higher homocysteine levels. Ginkgo has shown clinical improvement in a subset of patients in an open-label pilot trial evaluating disease activity and repigmentation, though more research is needed.

Alpha-Lipoic Acid and Milk Thistle carry low ratings with mixed or inconclusive results, often tested alongside light therapy or other ingredients. See the heatmap and evidence reviews below for evidence across four supplements.

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Relevant supplements

Relevant supplements sorted by DEX Score.


Vitamin B9 (Folate)	★★★★★	Medium
Ginkgo	★★★★★	Medium
Milk Thistle	★★★★★	Low
Alpha-Lipoic Acid	★★★★★	Low

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Studies

Find individual evidence reviews for supplements sorted by DEX Score.

4 supplements for and rated at least stars. All purchase bands. No minimum star filter.

Vitamin B9 (Folate)View supplement →

Consider purchase★★★★★

How we scored this

Effect SizeMediumEvidenceHighTrustHigh

Evidence Review

Taking folic acid supplements may help improve symptoms of vitiligo in some people, especially when combined with vitamin B12 and sunlight.
People with vitiligo often have higher levels of homocysteine, which is linked to low folic acid.

Browse 3 studies1 meta-analysis

MetaSerum homocysteine, folate, and vitamin B12 levels in patients with vitiligo and their potential roles as disease activity biomarkers: A systematic review and meta-analysis2019n=1,448

A meta-analysis of 22 studies (1,448 vitiligo patients) found higher serum homocysteine and lower vitamin B12 versus controls; folate levels did not differ significantly.

Effect: No Benefit
Dose: 2 g/day
Population: Vitiligo patients
Participants: 1,448

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Clinical trialImprovement of vitiligo after oral treatment with vitamin B12 and folic acid and the importance of sun exposure1997n=52

In 100 vitiligo patients, oral folic acid and vitamin B12 plus sun exposure led to repigmentation in 52 and stopped spread in 64% over up to 2 years.

Effect: Benefit
Duration: 2 years
Population: Patients With Vitiligo
Participants: 52

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ObservationalFolic acid and vitamin B12 in vitiligo: a nutritional approach1992n=15

In 15 vitiligo patients with low folate, combined folic acid, vitamin B12, and ascorbic acid treatment produced definite repigmentation in 8 without side effects.

Effect: Benefit
Population: Vitiligo patients
Participants: 15

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GinkgoView supplement →

Reconsider purchase★★★★★

How we scored this

Effect SizeMediumEvidenceLowTrustLow

Evidence Review

Early research on vitiligo is limited.
An open-label pilot trial in patients with vitiligo vulgaris evaluating adjunct Ginkgo biloba for disease activity and repigmentation, reporting clinical improvement in a subset of participants.
More studies are needed before any benefit can be considered reliable.

Browse 2 studies

Open-labelGinkgo biloba for the treatment of vitilgo vulgaris: an open label pilot clinical trial2011n=11

In an open-label pilot of 12 vitiligo patients (ages 12–35), Ginkgo biloba 60 mg twice daily for 12 weeks halted progression in most participants but repigmentation was limited.

Effect: Benefit
Duration: 12 weeks
Dose: 120 mg/day
Population: Vitiligo patients
Participants: 11
Ages: 12–35

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RCTEffectiveness of oral Ginkgo biloba in treating limited, slowly spreading vitiligo2003n=47

In a double-blind RCT of 47 vitiligo patients, Ginkgo biloba 40 mg three times daily arrested disease progression and induced repigmentation versus placebo.

Effect: Benefit
Dose: 40 mg 3×/day
Population: Vitiligo patients
Participants: 47

View on PubMed

Alpha-Lipoic AcidView supplement →

Reconsider purchase★★★★★

How we scored this

Effect SizeLowEvidenceLowTrustMedium

Evidence Review

It is unclear if taking alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) helps vitiligo during light therapy.
One study found that 300 mg of ALA daily for 6 months did not improve skin repigmentation compared to placebo.
Another small study found that taking a supplement with ALA (50 mg) plus vitamins C, E, and fatty acids before and during light therapy increased the chance of repigmentation by 29% compared to placebo.
It is not known if the benefit was due to ALA or the other ingredients.

Browse 2 studies

RCTRandomized clinical trial of combined therapy with oral α-lipoic acid and NB-UVB for nonsegmental stable vitiligo2021n=133

In a 6-month RCT, oral alpha-lipoic acid 300 mg/day plus NB-UVB did not improve vitiligo repigmentation beyond phototherapy alone across age and sex subgroups.

Effect: No Benefit
Duration: 6 months
Dose: 300 mg/day
Population: Women
Participants: 133

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RCTAntioxidants and narrow band-UVB in the treatment of vitiligo: a double-blind placebo controlled trial2007n=35

In 28 vitiligo patients, antioxidant supplementation including alpha-lipoic acid before and during NB-UVB for 6 months raised repigmentation above 75% in 50% vs 18% on placebo and improved oxidative markers in blood cells.

Effect: Benefit
Duration: 6 months
Population: Patients with vitiligo
Participants: 35

View on PubMed

Milk ThistleView supplement →

Reconsider purchase★★★★★

How we scored this

Effect SizeLowEvidenceLowTrustMedium

Evidence Review

It is not clear if taking milk thistle helps improve vitiligo patches.
One study showed no extra benefit when milk thistle was added to light therapy.
Another small study found milk thistle might help skin color return around transplanted hair follicles, but this study did not use a placebo for comparison, so more research is needed.

Browse 2 studies

RCTSilymarin in combination with hair follicle transplantation as a potential treatment for refractory vitiligo: A double-blind randomized controlled trial2024

A 3-month double-blind RCT of 20 refractory vitiligo patients found adding oral silymarin to hair follicle transplantation significantly improved repigmentation versus transplantation alone.

Effect: Benefit
Duration: 3 months
Population: Adults
Avg age: ~30

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RCTCan we consider silymarin as a treatment option for vitiligo? A double-blind controlled randomized clinical trial of phototherapy plus oral Silybum marianum product versus phototherapy alone2020n=34

A double-blind RCT of 34 vitiligo patients found oral silymarin plus phototherapy produced significantly greater repigmentation than phototherapy alone.

Effect: Benefit
Population: Adults
Participants: 34

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Evidence visualised

Same ratings as above, aggregated so you can see coverage and imbalance.

Purchase-guidance distribution

How many supplements fall in each purchase band

Effect-size distribution

How large the reported benefits tend to be

Study distribution across 4 supplements for vitiligo (9 studies total).
Supplement	DEX	Studies	Meta-analyses	Share
Vitamin B9 (Folate)	★★★★★68%	3	1	33%
Alpha-Lipoic Acid	★★★★★44%	2	0	22%
Ginkgo	★★★★★52%	2	0	22%
Milk Thistle	★★★★★44%	2	0	22%

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Overview

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