Get Rid of Melasma, Treat Vitiligo Naturally: Understanding Hyperpigmentation and Hypopigmentation Issues

How to Naturally Stimulate Melanin Production and Healthy Melanin to Naturally Reduce Hyperpigmentation and Treat Hypopigmentation 

The quantity of melanin molecules and the composition of each molecule of melanin in the skin varies in terms of ethnicity. In less pigmented skin types (Mexican, Chinese, European, etc.), there is about half as much melanin as in the most darkly pigmented skin types (African, Indian, etc.). But the amount of melanin in the skin and in other areas of the body is not the only variable to consider when we look at what this substance can do for human health. 

In lightly pigmented skin types, the melanin components are about three times more alkali-soluble, which means that the composition of melanin found in lighter-colored skin is also different than the composition of more darkly colored skin types. But the melanin in the skin is structurally different than the melanin found in the brain or in other areas of the body such as the ears, eyes, or heart. 

Melanin molecules have different shapes, with spheroidal shapes occurring least frequently in the human body (less than 10% of melanin molecules in people of all levels of skin pigmentation). The size of melanosomes varies significantly in terms of ethnicity with darker skin tones having the largest melanosomes and lighter skin tones having the smallest.

It’s important to note that every individual has a unique melanin composition based on both genetic and environmental factors. Genetic factors are often modified by environmental conditions.

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Melanin: Quick Summary

The amount and type of melanin that’s produced by a given individual and its distribution in the skin affects the visible color of the skin. The color of a person’s skin, then, in turn, impacts how melanin functions in relationship with light exposure and exposure to environmental toxins and pathogens. 

There are no gender-related or racial differences in terms of the density of melanocytes in the skin. Rather, the activity level of melanocytes is what alters the darkness or lightness of skin pigmentation. Eye color is determined by the distribution and number of melanocytes in the uvea and iris. The number of melanocytes don’t vary from person-to-person. Rather, it is the type of melanin, content of the melanin, and the packaging of the melanin within melanosomes that combine to produce the wide variation in eye color.

Melanin in the skin is produced by melanosomes and then it is continually released and broken down but in the eyes, melanosomes accumulate melanin within the iris stroma. While blue eyes have the same number of melanocytes as brown eyes, they have lower levels of melanin pigments and fewer melanosomes (the organelles that produce melanin inside the melanocytes). Green eyes contain an average amount of melanin and melanosomes in the melanocytes.

More than 250 genes regulate the production of melanin and most of these genes make functional modifications in response to environmental conditions to tell the body when to produce melanin, how much to produce, where the melanin needs to go, how long the melanin should survive, and how melanocytes should be differentiated from their precursor cells, the melanoblasts.

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Melanin has the following properties that have been scientifically studied and verified as vital in terms of human health:

• High refractive index
• Semiconducting abilities (it conducts electricity)
• Material stiffness (it makes cell walls stronger)
• High fossilization potential (reflecting its strength and ability to function as armor against strong, destructive environmental factors)

Types of melanin found in the human body:

• Eumelanin
• Pheomelanin
• Allomelanin

Below are ways in which melanin is used in social situations in various animals including humans. Skin pigmentation plays an important in:

• Camouflage
• Social interaction
• Mimicry
• Sexual display

Melanin-producing melanocytes in humans develop in the human embryo from neural crest cells. Neural crest cells are unique to vertebrates. Neural crest cells in the embryo eventually go on to become melanocytes, craniofacial cartilage, smooth muscle, bone tissues, neurons, and glial cells which essentially means (according to embryology and segmental anatomy) that all of these diverse structures are related through their point of origin. Below is an image that shows how the original tissue structure in an embryo evolves from being just one smooth, undifferentiated structure into a differentiating neural tube (which later becomes the spinal tube and cranial structures surrounding the central nervous system). This is one reason why sensory structures like the eyes and the ears as well as the central nervous system contain melanocytes and the fact of their common origin in the embryo suggests that these cells can still be regarded as connected entities.

In autoimmune disease, the composition of melanin, the size, and or quantity of different types of melanin in various areas of the body likely play a powerful role in the following:

1. Infection resistance and immune system function.
2. The ability to detoxify the body when it is exposed to toxic substances.
3. The ability to produce energy from sunlight exposure.
4. The health and well-being of the autonomic nervous system.

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Melanin production and the presence of melanocytes and other melanin-producing cells are play an integral role in our sense organs:

• • VISION: 
    • The eye cells naturally produce melanin through Retinal Pigment Epithelial cells that perform a vital function in eyesight as well as in eye tissue “turnover” involving timed eye cell destruction and restoration. 

• HEARING:

• • • The inner ear cells contain melanocytes that play an important role in hearing. Intermediate cells in the human cochlea are melanocytes. The cochlea is the part of the human ear that’s involved in hearing. These cochlear melanocytes are essential in the proper development and function of the cochlea. Though melanin does not play a role in normal hearing function, it does protect the ear from cochlear trauma (loud noises and toxic substance exposure). 

• SKIN / TOUCH / SMELL / PAIN:

• • SMELLING THROUGH THE SKIN: Researchers have recently discovered that melanocytes in human skin have olfactory receptors which means, essentially, that we can smell via the skin. In the study, scientists used the Beta-Ionone scent to activate this smell receptor. This is the same melanocyte (51E2) in human skin that causes melanoma. When this smell-receptor in the skin is triggered, calcium ions buildup in the tissues in exactly the same way that calcium ions buildup in the olfactory nerve inside the nose to produce the sense of smell. 
  • PAIN TOLERANCE: People and animals with red colored hair or fur have melanocytes that contain a different type of melanocortin 1 receptor. In people and animals who don’t have red hair or fur, the melanocortin 1 receptor is on the surface of human cells and melanocortin hormones that circulate in the blood can activate them. Activated melanocytes switch from producing yellow-red colored melanin pigments to brown-black colored melanin pigments. Animals and humans with red hair or red fur who cannot tan or darken their skin pigment through sun exposure because they have inactive variants of the melanocortin 1 receptors. The loss of the melanocortin receptor function in red haired / red-furred animals causes melanocytes to release less of a molecule known as proopiomelanocortin that can be broken down into endorphins that work a bit like opiates in the body to reduce pain naturally. Proopiomelanocortin can also be broken down into a hormone that makes the body more sensitive to pain, creating a balanced effect in non-red-headed individuals and red-haired animals. Lower levels of melanocyte-related hormones removes the pain-reducing endorphin effects of pro-opiomelanocortin, but it also removes the pain-sensitizing effects of melanocortin 4 receptors to create a net effect of increased opioid signals that increase general pain tolerance. In summary, pain tolerance varies in terms of melanin-related factors with different melanin configurations yielding surprising pain-related effects on the body. 

Melanin Production in Response to Sun Exposure

Skin that is exposed to ultraviolet light produces more melanin than skin that is not exposed to sunlight. Skin that is protected from the sun by sunscreen or clothing in both lightly pigmented and darkly pigmented individuals produces less melanin. 

Melanin absorbs ultraviolet radiation to protect the cell from damage, but ultraviolet radiation also causes proliferation of keratinocyte skin cells that thicken the epidermis (the outer layer of the skin).

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Nutrients That Are Essential in the Function and Production of Melanin

There are several key nutrients that are known to play a role in melanin production, but some of the nutrients that we talk about below also play a role in our body’s response to light and energy via their effects on blood (which is almost always either a bright red or a bright blue color) or on bile, which can cause dynamic changes in skin color via the production of biliverdin (green) or bilirubin (yellow). 

Quinones are colorful substances that are related to quinine, a powerful medicine that’s derived from the Cinchona tree. Quinones are oxidized forms of quinic acid. They are always brightly colored and some of them are also photoluminescent (Lawsone, the orange dye present in the leaves of henna plants are photoluminescent at 640 nm, for example). Quinones are energetically powerful and they are found in the human body as electron acceptors in electron transport chains (vitamin K1 / phylloquinone is an example of a quinone that plays a role in electron transport chains) or in aerobic respiration (ubiquinone is an example of a quinone that plays a vital role in aerobic respiration).

Quinones are often powerful natural cancer cures.

O-quinones are substances that are formed when a catechol oxidizes it. An o-quinone reaction like this occurs in only two special types of cells:

1. Catecholaminergic neurons
   1. Catecholaminergic neurons produce neurotransmitters that are derived from the amino acid tyrosine. 
   2. Catecholaminergic neurons produce the following neurotransmitters:
      1. Adrenaline
      2. Noradrenaline
      3. Dopamine
2. Melanocytes

Melanocytes and catecholaminergic neurons share a common origin. Both types of cells originate in the neural crest of an embryo during the initial stages following human conception and they migrate outward during those most crucial moments after conception to take their places at the chakras or energy centers of the body (there are a number of different chakra “systems”, but one of the most well-known systems involves 7 chakras that correspond to the major endocrine glands). O-quinones are powerful nutrient substances that are used to form melanin in melanocytes and the catecholaminergic neurons throughout the body. Oxidation of colorful quinones lead to a color change and the production of catecholamine neurohormones like dopamine, noradrenaline, and adrenaline. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps us connect to others in positive social ways, and it also helps us make positive decisions for ourselves on the basis of our experiences. A deficiency of dopamine makes us prone to addiction, but dopamine deficiency is also a root cause of many forms of mental illness and neurological diseases. Dopamine also promotes proper functioning of various other organs of the body like the intestines and without proper levels of dopamine, noradrenaline, and adrenaline levels may also be deficient which can lead to a long list of disease states.

Molecular Iodine / Potassium Iodide - Black

Iodine is the most essential nutrient substance used in the production of melanin. In its natural form it is black or a deep purple. As such, it is the ultimate nutrient for absorbing all wavelengths of visible light. Indeed, potassium iodide is a nutrient that’s known for its ability to protect the body from toxic forms of radiation. Potassium iodide is the “medicine” that’s distributed to everyone in a population that’s threatened by nuclear fallout radiation.

Lugol’s iodine is a mixture of molecular iodine and potassium iodide. It has a deep red or orange color. A number of the nutrients that we talk about below support the absorption and proper utilization of iodine in the human body. 

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The thyroid gland is responsive to light. The thyroid gland is directly impacted by Melanin-Concentrating Hormone (MCH) levels in the body. And the thyroid gland often also is host to heavily melanized cancerous tumors which indicates that it contains melanin. The presence or absence of adequate quantities of MCH receptors impacts thyroid hormone secretion. In individuals with too few MCH receptors, thyroid hormone secretion is diminished.

Red light therapy applied directly to the thyroid gland in the front of the neck, even during a deficiency of iodine, is said to be able to promote thyroid hormone secretion and general thyroid health.

Click here to learn about the Lugol’s iodine protocol which includes many of the nutrients that we discuss here. 

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Selenium - Bright Red or Grey Metallic

Selenium supplementation is one of the most important supportive nutrients that helps iodine function properly in the body. Though vitamin K2 is also essential as a substance that moves calcium out of iodine’s way in the blood supply, selenium has properties that resemble sulfur in some ways because sulfur and selenium are in the same family on the periodic table. 

Selenium is a bright red color and it is used commercially to make pigments. It can be used as a semiconductor in electronics. 

In the human body, selenium is a nutrient component in melanin and it is also a component of glutathione peroxidase (an enzyme that breaks down homocysteine, a toxic metabolite of methionine and cysteine) . Glutathione peroxidase protects melanocytes and patients with vitiligo often have lower than normal levels of this enzyme. Indeed, elevated levels of homocysteine increase the risk of heart disease, nervous system disease, and blood circulation issues. Higher than normal levels of homocysteine reduce the availability of nitric oxide, a blood vessel dilator, in the blood supply. 

Glutathione peroxidase contains both selenium and cysteine, an amino acid that contains sulfur. This is an enzyme that plays a vital role in blood vessel dilation and constriction via its effects on nitric oxide. Without a fluid, constantly changing process of production and release of nitric oxide by blood vessel tissues, the blood vessels do not respond dynamically to the environment by dilating and constricting on cue in response to temperature changes or the need for blood to be diverted to the visceral organs or brain tissues.

Glutathione peroxidase can overcome the toxic effects of homocysteine, but selenium and the sulfur-containing amino acid, cysteine must be present in order for this enzyme to be produced as needed. As we discuss below, methylfoltate, the natural form of vitamin B9, plays a role in combating the toxic effects of homocysteine by rescuing melanocytes that would otherwise be killed by this toxin. 

As such, while selenium (red) and cysteine (yellow) are used to produce the enzyme (glutathione peroxidase) that keeps blood vessels dilating and contracting dynamically in response to changing environmental conditions (via glutathione peroxidase’s protective effect on nitric oxide production inside blood vessels), vitamin B9 / folate (yellow) rescues melanocytes from toxic homocysteine that would kill the cells that produce melanin, the armored solar panels that protect our bodies from radiation and chemical toxins, while simultaneously converting sunlight into energy our bodies can use.

Vitamin K2 / Menaquinone - Yellow

Menaquinone or vitamin K2, is a yellow colored solid. Menaquinone specifically promotes bone and blood health and as such, it forms a similar function as Phylloquinone or vitamin K1. But vitamin K2 works intimately with vitamin D, a nutrient formed in human skin as a result of sun exposure. Vitamin K2 takes the calcium that vitamin D transports into the bloodstream through the intestines and it moves the calcium into bones and teeth for storage. Calcium is a nutrient that’s heavily involved in energy production in the human body, but it also provides the essential hard-structure of our bodies. Calcium is both the “E” and the “m” in Einstein’s energy/matter equation (E=mc2). 

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L-Cysteine / Methionine / MSM / Sulfur - Yellow

Methionine and L-cysteine are yellow, sulfur-containing amino acids that play a role in melanin production. Pheomelanins include a benzothiazine and benzothiazole units instead of DHI and DHICA units that are found in eumelanin. L-cysteine is used in the production of both eumelanin and pheomelanin. Pheomelanins contain sulfur which gives them their yellow color. Eumelanins, on the other hand, do not contain sulfur.

L-methionine administration to schizophrenics can induce a psychotic break in 40% of patients. Homocysteine is one of the metabolites of methionine that has been implicated as problematic in neurological disorders like autism. High levels of homocysteine metabolites are also found in higher concentrations in patients with vitiligo, the depigmentation disease that involves melanocytes. 

Homocysteine can cause melanocytes to die by activating certain free radicals in the endoplasmic reticulum of the melanocytes. Folate / vitamin B9, is a yellow quinone that causes a transformation of homocysteine that rescues the melanin-producing cells / melanocytes. 

The methylated form of folate has been used in autistic children to lower homocysteine levels, which reduces behavioral issues in these kids. Autistic children tend to have less melanized skin (lighter skin color) than children of the same ethnicity who are not autistic. Interestingly, yellow sulfuric amino acids methionine and cysteine create toxic metabolites like homocysteine that cause damage to melanin-producing cells which then reduces melanin production in their skin. Methylfolate (the natural form of vitamin B9) is a yellow quinone that can protect melanocytes from homocysteine, which in turn, leads to increased melanization of the skin, better detoxification, and the ability for the melanin molecules to charge cells and communicate with the autonomic nervous system effectively.

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Vitamin K1 / Phylloquinone - Dark Green

Phylloquinone or vitamin K1 is a naphthoquinone that is made only by plants, green algae and certain types of cyanobacteria. In these organisms, phylloquinone is an important electron carrier and acceptor during photosynthesis. In other words, vitamin K1 plays a vital role in capturing energy from the sun in plants.  It plays a central role in the production of chlorophyll, tocopherols, and salicylate.  In humans, vitamin K1 plays a role in blood coagulation, bone tissue generation, and vascular metabolism.

Ubiquinone / Coenzyme Q10 - Orange

Like vitamin K1 / Phylloquinone (dark green) and vitamin K2 / Menaquinone (light yellow), ubiquinone or coenzyme Q10 is a vibrantly colored nutrient that plays a role in energy production in the skin. Though studies into coenzyme Q10 and melanin have not yet been done, studies have shown that energy production in human skin is enhanced through the application of this quinone nutrient-substance and it’s likely that it interacts with melanin via the same oxidation-reduction reactions that have been observed in response to coenzyme Q10 creams that trigger vitiligo in susceptible patients. Also, ubiquinone derives its name from the fact that it is a nearly ubiquitous molecule found in many of the tissues of living beings.

Vitamin B12 / Cobalamin – Cobalt Blue

Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin. It is also essential for healthy red blood cell production and healthy nervous system function. Cobalamin levels that are too low or too high can lead to changes in the pigmentation of human skin. Hyperpigmentation as well as hypopigmentation can be caused by vitamin B12 deficiency. Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease that is heavily correlated with vitamin B12 deficiency, for example. Mouth ulcers and dermatitis, and changes to the hair and the nails is also common in patients with vitamin B12 deficiency.

Vitamin B12 has been used in the field of photo-therapeutics to target the delivery of certain light-sensitive drugs like dexamethasone or doxorubicin. In photo-therapeutics, a drug is “installed” on the surface of a human cell or in the interior of the human cell and then the drug is released through the application of a specific wavelength of light. Red blood cells and neural stem cells are popular targets for phototherapeutics. Prodrugs that carry light sensitive drugs usually require short wavelengths of light at less than 450 nm, but scientists have noted that vitamin B12 derivatives like alkyl-cob(III)alamins have a Carbon-Cobalt bond that’s very weak, requiring less than 30 kcal/mol to produce cleavage. All wavelengths of light absorbed by the corrin ring of this vitamin B12 derivative is thus useful in phototherapy. The wavelengths of light that are absorbed by vitamin B12 range from 330 nm to 580 nm, but the addition of fluorophores to the corrin ring expands light absorption possibility above 600 nm. The fluorophore acts as a “fluorescent” radio antenna that can detach a particular medicinal substance from the vitamin B12. 

Vitamin B9 / Methyl Folate / Folic Acid - Yellow

Folate / vitamin B9, is a yellow quinone that causes a transformation of homocysteine that rescues the melanin-producing cells / melanocytes. 

The autoimmune disease known as vitiligo has been treated successfully using folic acid (a synthetic form of folate) and vitamin B12 along with sunlight exposure. In one study, vitiligo patients (who have patches of white, non-melanized skin on various parts of the body), were given oral folic acid and vitamin B12. These patients were asked to keep a record of their sun exposure over the course of a year. Over half of the patients (52%) experienced repigmentation on sun-exposed areas. Total repigmentation was observed in 6% of patients who took folic acid and vitamin B12 while exposing their body to plenty of sunlight. In 64% of patients who followed this protocol, the spread of vitiligo stopped. Patients were told to expose the skin to sunlight no less than 2 times weekly for best results though sun exposure is recommended for at least 30 minutes daily.

A number of the patients in this study who had vitiligo remarked that they noticed mild skin repigmentation during the summer months with regular sun exposure, but these patients were surprised at how much better the natural vitiligo skin repigmentation occurred with vitamin B12 and folic acid supplementation. 

Pteridine in natural folate / folic acid / vitamin B9 is responsible for skin repigmentation after the skin is exposed to sunlight. This substance was first discovered in the pigments of butterfly wings, but it also plays a role in melanin production as demonstrated in the study described above regarding vitiligo and repigmentation of the skin. 

Note that folic acid is the synthetic version of folate, the natural form of vitamin B9. Also note that methylation is an important step in a number of chemical reactions. Methyl folate donates a methyl group that enhances vitamin B12 metabolism in the body. Methyl folate, for example, has been used as a natural treatment for autism because it enhances methylation. As such, the methyl folate form of vitamin B9 is preferable to folic acid for autism and autoimmune disease sufferers. 

Above, in the section on sulfur, we also discussed the fact that folate (which is yellow) is able to transform toxic homocysteine (a metabolite of cysteine and methionine) in a manner that rescues melanocytes from cellular death. Homocysteine (derived from yellow sulfuric methionine and cysteine) can kill melanin-producing cells, but yellow methylfolate can protect the melanocytes and thus promote melanin production.

Vitamin B2 / Riboflavin - Yellow

The “flavin” in “riboflavin” is Latin for “yellow”. Flavins are photoreducible, which means that they are able to receive electrons from light. Cysteine is an amino acid that often interacts with riboflavin to receive electrons from light in order to generate electricity in the human body.

Riboflavin is essential in the proper metabolism and absorption of iodine, vitamin B6, and folate. It is also necessary for the metabolism of vitamin B3, which in turn, is also necessary for the absorption of iodine. Riboflavin is a vibrant yellow color that can be used to color food. Riboflavin deficiency causes issues with all of the systems of the body that involve color. As a substance that promotes iodine absorption, riboflavin deficiency impacts melanin production and can lead to hair loss and eye irritation due to light sensitivity if the deficiency isn’t corrected. But a deficiency of riboflavin also contributes to anemia or low iron levels in the blood, which, in turn, would cause skin to develop a slightly bluish or grayish hue due to high levels of de-oxygenated blood. Prolonged deficiency of riboflavin can also cause the nervous system and liver to degenerate which would disrupt bile production and general detoxification of the body.

Vitamin B3 / Niacin / Nicotinic Acid - White

Vitamin B3 deficiency, known as pellagra, is a disease that first impacts the areas of the skin that are exposed to sunlight or friction. If a vitamin B3 deficiency is not corrected, the skin becomes darker and darker, it gets leathery and begins to peel or bleed. Dementia and neurological symptoms develop along with diarrhea and ulcerations in the mouth.

Tryptophan is an amino acid that the body can convert into niacin. Deficiency of tryptophan can thus contribute to niacin deficiency. GMO staple foods like wheat, corn, and soy no longer produce tryptophan or quinone-nutrients like vitamin K2. As such, tryptophan deficiency is common.

Click here to read more about the nutrients that are lacking in GMO foods.

Vitamin B3 is a nutrient that is absolutely essential in the proper metabolism of iodine in the body.

Nitrilosides / Amygdalin / Vitamin B17 - Blue

Nitrilosides like amygdalin, are beta-cyanophoric glycosides that are also known as amygdalin or vitamin B17. Amygdalin is found in the seeds of many fruits as well as in certain grasses or grains that have not been genetically modified. Amygdalin is blue when observed under white light. 

Amygdalin has an 80-90% cancer cure rate in humans and some scientists believe that cancer is a vitamin B17 deficiency disease.

Vitamin A / Beta Carotene - Orange

Vitamin A appears to be vital in the production of melanin. Reports of enhanced melanin production after taking beta carotene are mostly anecdotal at this time, but a number of studies (as well as drugs that are vitamin A “analogs”) document the fact that beta carotene and vitamin A plays a role in skin health (likely, in part, through its role in melanin production).

Vitamin E / Tocopherols - Yellow to Brownish-Red

Vitamin E has been studied as an agent that has the ability to inhibit the production of melanin by reducing the expression of the enzyme tyrosinase. 

Vitamin D

Studies during the COVID pandemic seemed to indicate that ethnicity played a role in striking differences between clinical outcomes of COVID-19 infection. These studies indicated that crosstalk between melanin molecules and the immune system played a role in how vulnerable a given person was to this disease. 

Vitamin D is produced naturally in human skin when skin is exposed to sunlight. Interestingly, the higher the levels of melanin in the skin, the less vitamin D the skin produces, so darker skin produces less vitamin D and lighter skin produces more vitamin D in response to sun exposure. Vitamin D is produced specifically in response to exposure to ultraviolet B wavelengths of light.

Very darkly pigmented skin tones lessen vitamin D production dramatically. Lightly pigmented skin tones, in contrast, produce more vitamin D in response to sunlight exposure. Some scientists have speculated that there’s a relationship between the prevalence of a given autoimmune disease in a given population of people and the latitude at which that population lives because of the inverse relationship between vitamin D production and melanin production in human skin. Of course, these studies have not taken into account the fact that vitamin K2 must also be present in the population’s diet and if it’s not, vitamin D can easily become toxic to the body. It also doesn’t take into account the problem of genetically modified plants that don’t go through the shikimate pathway to produce the most important components of melanin including vitamin K2 and how these GMO plants impact a population’s general health and ability to survive. Read more here about why vitamin D supplements should never taken without vitamin K2 supplements to balance the effects of the vitamin D.

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Plant Colors and Light 

Healthy plants look green because the chlorophyll that they contain absorb light primarily from the blue and red wavelengths of light. Green wavelengths of light, on the other hand, are less readily absorbed by green plants.  The leaves of deciduous trees change color in the fall because their chlorophyll molecules (which are the chromophores in plants) break down and stop absorbing red and blue light and reflecting green light. 

Plants That Alter Melanin Production

Plants That Contain Anthocyanins

Anthocyanins are pigments that are found in a number of plants. These anthocyanin-pigments change color depending on their pH and they may appear red, blue, black, or purple. Common food plants that contain anthocyanins include raspberries, black rice, black soybeans, blueberries, and more. 

Anthocyanins have been used to produce organic solar cells because they have the ability to convert light energy into electrical energy. In humans, anthocyanins change the membrane potential of mitochondria which are the biological equivalent to a battery. This altered membrane potential has been noted particularly in terms of its ability to kill cancer cells naturally, including melanoma cells, but also as a cure for autoimmune disease, since anthocyanins are viewed as inflammation-reducers and defenders against free radicals. 

Cannabinoids and Melanin Synthesis

Human melanocytes, the cells that produce melanin, contain a fully functional endocannabinoid system. This system stimulates melanin synthesis naturally in a dose-dependent manner. Cannabinoid-based medicines like cannabis / CBD products work through a unique mechanism of action to regulate skin pigmentation. While melanin production can be stimulated by Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone (MSH) via the melanocortin receptors, melanin production can also be stimulated by cannabinoids which boost the gene expression of tyrosinase, an enzyme that breaks down nutrients into component parts so that they can be reassembled into melanin molecules. 

Rick Simpson Oil for Autoimmune Disease

The immune system is modulated to some extent by the endocannabinoid system of the body. In those with autoimmune disease, CBD oil, especially Rick Simpson CBD oil, can be used to suppress the immune system in a beneficial way. In other words, you can use CBD oil to balance immune response and to reign in a hyperactive immune system. 

Plants That Activate Melanin Receptors

There are a number of herbs that contain medicinal substances that darken the skin by activating the melanin receptors. These include:

• • Psoralea corylifolia (psoralen)
    • Psoralen is a substance that has been stolen by Big Pharma for use in the treatment of psoriasis. The administration of a toxic synthetic analog of the natural plant-based form of psoralen is used in tandem with the administration of narrow-spectrum ultraviolet (UV) light in a clinical, office setting. This treatment, which is known as PUVA light therapy (Psoralen + UltraViolet A light therapy) will not cure psoriasis though the use of natural psoralen and the careful, calculated administration of full-spectrum light exposure may be able to cure psoriasis at home. The use of narrow-spectrum ultraviolet-A light with a synthetic, non-natural form of psoralen would not activate melanin in the same way that full-spectrum light and natural, herbal psoralen would activate melanin in human skin. 
  • Piper nigrum (piperine)
    • Piperine is a substance that’s found naturally in black pepper (also known as Piper nigrum). It is often combined with other herbal medicines to boost their healing effect, possibly via melanin receptor activation.
  • Echinacea 
    • Echinacea is a plant that has been studied in terms of its ability to stimulate and modulate the immune system. This plant medicine works by activating melanin, which in turn activates immune system monocytes as well as interferon-gamma in spleen cells, and IgA and interleukin-6 by Peyer’s patch cells. Echinacea also contains low levels of cannabinoids which modulate immune response via melanin. 
  • Nigella sativa (thymoquinone)

• • • Nigella sativa, also known as “black seed” or “black cumin”, is famous for its immune-modulating abilities. It works by moderating cytokine production and regulating both innate immune response and adaptive immune response.  

• • Withania somnifera (withaferin)

• • • Withania somnifera, also known as Ashwagandha, has been studied as a melanogenic signaling-interruption agent that can reduce melanin pigmentation. This herb can be used to treat hyperpigmentation such as solar lentigo, melasma, UVB-melanosis without any risk of causing hypopigmentation.

• • Berberis vulgaris (berberine)

• • • Berberine, a substance found in Berberis vulgaris, can alter melanophore size and disperse melanin to darken the skin in lab animal. In these studies, propranolol, a high blood pressure medication, blocked the melanin-effects of berberine by blocking the beta-2-adrenergic receptors demonstrating that blood pressure can be impacted by the activity of melanin in the body.

Melanin and Light Therapy as a Cure for Vitiligo, Autism, and Autoimmune Disease

Scientists studying vitiligo, an autoimmune disease involving hypopigmentation of the skin, have found that certain nutrients impact whether a vitiligo patient is able to repigment the skin in response to sunlight exposure. Though many vitiligo patients notice that their skin re-pigments when they expose themselves to sunlight, the combined use of nutrient therapies to enhance repigmentation of the skin in vitiligo patients is much more effective.

Studies showing that vitiligo, a hypopigmentation disease, can be treated using sun exposure is food for thought for parents who are looking for a cure for autism and ASD. It is also food for thought for anyone who is looking for a cure for autoimmune disease, particularly autoimmune diseases that involve hypopigmentation of the skin.

Melanin is directly connected to the autonomic nervous system via adrenaline / epinephrine, a neurotransmitter that’s derived from the amino acid tyrosine. As discussed above, melanin functions like a tiny, molecular solar panel in the human body and it is most concentrated in areas of the body that are regarded as powerful energy centers in the body (e.g. the chakras which correspond to the endocrine glands). These solar panels work best when we feed our bodies the proper nutrients needed to build these solar panels. Interestingly, most of these nutrients are very colorful substances that are able to absorb and reflect light in a specific way.

Light Therapy Treatment for Autoimmunity

Light therapy is also known as “photobiomodulation”. 

Sunlight is full-spectrum light. If you live in a sunny location, you can use sunlight to reduce symptoms of autoimmune disease. Note that a sunburn may be like a detoxification reaction of the body depending on your skin tone which means that you may need to carefully continue exposing your body to sunlight in carefully calibrated sessions after the sunburn heals. Consider using an edible, non-toxic clay such as bentonite or the Burmese tree-derived thanaka as a sunscreen-alternative so that you can continue to habitually expose your body to sunlight and wavelengths of light that can reduce pain and inflammation in the meantime, until the detoxification reaction ends.

Below are wavelengths of light that can be used to treat different aspects of autoimmune disease or autism through the interaction of the light with human melanin and through the interaction of light with pathogens that may or may not contain melanin. 

Click here to buy a multi-wavelength Light Therapy Device.

Violet Light (380-450 nm) 

Violet light is not usually used for light therapy by itself. 

Blue Light (450-495 nm)

Blue light is often administered accidentally as electronic light from television and computer screens. In this context, blue light can actually make it hard for our brains to naturally produce melatonin and know when it’s time to go to sleep. But if blue light is properly isolated and directed, it can be used to treat the skin on the face and to reduce acne problems.

Green Light (495-570 nm)

Green light is used to reduce inflammation. It is also useful in the treatment of migraine headaches. Migraine headaches can be caused by a variety of problems, but one major cause of migraines are negative thoughts that cause the uppermost vertebrae to shift just slightly such that there is pressure on the cranial nerves of the parasympathetic nervous system. Mental health issues like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder / PTSD can be relieved through treatment with craniosacral therapy or green light therapy. Scientists believe that green light can be used to adjust circadian rhythms which can be altered just slightly in those with migraines or PTSD. 

Yellow Light (570-590 nm)

Yellow light is used to boost wound healing, induce the production of collagen, hydrate the skin, and generally promote healthy skin. 

Orange Light (590-620 nm)

Orange light is used to get rid of wrinkles naturally by increasing collagen production, reducing inflammation, and stimulating circulation in the skin. Orange light benefits the appearance of all skin complexions.

Red Light (620-1000 nm)

Red light is more famous than other wavelengths of light for its healing benefits. Both red and near infrared light are able to kill pathogens and penetrate deeply into tissues, not just the skin. Red light reduces pain and inflammation while energizing cells with photons that help them heal more quickly.

A number of autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis have been treated using red light therapy and near infrared light therapy. Cytochrome C Oxidase is a photoreceptor on the mitochondria of human cells that specifically captures red light to induce gene transcription and increase the anti-inflammatory function of the cell to restore the cell to health. 

FINAL NOTE: Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is a medicinal substance that is FDA approved. Studies have shown that DMSO has the ability to increase the numerical quantity of pigmented cells (melanin) in the skin which in turn, reduces inflammation in the skin and throughout the body. As such, DMSO can be used to cure vitiligo and other skin conditions involving hypopigmentation. Click here to read more about DMSO.



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